DECEMBER 2007
Community Paper
copyright ©2007 by Community Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

DECEMBER BIRTHSTONE - ZIRCON!
by Phyllis Stewart-Tuell, Gemologist, Stewart Jewelry
2212 Edgewater Drive, 407-425-1496
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Zircon (pronounced ZUR-conn)
Naturally colorless zircons, as well as heat-treated colored stones have been known for years. More than 100 years ago, colorless zircons were used as substitutes for diamonds and it was not until the turn of the century that this material became popular. As a result, in 1952 the stone was adopted by most jewelry-trade organizations as the alternating birthstone for December with Turquoise; replacing Lapis lazuli. Zircon is found in Cambodia, Tanzania, Thailand, Ceylon, Madagascar, Russia and at least seven states in the U. S. The most popular and probably the most common color is the blue variety; however; zircon comes in a wide range of colors. The stone is usually transparent and faceted for most jewelry manufacturing.

The alternate birthstone, Turquoise, was valued very highly by the Aztecs, Incas, Persians, Egyptians and the southwestern American Indians. Even today, the American Indian still prizes turquoise highly and the United States is the world leader in production where it mostly comes from the southwestern states.
Lapis lazuli along with turquoise was among the most prized of all gemstones in earlier civilizations and was probably even more in demand. Lapis is always opaque to semi-translucent and is usually violetish blue with golden-colored pyrite specks. This rock is mostly found in Afghanistan, but has been found in Chile, Burma and Russia. Although lapis was arbitrarily removed from the “official” birthstone list, it is properly considered a birthstone for December and is an excellent stone for men’s jewelry.

With several different choices for the December birthstone, there should be something of interest for everyone.