Zircon is known as the oldest stone on Earth. This gem competes in brilliance with diamonds and is attributed with extraordinary qualities. So if you are looking for different wedding rings, try Zircon. If you still don't know this wonderful gemstone, at Planderful we will tell you all the details about Zircon wedding bands.
Zircon Rings
Zircon is a perfect gem for innovative wedding rings, very attractive for daring and unconventional people. You can find zircon in different colors and colorless, so be encouraged to try different options.
Just a few years ago, no one thought of buying a wedding ring that wasn't made of gold. These wedding rings, and platinum, have always been leaders (and still are) because they are eternal metals, but lately, other alternatives have been appearing for couples. Thus appeared steel, titanium, and, lately, wedding rings with colored stones and even dark stones.
These types of rings have become popular thanks to increasingly technological manufacturing that produces very high-quality pieces, and the trend towards the use of more "technological" materials in jewelry. This union between trend and excellent quality has made Zircon a gemstone of choice for wedding rings, becoming an attractive alternative to diamonds and gold wedding rings.
Tip: It is possible to laser engrave the inside of the ring with a special personalized message. The inside of the rings is curved to ensure a comfortable fit on the finger. Knowing the correct size is very important because, due to the hardness of the material, it is difficult to change the size of the rings.
Mineralogical characteristics of Zircon
Zircon is a zirconium silicate and is a transparent and very bright gemstone. Its most common color is reddish brown, but it also comes in a wide variety of colors: colorless, yellow, gold, red, orange, brown, green, and sky blue. Colorless, golden and sky-blue stones are the most used in jewelry because of their adamantine luster; they owe their color to heat treatment. Yellow, orange, red, green, and brown are naturally occurring.
Zircon usually contains traces of other elements, such as uranium, lead, thorium, and hafnium. It is considered the oldest mineral on Earth. The name Zircon comes from the Arabic "zarqun", and from the Persian "zargun", meaning "gold color", referring to one of the colors it can take. It was discovered in 1789, but it was not until 1914 that the pure metal was obtained. In its natural state, it is a shiny, silvery-gray color, similar to steel or titanium. It appears in igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, and some sedimentary rocks, in the form of small crystals.
In geology, zircon is used for the radiometric dating of rocks containing it. It is also often used to manufacture foundry sand and industrial abrasives. This mineral is distributed all over the world although the deposits where the highest quality gems are found are in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, France, Brazil, Tanzania, Vietnam, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Thailand, and Australia.
Physical and chemical properties
Zircon is a stone that belongs to the neo-silicates group. It is a very interesting stone due to the great variety of densities and refractive indexes of the different species.
Today it is known that this is due to the existence of several types of zircon. The most important from the gemological point of view is the fully crystallized zirconium silicate. It is one of the densest gemstones as it has a density between 4.6 and 4.7, which means that its size will be smaller than other gemstones of the same weight. There are also zircons of low and intermediate crystallization that have a lower density and that when heated tend to increase the density until reaching normal values. Its hardness is between 7 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Source: https://www.marketsquarejewelers.com/blogs/msj-handbook/the-ancient-beauty-of-blue-zircon
Therapeutic properties of Zircon
Zircon is known as a stone of virtue and wisdom. It promotes harmonization between matter and spirit. It is used in meditation experiences to connect with unconditional love for oneself and others, promoting brotherhood. It helps to clarify the mind, connect with intuition, and to let go of the old to open to the new.
You may also be interested in: Benefits of Blue Zircon
Zircon Treatments
The brownish varieties of Zircon are subjected to heat treatment (800 - 1000 Cº) to obtain colorless and blue zircons. The color of these gems is unstable as intense sunlight and ultraviolet rays affect their coloring.
Maintaining your Zircon ring
Zircon is a gem that is sensitive to shocks, especially those that have undergone heat treatment. It is therefore recommended that rings should have a protective setting. It is resistant to heat and household cleaning products.
Zirconium: an alternative to Zircon
Zirconium is obtained from Zircon and is a cheaper alternative to this gemstone. It is also a new and innovative material increasingly used in jewelry. Zirconium should also not be confused with Zirconia. Although "Zirconia" and "Zirconium" sound similar and are spelled almost the same they could not be more different. Zirconia, commonly called Zirconite, is a worthless stone that is manufactured to be the substitute for diamond, in costume or inexpensive jewelry.
Zirconium is a ductile, malleable, and refractive metal that has a very high resistance to corrosion and breakage. For years it has been used in the space, aeronautical, and even medical industries. Zirconium is environmentally friendly, biocompatible, non-toxic, and non-allergenic, as it is practically a pure element and contains none of the irritants that can be present in other materials. All this, just like titanium.
You may also be interested in: Zircon versus Cubic Zirconia versus Zirconium
Source: https://www.knoxdiamondsandjewelry.com/67659/Yellow-Zircon
In conclusion, Zircon is a very ancient gemstone with a very deep meaning. If you want to escape from the ordinary, choose a Zircon wedding band or ring for your special moments. Take the beauty and wisdom of this gemstone everywhere you go.
Visit Planderful's website and discover our gemstone jewelry.
