December, a triple treat

December ends with a bang, being the only month that has three birthstones. Most of us are familiar with Turquoise, which was first, a bit later...

Tanzanite decided to join the December festivities. But the one gemstone, no one really talks much about is Zircon.

The first thing you need to know is that Zircon is a natural, magnificent, and underrated gemstone that has been worn and treasured since ancient times; not to be confused with zirconia (cubic zirconia) a synthetic diamond substitute (don't get me started, there is no substitute for real diamonds (in our humble opinion).

Zircons come in many colours, but blue is perhaps the most popular and expensive. However, almost all blue zircon is heat treated. Green is the rarest natural colour.

Just so you warm up to this brilliant little gemstone, know that Zircon is the oldest mineral on earth and is found in the crust of the earth. It occurs as a common accessory mineral in igneous rocks, in metamorphic rocks, and as grains in sedimentary rocks. It is a common constituent of most sands and has been used for thousands of years.

When you take a walk on the beach, odds are you are walking on tiny fragments of this gemstone and if that is not enough to love this, in the middle ages, zircon was believed to help the wearer sleep, and to bring prosperity, honour, and wisdom. Zircon is now believed to have the ability to increase one’s self-confidence and after a very challenging 2020, we might all need a little zircon in our lives or under our feet.

For more information about this uncelebrated stone, visit the GIA website.