Cochise College          Photos of Minerals

                          Geology Home Page                

                          Roger Weller, geology instructor

                          [email protected]
                                  copyright 2006-R.Weller
 

Mineral Information on:
zircon

Chemical Group:   silicate    

Chemical Formula:  ZrSiO₄     

Color: colorless, pale yellow, gray, yellow-green, brownish-yellow, reddish brown

Streak:  uncolored 

Hardness:   7.5            Specific Gravity:  4.68 to 4.70 

Fracture:   conchoidal           Transparency:  transparent, sub-translucent, opaque 
 

Luster:  adamantine      Tenacity:  brittle (heat treated zircons are even more brittle)

Cleavage:  none            Pleochroism:   strong to weak
 

Fluorescence:  some zircons fluoresce
 

Crystal Forms:  Tetragonal
     Commonly square prisms, capped with pyramids

Mineral habits:  Usually as minute grains or crystals

Mineral Associations:  in igneous rocks with high sodium content

Identifying Characteristics:

Uses:  ore of zirconium
     as a gemstone (most zircon gemstones have been heat treated) 

USA occurrences
Maine
Massachusetts
New York
Colorado
North Carolina
WORLD-WIDE occurrences
Canada
Sri Lanka
Norway
Australia

Additional Information:
Older names
reddish-brown zircon: hyacinth or jacinth
colorless zircon: starlite or Matara diamond