Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. Its chemical name is zirconium silicate.
The natural color of zircon varies between colorless, yellow-golden, red, brown, blue and green. Colorless specimens that show gem quality are a popular substitute for diamond; these specimens are also known as "Matura diamond". It is not to be confused with cubic zirconia which is a synthetic substance with a cmpletely different chemical composition.
The name Zircon either derives from the Arabic word zarqun, meaning vermilion, or from the Persian zargun, meaning golden-colored. These words are corrupted into "jargoon", a term applied to light-colored zircons.
Yellow zircon s called hyacinth, from a word of East Indian origin; in the Middle Ages all yellow stones of East Indian origin were called hyacinth, but today this term is restricted to the yellow zircons.
Zircon is the traditional birthstone for December.
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