A word for those of you unfamiliar with Zircon; Zircon is a naturally mined stone that is available in white as well as colors.  It is the oldest known natural gemstone, with the highest Specific Gravity of any gemstone as well as being the only doubly refractive gemstone.  Some of you may remember that Blue Zircon (along with Turquoise) was the original birthstone for December.  When the Zircon mines started coming up empty, the Blue Topaz was elected to take Zircon's place, much as Citrine was given the honor for November when the natural Golden Topaz ran out.  There are many metaphysical properties attached to Zircon (Google it and see!) as well as legends that speak of its power to protect the wearer against everything from poisoning to The Plague.

The burgeoning synthetic gemstone industry wanted to manufacture the perfect fake Diamond; they needed a natural stone to copy for characteristics that would not only rival the Diamond, but even surpass it for clarity, sparkle and over-all beauty.  The White Zircon is the natural stone chosen as the  gemstone example of complete perfection.  Its optical properties and density were loosely copied in synthetic materials; thus the prototypes of the cubic zirconium were born, and hence the name given to that synthetic manufactured stone.  Zircon is natural and genuine, cubic zirconium, zirconia, or CZ as it is known, is synthetic (fake).   It is advisable to be sure of the origin of the stone you are buying to avoid the Chinese fakes labeled 'Zircon,' which are being sold on the auction sites.  My Zircon has origins of Ceylon, Vietnam and Thailand but most often from Cambodia, and from the Pailin Mine whenever possible.

Here are some loose Zircons for you; some are accent sizes, some are centerpiece sizes.  Those shown in multiple-stone packages are sold only as the whole package, and when multiple same-size packages are offered, there will be a number/letter designation at the end of the title line.  Please include this identifying code when ordering, so that you will be certain to receive exactly the package you want.

SOLD VVS Cambodian White Zircon Oval, 5+cts.

With its double light refraction, Zircon is occasionally stubborn about allowing clean photos; that is the case with the pictures above.  The reality of this natural Zircon is infinitely better; it is fiery and silvery with the barest hint of color; not quite green, not quite blue.  5.2cts, it measures 11mm x 9.9mm on the face with a depth of 5.3.  Larger very clean Zircon like this one is becoming more and more difficult to obtain.  It is $125.00. 

SOLD Matched Pair of White Zircon Rounds, #NZ1.

A pair of Round Brilliant White Zircons for your consideration, these measure a bit over 5mm in diameter and the pair weighs 1.7cts.  From Cambodia, they are borderline between IF and VVS, and so will put any pair of Diamonds to shame!  Earrings?  Bypass ring?  Accents to a color gemstone?  You decide; the pair is only $35.00.

Matched Pair of White Zircon Rounds, #NZ2.

This pair weighs 1.75cts, and each stone measures approximately 5mm in diameter.  These are Cambodian Natural Zircons, unheated, and have VVS-IF clarity and dynamite sparkle.  The pair is yours for $35.00. 

Pair Brilliant Cut Natural White Zircon Rounds, #NZ3.

These are VS clarity from Cambodia, with a LOT more fire than what my camera could capture here.  They measure 6mm with a depth of 3.7mm for a total weight of 2.16cts.  The pair is $35.00.

Oval Cut Red Zircon, Excellent Fire.

Even these pictures, while pretty good ones, are a poor shadow of how beautiful this little stone is in person.  VVS clarity in precisely 3.08cts, it measures 9mm x 7mm.  Zircon is very dense, so its weight is more than its size would seem to indicate.  Appearing more red in some lights while more orange in others, it is everything red or cognac diamonds could only wish to be, and has nearly the same Light Refractive Index as diamond, too!  Make sure this Cambodian Zircon gets mounted with a very open mounting, so that you can take advantage of the spectacular sparkle!  It is $55.00. 

SOLD Round Cut Red/Orange Zircon.

This is one of those stones that proves my point about how you can't tell how 'big' a stone is by the carat weight.  This one weighs 3.15cts, yet the face of this specialty Round cut is only 7.26mm across!  The larger carat weight comes from the fact that this stone is 5.66mm deep, where most stones with the same size face would be only 3-3.5mm deep, and weigh well under 2cts.  From Vietnam, this one has excellent color and clarity, and this is a truly clever cut.  This one is $50.00.

7 Zircons, Honey/Orange/Red, Round Diamond Cut.

Unheated from Vietnam explains the brilliance and the depth of color in these Zircons.  They are VVS in clarity, and range in size from 4.8mm to 5mm.  The seven of them together weigh in at 4.87cts.  The color is probably best represented by the center picture; they are very orange with red and honey golden tones.  This lot of 7 stones is $50.00.

SOLD 5 Orange/Red Zircon Rounds, Diamond Cut.

My ability as a photographer leaves something to be desired, as shown by the photos above.  Zircon can be difficult to photograph, and that fact is certainly illustrated here.  The photos show you nothing of the excellent color and sparkle of these fabulous Zircons!  They are Orange/Brown with strong Red overtones, and will do equally well as a cluster on their own or as accents to a larger stone of the same or different ilk.  These measure from 4.9mm to 5mm in size, and with Zircon's extreme Specific Gravity, the five of these weigh a total of 3.21cts.  They are from Vietnam, and they are VVS and unheated, which is becoming increasingly rare.  This group is only $40.00.

Olive Gold Zircon, Oval Cut IF.

Internally Flawless is not common in Zircon; especially in the larger cuttings like this one.  This is a nice sized Oval, measuring 12.1mm x 8.5mm x 6.1mm and weighing 7.56cts.  From Cambodia, this has such an unusual color; it is in the Golden Brown group, but there is a strong suggestion of Olive Green present here too.  Very cool stone, it is $55.00.

5 Loose Blue Zircons, Round Cut.

These are fabulous!  They are IF-VVS clarity and they put Blue Diamonds to shame, as Zircon always does.  This package of five weighs a total of 5.03cts; the stones are a carat each.  For measurement, they are each 5.5mm in diameter and 3.5mm in depth. I always try to stress that Zircon has the heaviest specific gravity of ANY natural stone, being 3.9-4.7, so will have a higher carat weight than the measurements would imply on another stone.  The five of these can be used in any way that suits you; all together in a  single piece of jewelry, or separated into earrings, ring, and pendant.  From Cambodia to you, the five of them together are $45.00. 

SOLD Cambodian Zircon, Opal-White.

This is a most unusual natural White Zircon in the Opal White color.  How this occurs is that the Zircon was not heated to the point where the rutiles explode and are reabsorbed by the stone, which improves clarity and is actually most of the reason that gemstones are heated, beyond alteration of color.  This one appears to be almost frosted inside, but has a VVS clarity rating; it is the unusual color that accounts for this.  It is a nearly hypnotic stone; it has no color of its own, but flashes back to you every color you can name, and some colors that you probably can't.  Believable size, it measures 9.3mm x 7.2mm and is 3.8mm deep for a carat weight of 3.84.  And to make it just that much more attractive, it is $35.00.