Mineral · Zircon group
Zircon
Zr(SiO4)
Zircon is zirconium silicate, the oldest mineral on Earth (Jack Hills, 4.4 billion years) and a common accessory in granites; specimen crystals are red-brown tetragonal prisms from Gilgit (Pakistan), Norway (Seiland), Ontario and Malawi. Its high specific gravity and adamantine lustre identify it. Zircon is not the same as cubic zirconia, a synthetic.
| Formula | Zr(SiO4) |
|---|---|
| IMA status | grandfathered |
| Crystal system | Tetragonal |
| Mohs hardness | 7.5 |
| Group | Zircon group |
| Type locality | None |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 4.7 |
| Reference list | IMA List of Minerals (RRUFF) — verify formula and status against the current list |
Fakes and treatments
Cubic zirconia is often confused with zircon by name; heated Cambodian zircon gives blue gems.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Zircon" (Mineral). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/minerals/zircon. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-zircon,
title = {Zircon},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/minerals/zircon}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.