Blue Zircon
A natural stone with more fire than almost anything except diamond, in a glacial blue that photographs as though it were lit from inside.
About Blue Zircon
Zircon is a genuinely old and genuinely natural mineral, and it deserves better than the confusion with cubic zirconia, which is a wholly unrelated synthetic. Zircon crystals include the oldest dated minerals on earth, some over four billion years old.
Its optical properties are remarkable. Zircon has high dispersion — the property that produces colored fire — and pronounced double refraction, strong enough that you can often see doubled back facets through the table. That doubling is a diagnostic feature and a mark of authenticity rather than a fault.
The blue is produced by heating brown zircon from Cambodia and neighbouring deposits, a standard and stable treatment. Zircon is somewhat brittle at the facet edges despite reasonable hardness, so it wears best in settings that protect the girdle, and it should be stored so harder stones cannot knock against it.
Why Sharon works with blue zircon
Sharon pairs blue zircon with boulder opal constantly — the zircon picks up and amplifies the blue flashes in the opal in a way no other stone quite manages. It is also one of the few stones she recommends specifically for how it behaves under evening light.
Caring for blue zircon
Warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and hard knocks, which can abrade facet edges, and keep it out of prolonged strong sunlight.
Common questions about blue zircon
Is blue zircon the same as cubic zirconia?
No, and the confusion is unfortunate. Zircon is a natural mineral that has been used in jewelry for centuries. Cubic zirconia is a man-made diamond simulant with no relationship to it beyond a similar-sounding name.
Is blue zircon treated?
Almost all blue zircon is heat treated from brown rough. The treatment is standard across the trade and the color is stable in normal wear.
Why do the facets look doubled?
Zircon is strongly doubly refractive, so light splits into two rays as it passes through. Seeing doubled back facets through the table is normal and is one way to identify a genuine zircon.
Blue Zircon jewelry by Sharon Teaman
Each piece is one of a kind and made by hand in State College, Pennsylvania.
14K W Hand Cut Blue Zircon Ring
Blue Zircon$7,165
14K Blue Zircon Oval Ring
Blue Zircon$4,490
14K W Balanced Blue Zircon Ring
Blue Zircon$3,865
PZ 513 14K W Pink Zircon Ring
Pink/Peach Tourmaline$3,795
Boulder Opal Doublets accented with Blue Zircon - Earrings
Opal$2,950
Blue Zircon Studs - 7.29mm
Blue Zircon$1,890
Blue Zircon Oval Cut Studs
Blue Zircon$995
5mm Blue Zircon Studs - 5mm White Gold
Blue Zircon$695
Blue Zircon Studs- 5mm White Gold
Blue Zircon$695
Blue Zircon pieces Sharon has made before
Sold, but a good indication of what is possible. Any of these can be a starting point for a commission.
Commission a blue zircon piece
Tell Sharon the color, the shape or the budget you have in mind. She sources blue zircon year round and will find the right stone before a single sketch is made.