LEARN MORE ABOUT BLUE ZIRCON
Zircon comes in various colors, but blue gemstones is probably the most popular and most valuable of the family. However, blue zircon is always commonly heat treated. Zircons make an excellent diamond substitute when appropriately cut, despite being rarer than the famous stone.
Gemstone Attributes
| Mineral | Zircon |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | ZrSiO4 |
| Color | Blue |
| Refractive Index | 1.81 - 1.984 |
| Birefringence | 0.000 - 0.059 |
| Specific Gravity | 3.90 - 4.73 |
| Mohs Hardness | 6.0 - 7.5 |
Blue ZIRCON Value
As with any gemstone, the price of zircon depends on the four Cs (cut, color, carat, and clarity). The average price for blue zircon is $75 per carat for a stone weighing 5-6 carats. High-quality blue zircon gemstones can reach up to $200 per carat. Stones weighing more than 10 carats can easily fetch around $150-$175 per carat.
BLUE ZIRCON Sources
Zircon is found in igneous rock formations worldwide. The largest source of gem-quality Blue Zircon is Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka, which comes as no surprise, as they are the main exporters of most gemstones.
Other countries where you can find blue zircon are Russia, Norway, Germany, Madagascar, and Brazil. However, these sources don’t produce the high-quality found in Southeast Asia.
BLUE ZIRCON Properties
Zircon is often found in rounded and twinned pebbles. Each stone can have an extremely different refractive index, varying from 1.78 to 2.01 depending on the damage caused by radioactive elements in the stone’s structure. The higher the refractive index number, the less damage to the stone.
Most blue zircon is heat treated. The hardness also varies depending on the stone's quality, from 6 on the Mohs scale for lesser quality stones to 7.5 for high-quality examples. Blue zircon gems have uniaxial optics and pleochroism, rare in blue colored gemstones.
BLUE ZIRCON COLORS
As the name suggests, Blue Zircon is aquamarine blue in color, with a green tinge if viewed from a certain angle. Zircons have a distinctive quality known as birefringence or double refraction. Cutters often have to orient the stone's table to the optic axis; if the cutter doesn’t, the interior will look fuzzy because of facet image doubling.
BLUE ZIRCON Care
Blue zircons, while being an excellent substitute diamond, lack the same hardness as diamonds and therefore should be worn with care. Rings should have protective settings, and any other jewelry should be occasional-wear only.
Zircons should never be cleaned using mechanical systems, as they are brittle gemstones. Use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush to clean your zircon gemstone. Dry it with a soft cloth.