Zircon’s name is either derived from the Arabic word “zarkun”, meaning red, or a combination of the ancient Persian words “zar”, meaning gold and “gun”, meaning color. Despite this name, Zircon actually occurs in a myriad of colors.

Zircon’s brilliant luster, fire and bright hues make it an enjoyable addition to any jewelry collection.



Zircon has been found in some of the most ancient archaeological sites.

Zircon has appeared in literature and the gem trade under a variety of names including Jargon (Yellow Zircon), Jacinth (Red Zircon), Matara Diamond (White Zircon), Starlite (Blue Zircon), Hyacinth (Blue Zircon) and Ligure.

Zircon is first mentioned in the ancient Indian tale of the Kalpa Tree. Described by Hindu poets as the ultimate gift to the gods, it was a bright glowing tree with bejeweled leaves of Zircon.

The gemstone of fiery starlight, Jewish legends say that Zircon was the name of the guardian angel sent to watch over Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Zircon is mentioned in the Bible (using the name Jacinth for its red variety) as being one of the “stones of fire” (Ezekiel 28:13-16) that were given to Moses and set in the breastplate of Aaron (Exodus 28:15-30). Zircon is also one of the twelve gemstones set in the foundations of the city walls of Jerusalem (Revelations 21:19) and associated with the Apostle Simon.

The Roman historian, Pliny the Elder, compared Blue Zircon’s color to Hyacinth flowers.

Traditionally, Zircon is a gem of purity and innocence. Zircon is believed to promote inner peace while providing the wearer with wisdom, honor and riches. Legend also has it that a Zircon’s loss of luster is a warning of imminent danger.

Zircon’s popularity grew dramatically in the 16th century when Italian artisans featured the gem in jewelry designs. In the 1880’s Blue Zircon was widely used in Victorian jewelry.



Although Zircon’s existence predates Cubic Zirconia by centuries, Zircon is often unfairly confused with Cubic Zirconia. Cubic Zirconia is a cheap, synthetic Diamond substitute that resembles the colorless Zircon and has a similar sounding name. While Zircon may also be used as a Diamond substitute, it is valuable in its own right.

The fire in Zircon, called dispersion, is caused by light entering the gemstone and separating into a prism of rainbow colors. Possessing dispersion approaching that of Diamond, the brilliance of Zircon is second to none. The Zircon Cut, a variation of the Brilliant Cut that adds eight extra facets to the pavilion, was designed to take advantage of these properties.

A very unique characteristic of Zircon is birefringence (doubly refractive), meaning that light splits into two rays as it passes through the gem. As a result, the back facets appear as double images.

Cambodia is arguably the world’s premiere source for gorgeous Zircon. Sixty three miles north of Angkor Wat, close to the Cambodian Thai border, lay the mines of Preah Vihear, the source of some of the world’s finest Blue Zircon. Remote, primitive and stunningly beautiful, Ratanakiri is another major center for Cambodian Zircon. Ratanakiri literally means “gemstone mountain”. South of the city, a mining camp has been carved from the forest, where workers toil to extract Blue Zircon from narrow mine shafts that tap into an alluvial layer about 4.5 meters below the surface. Matt McNamara, one of GemsTV’s presenters, visited several Cambodian Zircon mines in 2004, “I was amazed at how primitive some mines still are today. Because of the low prices that we see gem set jewelry for at GemsTV, it’s easy to forget how much work goes into unearthing these wonderful gems”.