Zircon is a nesosilicate mineral. Its chemical name is Zirconium silicate . Zircon has a tetragonal crystal structure.

Zircon may be colorless, yellow-golden, red, brown, blue or green. Colorless specimen of gem quality Zircon is known as “Matura diamond”. It is a popular substitute for diamond.

The name Zircon might have been derived from the Persian ‘zargono’ .The Arabic word ‘zarqun’ meaning vermilion or the Persian ‘zargun’ meaning golden-colored have corrupted into ‘jargoon’ – a term applied to light-colored zircons. The English word “Zircon” is derived from German “Zirkon,”

Yellow zircon is called “hyacinth”, named after the flower hyacinth. In the Middle Ages all the yellow stones of East Indian origin were called hyacinth, but today this term is restricted to the yellow zircons.

Zircon occurs in igneous rocks, in metamorphic rocks, and in sedimentary rocks. Large zircon crystals are rare but they can grow to several centimeters in pegmatites.

Zircon contains uranium and thorium. The internal radiation causes internal damage and partially disrupts the crystal structure. This causes the highly variable properties of zircon.

As zircon becomes more and more modified by damage due to the internal radiation, its density decreases, its crystal structure is compromised, and the color changes.

Zircon occurs in many colors, including red, pink, brown, yellow, hazel, or black. It can also be colorless. The color of zircons can be changed by heat treatment. Depending on the amount of heat applied, colorless, blue, or golden-yellow zircons can be made.

In geological settings, the development of pink, red, and purple zircon occurs after hundreds of millions of years, if the crystal has sufficient trace elements and above 350 °C.