Zircon is a nesosilicat mineral with a Mohs scale hardness of 7.5. Zircons are founds in igneous rocks present in the Earth’s crust, and are usually golden, brown, red, green or colorless. This mineral is usually found in small cubic crystals reaching 100–300 microns in size, but on rare occasions their size can also grow to several centimeters.
The origin of the name “zircon” – “golden” – comes from the Arabic word “zarqun.” The jewelry industry customarily uses colorless zircons as a diamond substitute.
Zircon mines are found worldwide. The mineral is present, among other places, in the United States, Russia, Norway, Canada, Italy and India.
