Zircon | Utopian Creations

Zircon is one of the most misunderstood natural gemstones. It is often confused with cubic zirconia, but the two are completely different: zircon is a naturally occurring gemstone with its own beauty, brilliance and geological story.

Zircon is also one of December’s traditional birthstones and occurs in a wide range of colours, including colourless, yellow, brown, orange, red, green and blue. Australian zircon is especially fascinating because zircon crystals from Western Australia are among the oldest known minerals on Earth, dating back around 4.4 billion years.

At Utopian Creations, our zircons are sourced from all over the world. However we do have a soft spot for Australian gem fields, including Mud Tank in the Northern Territory, and occasionally from Queensland and New South Wales as a by-product of sapphire mining. These stones can be bright, lively and full of character, but they do require thoughtful use in jewellery.

With a hardness of around 6 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, zircon is softer than sapphire or diamond and can show wear if knocked or worn every day. For this reason, we generally do not recommend zircon for engagement rings or high-wear everyday rings. It is better suited to earrings, pendants, occasional-wear rings, or pieces designed with protective settings.