Not Your Grandma's Rhinestones: Zircon [Gem Buyer's Guide]

[@elisabethe8055]

As a new gemstone collector, with limited knowledge but a huge willingness to learn and educate, i find your channel very helpful, fun and inspiring. I have digged down deep and still find gems (ha) that i learn alot from.Thank you Kind Sir for sharing your knowledge. I love it!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thanks for your kind words Elisabeth~! I'm glad that my channel is of service to you.

[@hybridgoth]

Zircons are definitely underappreciated in modern trade. As you pointed out, there unfortunately seems to be a lot of cross-association with CZ, and, for that it has failed to retain the market appreciation it once held, and, should still command considering it's functionality and aesthetic qualities. With a lustre bordering adamantine there really aren't many stones that can be cut as cabochons. They really do have a unique set of possibilities when you consider the potential optical phenomena associated, from chatoyant cat's eyes and stars to aventuresence, they really should garner more attention than they do. P.S. As far as the mineralogical records are concerned, cubic zirconia isn't known to occur naturally. There are 2 minerals that share the same chemical formula as cubic zirconia however; One is Baddeleyite which is monoclinic with chemical formula ZrO², The other is Zirolite which is a tetragonal mineral, similarly with the identical chemical formula ZrO². The closest chemically related mineral in the cubic system is Zirkelite with a formula (Ti,Ca,Zr)O²-x. Given the fact that other minerals exist with the same formula, and, coupled with the obvious fact that synthesis is commercially viable in a laboratory setting suggests it isn't entirely impossible for it to form naturally. However, for one reason or another the conditions required for it's natural formation aren't or weren't available anywhere that scientists have looked so far.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Thats the great thing about science, isnt it? We always have to add the phrase on the end: "so far"

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

Zircon, one of my favourite and underrated stones out there, older and rarer than Diamond it’s a beautiful gemstone. I’ve got some from Australia of all places I purchased in the factory shop, they are heat treated some pink, one blue and a few colourless. OTL on the spectrum catching light even in gloomy conditions. Very heavy stones and beautiful. As for C.Z. we all know the top brand retailers, it’s not a gemstone in its own right, also not very forgiving like diamond. Ok I get it, people don’t understand what they are buying sometimes and it’s not made clear that C.Z. was synthetically manufactured. Oh and the beautiful Swarovski Crystal lead glass that’s overpriced, lolZ. Great video Peter. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’m always learning. Rog.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I fully support lead-glass... in my goblets and champagne flutes... XD Glad you're enjoying, and always interesting to hear what you and others have in their collections. I'd like to see a pink zircon actually.

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

@@GemologyforSchmucks -haha, yea, I’d like to see a Pink Zircon. I have one but I have my doubts as to it’s authenticity. Im getting it properly tested.

[@jtcustomknives]

Zircon is such an underrated stone. One of my favorite stones is watermelon tourmaline but zircon is right up there for me.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I certainly agree with you, as do many of my colleagues. (I thought I'd responded to this once before, but it seems like KZbin may have double dosed me ;)

[@outlawgordee]

Just took the plunge into the (Cambodian) zircon pool. Picked up 15 cts (rough/faceted). Simple, brown beauties. Felt an energy from them immediately, upon holding them. I'm hooked. Really informative, straight shootin' video, here. I thank you. Gotta start piling up, before others catch on.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I've heard a few others that are also quite optimistic about Zircon's growth potential.

[@ChamaraPradeep-im4kc]

i have zircon.

[@beartutor3377]

Will the facets of a Zircon nibble if I just have it as a collector’s gem?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Good question ~ they only nibble if they're rubbing up against other stones. If they're properly taken care of, then you shouldn't really expect facet abrasion.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

I bough "zircon's" and a huge tanzanite for (really) cheap from some ebay seller on etsy or ebay I can't remember, anyway there's a ton of these little online shop especially coming from india who promise great stones (emeralds, rubies... Even Alexandrite) and deliver, something. Anyway probably too much production for one man but I'd enjoy a little docu on this type of sellers. Great work. Luv ya

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I'm glad you're getting your skin in the game with buying stones, as touching and seeing in person is the only real way to gain experience. There are soooo many things that a picture cannot show about gems. The amount of small dealers on the internet trying to swindle out a living (or fortune) are indeed far too many, but there is no easy way to regulate them. Thats actually a big part of why I set about building this channel, because if I can get the average knowledge of a consumer that is willing to learn, elevated above a certain point, then these ticks of the world will naturally fizzle out. I hope that in the days to come, the quality of my content will be sufficient for this goal~ Thx for the comment Laurent~

[@kyledumoulin2696]

I've bought some gems on eBay from India and found out quickly they were synthetic or heavily treated. I bought a Ceylon sapphire that was about 8 ct on eBay for around $20. I tested the stone with a refractometer and it tested as sapphire, but it looked off and unnatural so I knew it was synthetic. I don't think anyone would sell an 8 ct natural Ceylon sapphire for $20 unless they had no idea what it was worth. Although I have bought some nice cabochons on Ebay from India, cabochons can be harder to fake I think. From my experience the sellers from Thailand and Sri Lanka are almost all genuine and honest sellers. Because they sell natural gemstones though you will pay a higher price point for sure, but you can still get a nice deal buying from them.

[@erins.5420]

Beautiful gemstone however the cuts of the stone your showed in this video are to me highly more fascinating! Could you address the cuts of these stones?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

What about these cuts particularly grabs your attention?

[@blessedone843]

Oh wow! Thanks for that knowledge about using a pin tester to determine a diamond from a cubic zirconia. Because they look so similar to the naked eye. ❤

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

They do indeed, and often trick professionals aswell. The pen tester has been a game changer for those stones.

[@SaltedHope]

Wow! I love zircons and didn't know a lot of that about it! Thanks for another great vid!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

My pleasure hope ~ thanks for the encouragement ;)

[@leenahammad1491]

Thank u for a great video. But I am confused, How can u distinguish between diamond and zircon ??

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

There are many ways - spectrum is a diagnostic tool that is very useful for zircon. Doubling may be present in zircon, but it never will be with diamond.

[@leenahammad1491]

@@GemologyforSchmucks Thank u, helpful as always

[@Khameesrahbani]

Amazing explanation . Thank you .. subscribed offcourse

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

I'm glad to be of service, thanks~

[@leenahammad1491]

Thank u again. Can u please tell me where to find a refrence for the diffrent spectrum of the diffrent gem stones? And what is the spectrum for the diffrent colors of zircon. Thanks.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Hi Leena, Mindat.com is a good resource for this, and occasionally wikipedia can be effective as well.

[@leenahammad1491]

Thank you so much. Helpful as always

[@sb-cz7fk]

I flashed my blacklight over a bunch of vintage jewelry and picked up a lovely pink ring that glows a bright and super vivid green at first I assumed it was an bit of oddly coloured uranium glass as it also read just slightly above background radiation. But the way it sparkles in the light isn't right for glass the only things I have seen with a similar spark are other gems so I'm guessing it's a zercon because I can't imagine they would put all the radioactive impurities in cubic zirconia

[@WilliamTony-id9lp]

can you please add some video or pictures that can see how different CZ n Zircon?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

CZ can occur in a huuuuuge rainbow of colours, and Zircon has quite a few colours aswell. The spectroscope would be a much more useful tool if you were searching for Zircon, which is why it is one of the 5 stones included in my spectroscope practice kit.

[@LostWithoutHer]

I have a clear colorless tourmaline with a distinct but amorphous blue zircon color zone across it. I've always had my doubts as to if it's really a tourmaline because it has fire not associated with tourmalines. If I heat it gradually in a contained environment to 400F or 600F in say sand or grits, or any other environment that limits sudden temp change to the stone, is it possible to get the blue zone to disperse more evenly throughout? I'd heard the temp needed for converting brown zircon to blue is 400 to 600F. If it's higher for tourmaline, I'd love to find out. I'm hopeful that I'll end up with either a very beautiful blue 10x8mm Emerald cut "Paraiba" or 10x8mm Emerald cut Blue Zircon. 🤞🏻Thanks for your reply ahead of time.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Heating is something you'd want to talk to a specialist about, but definitely you'll need to be certain of the identity of the stone before you start trying to heat it. Zircon and tourmaline play by very different rules.

[@Liza-ix4hu]

Is it true the colour of zircon can faded with light ? Try to find everywhere (google,blog,vid)before and after zircon colour fade from long term using it , but I can’t find it. Pls help 🙏🏻💙

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

For most cases i'll say no, the colour of zircon is not going to fade with light. Any stone that is treated via radiation will be light sensitive unless there is another process. That is to say sapphires or beryl that have been irradiated to create an extra yellow or blue tone, when they are fade tested (subjected to strong light for a period of time), then the colour will fade. It is not typical to see irradiated zircon in my experience.

[@Liza-ix4hu]

@@GemologyforSchmucks thank u so much 🙏🏻

[@davecarti3881]

I see an article year ago where a rich person sued a big jewelry firm since they sold CZ with the name of Zircon. And the law was with him,since people can t sell a man made "gemstone" for a real and natural gemstone. It s still trhut nowdays?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Deceit in trade is something that is poorly policed. The guidelines are definitely there, but its more of a tool for (perhaps rightly) disgruntled customers to act , rather than something that is pro-actively policed. Definitely true that you can pursue the misrepresentation of goods with the law

[@davecarti3881]

@@GemologyforSchmucks Thanks for the reply as first,then,i think that s not correct claim that a gemstome is zircon but instead sell cz. Also because cz worth like nothing ,clear zircon have a decent value instead. On inter soooo many sell jewelry claims that are Zircon ,but in reality are not,it s a fraud to me

[@roberttaylor8552]

May be wrong place to ask How are dzi beads agate make And how is the patterns put on?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Dzi beads are indeed agate, as you mentioned. One of the things that is interesting is that it forms in a type of bubble structure of tiny tiny crystals (botryoidal structure) so different colours and opacity can group in layers along the bubbles. The patterns that you see in the dzi beads are made by carefully orienting the bead when it is being cut so that the different layers of the bubble structure are cut through and leaving those unique circles and X patterns etc. Thats my understanding of it at least. Ive not seen them cut, but thats the logic.

[@graffic13]

I think the big stone my mom has is a zircon... idk she's 71 and her mom had it @ her whole life ... pretty sure its older than cubic zerconia idk

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Cubic zirconia has some significantly different properties from Zircon. Theyre fairly easy to distinguish with the right tools (a spectoscope would be perfect)

[@beartutor3377]

Zircon is a pain to put in jewelry. It chips, scratches, gets facet nibbling, and looks really bad when damaged. I personally have it as a collector gem.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Zircon, like many gems, absolutely requires care when setting. Facet nibbling and scratches tend to occur when stone with similar hardness (like other zircons in a parcel). As long as the stone is set sensibly, zircon can wear quite well in jewelry.

[@amolrathod5676]

Hanuna matata bother. Where u from?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Disney Tells me it means "No worries." Well - i'm from a place where corn grows tall.

[@parichitrathod9269]

@@GemologyforSchmucks 😃

[@reginagioielli]

Love your videos! I have a ring in 14kt rose gold and diamonds without a center stone (5-5.5mm, round) and I am very unsure which gem to put there! I was looking for something unusual that costs 1k usd or under, still usnure about color. Do you have any suggestion? Thank you!

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

For 5-5.5mm round you have A LOT of options for that budget. What sort of colours do you like? If you want, shoot me an email at [e-mail] and we can talk further~

[@reginagioielli]

@@GemologyforSchmucks thank you so much for the quick reply!! I will email you!

[@reginagioielli]

@@GemologyforSchmucks sent :) let me know if you received it 😊

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

@@reginagioielli I have, and responded just a moment ago. Thx~

[@R3l3ntl3sss]

Rare genuine nice internet social exchange

[@sebbotkin6631]

If I could subsrcribe and like this video twice, I would.

[@Infamous41]

Isn't red zircon very common?

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Depends on which red zircon. Many of them, no. That said, no need to trust what I say, go check the market.

[@R3l3ntl3sss]

Cool

[@vikkysoni2407]

I broke my frnds blue zercon and now paying him from my pocket🤣..

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Brutal ~ glad you are honourable and compensate the other for their loss :D

[@vikkysoni2407]

@@GemologyforSchmucks i didn't new it was natural zercon... I was making a ring... It broke by accident.. then got that stone lab tested found that it was natural zercon..... 🤣🤣 Will never forget that day

[@jtcustomknives]

Zircon is such an underrated stone. One of my favorite stones is watermelon tourmaline but zircon is right up there for me.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

You're certainly not alone in that feeling. Zircon (in its variety of colours) is one of the stones being eyeballed by some of my colleagues as a stone with great potential to grow.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

I bough "zircon's" and a huge tanzanite for (really) cheap from some sellers on etsy or ebay I can't remember, anyway there's a ton of these little online shop especially coming from india who promise great stones (emeralds, rubies... Even Alexandrite) and deliver, something. Anyway probably too much production for one man but I'd enjoy a little docu on this type of seller. Great work. Luv ya

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

You’ve got to be careful buying from these guys, they seem too cheap to be real. I’ve bought a couple and once tested they were not what they appeared to be. For example a totally flawless 5ct Emerald for £15 is not really something I’d expect. On the other hand, you might be lucky.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

@@rogerhargreaves2272 Sound advice, Roger.

[@GemologyforSchmucks]

Roger is absolutely correct - there are heaps of people promising the sun the moon and the stars for a steal, and what you end up with is a sun, moon and stars panorama made by their pre-schooler made out of paper mache... I was shopping for an emerald last week and I picked up one stone and the dealer immediately said: "That is a beautiful stone, loupe clean!~" I then used my advanced tools... these eyes... and saw that it was not even what you could call eye clean. My thought then was: is your loupe spray painted black? Some folks eh? Just goes to show how valuable integrity is over cheap words.