2.840Ct Zircon Natural Pink Australian

Zircon comes closer to resembling Diamond than any other natural gem. Its strong lustre and intense fire gives it a real sparkle that is comparable to Diamond. However, its popularity is somewhat diminished by the fact that it is often perceived as an inexpensive Diamond imitation. Colourless Zircon is easily distinguished from Diamond by its strong double refraction and lower hardness.

The brilliant lustre and fire of Zircon, combined with its good hardness and range of colours, make it a most desirable gem. However, it does have some undesirable traits. An interesting and strange habit exhibited in only few Zircons is that their colour darkens and their lustre dulls upon prolonged exposure to sunlight. This effect can be reversed by giving the stones a second heat treatment. Zircon is also prone to cracking and chipping if banged too hard. For this reason, care must also be taken when faceting Zircon gemstones. Another important factor when faceting Zircon is to minimize the appearance of its strong double refraction by cutting along proper angles. Zircons that are not faceted properly can appear blurry, due to strong double refraction.

Zircon is sometimes confused with Cubic Zirconia. Cubic Zirconia, a synthetic, inexpensive Diamond simulant, resembles colourless Zircon and has a similar sounding name. However, the two are entirely separate substances, and have no connection with each other except for the fact that they both contain the element zirconium in their chemical structure.