Green Zircon anyone?

[T L]

I obtained this metamict green zircon from a dealer that only deals in Sri Lankan gems. I've bought other stones from him before. It was very inexpensive, and so I didn't worry about treatment or synthetics too much. I will say it's very pretty, and a minty color, more than my photo shows, and cut very well. Does anyone know more about green zircons? I thought it was very attractive, and it reminds me of a Namibian demantoid, but with better color. It's 1.6 carats, and my goodness, these stones must be dense, because it looks like a 75 pointer of something else.

 

[Deathspi]

Your zircon has a really nice color. The ones I see tend to be very yellowish.

 

[Pandora II]

I've seen quite a few of the green zircons - ranging from a nasty muddy green to a nice bright green.

They tend to have lower RI (1.79 to 1.84 compared with 1.92 to 1.99 for a high type), far less dispersion than high type zircon, vitreous rather than sub-adamantine lustre, weak birefringence and very weak if any pleochroism - the loss of crystal structure turns them pretty much into an amorphous glass, even though the external form remains the same. They often show zoning and some can still be mildly radioative (or so I've heard!). They will still show the distinctive zircon spectrum.

If you heat it, it will go lighter in colour or even colourless - the heating will also restore it from a low-type to a high-type.

You can get green zircons which are the result of nuking a yellow intermediate type and these will be a bright green.

That's about all I can think of off-hand. Pretty stone.

 

[T L]

Thanks Deathspi.

Thanks Pandora,
That was very informative and helpful!!!

 

[LD]

I've seen quite a few of the green zircons - ranging from a nasty muddy green to a nice bright green.

They tend to have lower RI (1.79 to 1.84 compared with 1.92 to 1.99 for a high type), far less dispersion than high type zircon, vitreous rather than sub-adamantine lustre, weak birefringence and very weak if any pleochroism - the loss of crystal structure turns them pretty much into an amorphous glass, even though the external form remains the same. They often show zoning and some can still be mildly radioative (or so I've heard!). They will still show the distinctive zircon spectrum.

If you heat it, it will go lighter in colour or even colourless - the heating will also restore it from a low-type to a high-type.

You can get green zircons which are the result of nuking a yellow intermediate type and these will be a bright green.

That's about all I can think of off-hand. Pretty stone.

Pandora don't mention the word nuking It does weird things to TL!

Great colour TL - lovely find.

 

[T L]

I've seen quite a few of the green zircons - ranging from a nasty muddy green to a nice bright green.

They tend to have lower RI (1.79 to 1.84 compared with 1.92 to 1.99 for a high type), far less dispersion than high type zircon, vitreous rather than sub-adamantine lustre, weak birefringence and very weak if any pleochroism - the loss of crystal structure turns them pretty much into an amorphous glass, even though the external form remains the same. They often show zoning and some can still be mildly radioative (or so I've heard!). They will still show the distinctive zircon spectrum.

If you heat it, it will go lighter in colour or even colourless - the heating will also restore it from a low-type to a high-type.

You can get green zircons which are the result of nuking a yellow intermediate type and these will be a bright green.

That's about all I can think of off-hand. Pretty stone.

Pandora don't mention the word nuking It does weird things to TL!

Great colour TL - lovely find.

Did someone say the word "NUKING?!"

 

[Pandora II]

I've seen quite a few of the green zircons - ranging from a nasty muddy green to a nice bright green.

They tend to have lower RI (1.79 to 1.84 compared with 1.92 to 1.99 for a high type), far less dispersion than high type zircon, vitreous rather than sub-adamantine lustre, weak birefringence and very weak if any pleochroism - the loss of crystal structure turns them pretty much into an amorphous glass, even though the external form remains the same. They often show zoning and some can still be mildly radioative (or so I've heard!). They will still show the distinctive zircon spectrum.

If you heat it, it will go lighter in colour or even colourless - the heating will also restore it from a low-type to a high-type.

You can get green zircons which are the result of nuking a yellow intermediate type and these will be a bright green.

That's about all I can think of off-hand. Pretty stone.

Pandora don't mention the word nuking It does weird things to TL!

Great colour TL - lovely find.

LOL, it's just so much easier than trying to spell irradiated...

 

[LD]

See? What did I tell you?

TL go and put your make up on NOW. Honestly there's no need to post that photo of yourself without make up.

Now, apply as I've taught you ......

 

[T L]

OMG, that looks like David Bowie after he's been exposed to a meltdown.

 

[LD]

OMG, that looks like David Bowie after he's been exposed to a meltdown.

Or irradiation!

 

[Arcadian]

Very nice.

He's got a few I've looked at for a while. I guess I could understand heating, thats if the stones are dark (I've read that heating lightens them) but irradiating? if some stones still have radiation in them, wouldn't that be dangerous? <----non scientist asking.

-A

 

[T L]

Thanks Arcadian,
I'm unaware of the treatments on zircon, because honestly, I've never liked them , and I don't collect them, but this one caught my eye. Who knows how many treatments they do to gems these days, there's so many, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some "Frankengems" walking around.

 

[VapidLapid]

I have a bright sparkly clean one too. I'll have to set that soon. White gold?
If they're radioactive then wouldnt they be self-nuking?

Tl yours has a really nice cut and proportions

 

[VapidLapid]

I've seen quite a few of the green zircons - ranging from a nasty muddy green to a nice bright green.

They tend to have lower RI (1.79 to 1.84 compared with 1.92 to 1.99 for a high type), far less dispersion than high type zircon, vitreous rather than sub-adamantine lustre, weak birefringence and very weak if any pleochroism - the loss of crystal structure turns them pretty much into an amorphous glass, even though the external form remains the same. They often show zoning and some can still be mildly radioative (or so I've heard!). They will still show the distinctive zircon spectrum.

If you heat it, it will go lighter in colour or even colourless - the heating will also restore it from a low-type to a high-type.

You can get green zircons which are the result of nuking a yellow intermediate type and these will be a bright green.

That's about all I can think of off-hand. Pretty stone.

Pandora don't mention the word nuking It does weird things to TL!

Great colour TL - lovely find.

Did someone say the word "NUKING?!"

Oh and my best friend's brother is the creator of Toxy. Have you seen Poultrygeist?

 

[T L]

I have a bright sparkly clean one too. I'll have to set that soon. White gold?
If they're radioactive then wouldnt they be self-nuking?

Tl yours has a really nice cut and proportions

Thanks VL,
If I set it, and LD will cringe, it will be in rose gold. I love minty stones in rose gold. It's more minty than my photos convey. BTW, here's the vendor photo, it's small, but conveys the color better I think.

 

[T L]

Oh and my best friend's brother is the creator of Toxy. Have you seen Poultrygeist?

OMG, you're kidding me. I love that film!! I haven't seen Poultrygeist yet. I love John Water's "Polyester" (kind of the same sick humor).

 

[Arkteia]

I don't like zircons, but yours looks very nice and green. And you are right, it does resemble a demantoid.

 

[Arkteia]

See? What did I tell you?

TL go and put your make up on NOW. Honestly there's no need to post that photo of yourself without make up.

Now, apply as I've taught you ......

The colors of the season by Mace Factor.

 

[chrono]

The density of zircon is a killer; I think it is around 4 or so which is heavy compared even to corundum. Look at it this way, you got a demantoid-like stone for a fraction of the price.

 

[T L]

The density of zircon is a killer; I think it is around 4 or so which is heavy compared even to corundum. Look at it this way, you got a demantoid-like stone for a fraction of the price.

I own two demantoids (one Russian, one Namibian), and I like this stone better.

 

[S&I]

It looks beautiful TL! I can't wait to see how you set it.
I'm thinking of a minty green stone for my tiny collection...in the future.

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

What a Beautiful GREEEEEN stone!
Color and sparkle factor !!!!!!!!!!
Now that's got to be good!

 

[T L]

Thank you Sandy and ooo~Shiney. It's a cute stone. Haven't made any plans for it yet. Have other projects in the works.

 

[T L]

I don't like zircons, but yours looks very nice and green. And you are right, it does resemble a demantoid.

Thanks Crasru,
I own two demantoids (one Russian and one Namibian) and I like the color on this zircon better, even though they're all green stones.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

See? What did I tell you?

TL go and put your make up on NOW. Honestly there's no need to post that photo of yourself without make up.

Now, apply as I've taught you ......

OMG LovingDiamonds are you from Ohio? The online Akron Beacon Journal has a member with an avatar of the same picture.

 

[chrono]

That is just freaky because LD’s avatar picture is of her diamond pendant that she commissioned from Sally of Etsy, and I know that she's in the UK.