PROPERTIES OF ZIRCON BLUE
The beautiful watery blue colour of Zircon is my favourite because I am a watersign and so adore all gemstones in blue and green regardless of shade or depth of colour! Although Zircon occurs in a wide range of colours such as green, dark red, yellow, brown and orange, for many years the most popular has been the clear and colourless variety - I would hazard a guess this is because it simulates a diamond ?
- Zircon blue fair trade earring - £7.49
The properties of Zircon’s colour diversity is caused by traces of certain elements, some of which are radioactive. The Zircons containing radioactive elements undergo a process called metamiction. This describes how the inner crystal structure becomes destroyed and then these radioactive forms of zircon must be heated to stabilize them for use as gems. In fact, almost all gem forms of zircon including those that are not radioactive are heat-treated to enhance their colour. Heating semi-transparent, greyish-brown or reddish-brown zircons from most localities in an oxygen-free environment gives them a blue colour. If these blue stones are then re-heated in air, their colour turns golden-brown. Heat-treatment of certain zircons also produces colourless gems. Interesting….
- Zircon blue fair trade earring - £13.95
Indigo Ocean has a very elegant and moderately priced range of fair trade jewellery hand made in India from solid silver. Our vast range of fair trade jewellery pieces are inlaid with various combinations of semi precious gemstones. We have fair trade silver stud earrings, fair trade hook earrings, silver pendants and silver bracelets. We have a great selection of fair trade silver jewellery with stones such as blue chalcedony, malachite, lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye, moonstone, moonstone rainbow and rose quartz. All of our fair trade silver jewellery is exchanged for a fair wage.
HISTORY
In modern day the most popular colour of all the Zircons is the shade of watery almost transparent delicate blue, which, incidentally, is considered an alternative birthstone for December. Most blue zircon is of a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems are actually a bright blue colour as explained above (see ‘PROPERTIES’).
The name is believed to come from the Persian word ‘zargun’, which means ‘gold-coloured’. Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the gods, which was a glowing tree covered with gemstone fruit and leaves of Zircon. How fantastic! Imagine that, wow!
Zircon blue fair trade earrings - £5.99
ORIGIN
Zircon is mined in primarily in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, France, Nigeria, Tanzania and Brazil though it can be found in other countries too.
- Zircon Blue fair trade necklace - £38.89
FOLKLORE
In the middle ages, Zircon was said to promote sleep as well as bring prosperity & promote honour and wisdom in its owner. According to folklore, Zircon was the stone of purity and innocence. Zircon is strongly believed to exude spiritual properties which help to balance emotions as well as enhance self esteem, ease tensions and clarify mental thoughts. Zircon was also thought to be used in amulets by travellers to protect against accident and injury on the journey, for example, protecting the wearer against being stuck by lightening.
Zircon has long had a supporting role to more well-known gemstones, often stepping in as an understudy when they were unavailable.
