The majority of zircons are found in Southeast Asia, but you will also find them in countries such as Brazil, Tanzania, and Nigeria. The majority of the popular blue zircon gemstones are mined in Cambodia and Burma.

History of Zircon

Zircon is thought to be the oldest mineral on earth. In Western Australia, zircon samples were found that dated back 4.4 billion years ago, making it older than the moon. It is believed that the Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago and the moon only 4 billion years ago. This discovering sparked so much interest that the field of Zirconology was born.

Much question has been raised upon the discovery because evidence of water was also dated back to the formation of the mineral. Zircons are alluvial deposits meaning that they were placed in the deep layers of the earth by water. Water was not believed to have been on the Earth when the zircon gemstones were formed, which raises the question about how they were put where they were by water.

More than just the formation of this gemstone amazes scientists, but also the unique properties of zircons. The unique features of the gemstone make it extremely brilliant, and very comparable to diamonds. Before synthetic diamonds were created, pure rough zircons were used as “fake” diamonds.

Properties of Zircon

These gemstones are treasured because of their two unique features, one being how extremely dense they are and the other being that they have a high birefringence. Zircons are some of the densest gemstones. This greatly influences the way you would compare them to other gemstones. If you were to place a one carat diamond next to a one carat zircon, the zircon would look about half the size of the diamond, but would still weigh the same. When buying zircon gemstones, keep that in mind so that you are not surprised when your, slightly smaller than imagined, gemstone arrives.

All gemstones are measured using the refractive index, this measure how well light bends and reflects through the stone. When a gemstone is considered birefringence, they have two different measurements of the refractive index. When light hits a zircon, it splits into two paths. This will cause rough zircons to appear fuzzy when you look through them. Special treatment is used to make the rough zircons more clear. The refractive index itself is extremely high and almost as high as diamonds. This index paired with its birefringence feature, makes this stone one of the most brilliant gemstones.

Although zircon only has a hardness of around 7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, it is capable of handling very extreme high temperatures. Generally speaking, the harder a stone, the higher temperature it can withstand, but once again zircon’s features are unique. Not only are some zircon gemstones used for jewelry, but it is also mined for other applications. The gemstones tend to be mined for its contents of zirconium (an ingredient in most abrasives that strongly resembles titanium), and also used to create zirconium oxide (used in extreme temperatures and even for nuclear projects).

No individual rough zircon gemstone is famous as other gemstones, but the entire family of zircons is famous for the way it is created, making it sought after by most gemstone collectors.

Treatment of Zircon

For most rough gemstones, treatment usually means just polishing and cutting the stone, but when it comes to zircons, the treatment process is not that simple. Zircon gemstones are heat treated to not only enhance the color, but also to create certain colors altogether. Although the most popular color for zircons is the light blue, those gemstones start out as green or brown rough zircon gemstones. The heat alters the color, but green zircons that are changed to blue can still appear green on one side when looked at under a bright light. Most of the other groups of zircons are just treated for enhancement, where some are not heat treated at all. The scarily rare rose colored stones that come from Tanzania and the Cambodian orange colored stones are left in their natural state. This is because the colors are formed by radioactive elements that consist of the gemstones’ makeup. But no matter what color the zircon gemstone is, it must be cut perfectly when used for jewelry

When other gemstones are needed to be cut, it is just to clean up the shape and to create a carat size. For rough zircon gemstones, the cutting process is crucial to eliminate the effects caused by the double light dispersion feature. If not cut correctly, it will appear as a blurry gemstone and possibly hurt the value of it..

Both untouched rough zircon and polished zircon gemstones are valuable and unique. They are not only valued in the world of gemstones for their amazing features, but also by scientist and engineers. Zircon is a gemstone that has been around since almost the beginning of the world, and is one that every gem collector needs. For more information Glitters Gemstones

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Although rough tanzanite was discovered by accident and misidentified as several stones and minerals, once the beauty and rarity of the stone was realized, it soon became valuable and wanted by both gemstone collectors and the most well known jewelers.

Tanzanite Color and Properties

In its rough state, tanzanite is a purple-blue color, and often with yellow and brown spots that must be heat treated to remove. The gemstone has unique light dispersion and refractive features. Tanzanite reflects different colors with light when viewed at different angles. It is also considered to be birefringence, meaning that two different paths are taken when light is shined through the stone. These features allow the gemstone to appear bluer when looked through from the top and purple when looked through from the top.

Tanzanite gemstones are considered to have a hardness of between 6 and 7, which makes it fragile, but still usable for jewelry wear. The most wanted color is the unique bluish-purple tanzanite that is created after treatment.

History of Tanzanite

Discovered only in 1967, tanzanite is a new addition to the world of gemstones. A man named de Souza, who lived in Tanzania, discovered the stone while in search of gold. At first, he thought the gemstone was a purple sapphire, but later learned that it was more than that.

Once he realized that it was in fact not a sapphire, he mistook it again for a different gemstone. After testing and consideration by geologist and universities, it was determined that a new gemstone had been discovered.

It was immediately realized how beautiful the gemstones were, and that a market needed to be created. At first the Saks Department stores were asked to carry the stone, but the store chose not to invest. It was then that two rings that had been created from the first discovered tanzanite gemstones were shown to the head of the Tiffany & Co jewelry store. With no hesitation, Tiffany’s jumped at the opportunity and named the gem tanzanite.

The market for tanzanite has grown over the last few decades and the gemstone has become very popular. In 2002, it was realized that some sort of protocol was needed to ensure that the stones were not used to finance terrorist groups. Also in 2002, the American Gem Trade Associated included tanzanite as an addition to the list of birthstones for December.

Due to the high demand of tanzanite, very convincing synthetic gemstones have been created. In Russia, the synthetic material Tanzanion is manufactured, and although very comparable to real tanzanite, it is not as brilliant or as valuable.

Rough Tanzanite Treatment

Some rough tanzanite can be purchased, but most of the gemstones are first treated with heat before being sold. Like most other gemstones, heat enhances the colors of the tanzanite gemstones, and also creates new colors as well. The stone when first mined is not attractive and tends to be browner in color than any other colors. The heating is done at very extreme temperatures and by one plane of the stone at a time, but only when the stone has not been exposed to heat in it natural environment. If the gemstones are already been naturally heat treated, then they cannot be reheated due to their fragile state.

It is said that before the discovery of rough tanzanite in 1967, locals of the Merelani Hills in Tanzania noticed that after a great wildfire, rocks that at one time were brown and dull turned blue after the fire scarred them. This was probably the first sighting of Tanzante.

This is the reason why care for treated tanzanite must be done carefully and with certain guidelines. Many fine gemstones can be steam cleaned to keep the brilliance the same, but this cleaning method can change the color of the stone and cause it to break, leaving you with nothing but a rock as valuable as a paperweight.

Once the gemstones are heat treated, they turn an indigo or violet color that can change in different lighting, then, they are cut to size. Most rough tanzanite gemstones are of decent size, but some of the largest known stones ever discovered have been tanzanite. The largest being 22 cm wide, and weighing 16,839 carats.

The Business of Tanzanite

Since the vice president of Tiffany & Co first decided to market and sell tanzanite gemstones as a fine stone, the market for them has grown tremendously. The business aspect of tanzanite is very similar to that of diamonds. Not only are they valued by the same criteria, but are also controlled in the same ways. The criteria are cut, clarity, and color, with most emphasis on the color. The rough tanzanite stones that are treated are classified by either being mostly violet or mostly blue, from there the clarity and cut of the gem is taken into consideration before it is labeled with a fiscal value. To ensure that tanzanite gemstones that are on the market are real, their distribution is highly controlled. Very similar to the diamond market, one company distributes the stone to authorized dealers. This ensures that when you buy a tanzanite gemstone from one of the authorized dealers, you are receiving a quality gem that is truly tanzanite and not a convincing synthetic.

Tanzanite has become very popular over the recent years, and prices have increased. But it is believed that the supply of the rare gemstone will be depleted someday soon, making the prices soar higher than ever. Even though the first tanzanite gemstone was just a lucky find, it has introduced a new fine gem to our society that is spectacular.

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