ABOUT US

Located in the historic Pike Place Market, Isadora’s has specialized in exquisite antique jewelry for 38 years. Our discriminating collection includes pieces from the early 1800’s through the 1950’s, without a reproduction to be found. Our precious pieces are sent to North American Gem Lab for independent appraisals. We invite you to call our toll free number for applicable discounts. On many of our pieces, we are able to offer between 10-25% off of appraisal value.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Zircon: December's Sparking Birthstone

December's birthstone, Zircon is one nature’s prettiest stones.  Occurring in blue, brown, green, dark red, yellow, orange and white, zircon is characterized by an extremely high refraction giving it a fantastic sparkle.

But due to a similar name to the artificial stone, Cubic Zirconia, it has often been overlooked.  This is a jewelry crime, to my way of thinking, because Zircon is a wonderfully beautiful stone. 

And it is the complete opposite of the man made Cubic Zirconia as it is the oldest stone known to man.  And this is not hyperbole.  In Australia, during the 1990’s a tiny grain of zircon 4.2-4.3 billion years old was discovered.  Becoming the very oldest object ever found!

Due to scientists’ ability to trace time through the chemical make-up of zircons, zircons are loved not only by jewelry enthusiasts but also by geologists.  A very hardy stone, Zircons are resistant to chemical attack.  They survive geological events that eradicate other stones and like a time capsule they retain the chemical makeup of their entire timeline, giving geologist clues about the history of the natural world.
But I digress, as a jewelry lover, the most important thing about zircon’s is how exquisitely beautiful they are. 

An Interpretation of the Indian Kalpa Tree

They are considered so beautiful Hindu poets tell of the ancient Kalpa tree. The ultimate gift to the gods, a glowing tree covered in gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. 

The word Zircon actually comes from the Persian word “Zargun” meaning gold-colored.  As for many years the golden brown zircon was the most popular.  Today the vibrant blue is the one that so many people are crazy for, as am I.


Please follow this link to see all of Isadora's fantastic Zircon pieces:  Zircon

1 comment:

Camellia Collection said...

I love all these zircons. Lovely blog post

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