December’s birthstones offer three ways to fight the winter blues: tanzanite, zircon and turquoise – all of them, appropriately, best known for beautiful shades of blue. Now we talk about zircon.
The gem zircon range from the oldest on earth, comes in purple, golden yellow, light yellow, garnet red, olive green, champagne, pink, purple blue, apple green, blue and red... and sometimes it has no colour at all.
Clear zircon is one of the most brilliant non-diamond gems, and was often used as a diamond alternative in the nineteenth century (though zircon is different than cubic zirconia, a type of imitation diamond). According to the American Gemological Society, folk wisdom says that zircon has the power to relieve pain, protect travelers and prevent nightmares.
Buying zircon as a gift: With this gem you have lots of beautiful color options. You can’t go wrong with a sparkling blue, the most popular shade of zircon and a universally flattering hue. But whatever your December-born loved one’s favorite color, you can probably find zircon jewelry to match it.
Caring for zircon: Zircon is fairly durable, but it’s not as strong as sapphires and diamonds so you should avoid wearing it or storing it in places where it could get roughed up. If a zircon has been heat-treated to produce a certain color (many blue ones have been), prolonged exposure to light could lead to the gem changing back to its original hue. Clean zircon with warm water and gentle soap, but don’t use steam or ultrasonic cleaners with this gem.
