What is zirconite? Zirconia and properties

As you may already know, there are thousands and thousands of stones in the world and zirconia is one of them, but... How much do you know about zirconite?

ZIRCONITE: What is zirconite? Everything you need to know: zirconite properties and much more.

You probably have thousands of questions about why we choose zirconia for some of our jewelry and not other materials or stones, so.... we are going to tell you all about it!

 

1. What is zirconia? Discover the zirconia stone

Zirconite is a gemstone with macroscopic properties similar to those of other gemstones, especially in transparency. The most remarkable feature of this stone is its brilliance and luminosity. It is one of the cubic forms of zirconium oxide, with high hardness. Due to its brilliance and versatility in colors (it can be found in many different shades), it is used mainly in the creation of jewelry, and has historically been associated with wisdom and distinction. Are you already clear about what zirconia is? Let's move on to the next section!

 

What is the value of zirconia? Zirconia and its price

To measure the value of zirconia we must follow the "4C" rule, a scale also used to determine the quality of other stones and that takes into account the following aspects:

1. Carat Zirconia to know the value of zirconia: The zirconia stone has a value of 8 on the Mohs scale, a scale that determines the hardness of stones. To know what is the value of the zirconia we will look at it and the carats that presents the structure of the zirconia.
2. Zirconite Clarity to know the zirconite and its price: The clearest and most transparent stones are the most valuable. Due to the production processes to which these gems are subjected, zirconites can have certain imperfections clearly visible, but if they are of quality, their transparency can be much higher than other stones, so the price of zirconite changes according to its clarity.
3. Zirconia color to know what is the value of the zirconia: It is possible to introduce oxide of colored stones during production to change the color of the zirconia stone, that is why there are and we can often see jewelry of different colors formed by zirconia. This may vary the value of the zirconia as it is a step in the production and creation process.
4. Cut Zirconia to know the zirconia and its price: What determines the quality of the cut of the zirconia stone is whether it is made by machine or by hand. A zirconia stone jewelry produced by hand and cut evenly will have much more value.

 

3. Is Zirconite a mineral?

Zirconite is a mineral that is created synthetically and therefore of artificial origin. It was discovered by the German chemist Martin Henrich Klaproth and is the cubic crystalline form of zirconium oxide ZrO2. This mineral is created at very high temperatures that can exceed 2700º and in processes that can take more than 5 hours. After that, it is left to temper for a few hours until the crystal appearance that gives it that characteristic light appears. As we mentioned at the beginning of the post, at the time of creation it remains transparent, but you can add elements that give intense and vibrant colors.

It is a gem with special properties and a cubic shape that reflects a lot of light and apparently can remind us of other gems. But the main property of zirconite is that zirconite is produced in laboratories under a meticulous process, which is why it is difficult to find this mineral in a natural state.

Zirconia has become one of the most used stones in the market due to its quality and low cost.

 

4. Zirconite and its properties

As mentioned above, zirconia is characterized by its crystalline appearance, and these are the main properties of zirconia:

• The physical properties of zirconite: hardness, density, melting and shape.

As we have mentioned before, to measure the hardness we will use the Mohs scale, in which zirconium oxide has an 8. Although there are harder stones that are above zirconite on this scale, the property of zirconite in terms of hardness is quite strong. Regarding density, zirconite also has a high density, although this does not make it heavier. On the other hand, zirconia stone is transformed at a temperature of 1852 ºC. Finally, we have to emphasize the property of zirconia in terms of shape: zirconia is tetragonal and reflects light very much, giving it a lot of brightness.

• Optical properties of zirconia

Zirconia, as we have mentioned is created in transparent, but can be modified to find it in shades of yellow, blue, green, gold and white. In addition, it is a property of zirconia that makes it ideal for creating sophisticated and elegant designs.

An example of this are the Idol that are available in white, the normal state of the zirconia, as well as in black and multicolor, demonstrating the different shades in which we can find the zirconia. These golden and colorful rings have a very original shape as they are a 3 in 1, and thanks to the zirconia you will get a luminous and sophisticated look.

 

 

5. Zirconia: what they really look like

At first glance, zirconite and other stones can be very difficult to distinguish, but if we make a series of checks we can know if it is really a zirconite.

The first is the so-called "white paper test". First we must place a white paper and draw a black dot in the center. When approaching the stone to this point we will have to observe carefully. If we can distinguish the black dot it means that it is a zirconite, if on the contrary the dot is blurred or not well seen is that it is another type of stone.

Another way to distinguish these two similar looking materials is to focus on their weight. As you already know, zirconia stone can even be twice as heavy as other similar stones.

To learn more about how to differentiate between zircons and diamondshow to tell the difference between a zirconia and a , visit our blog post about it .

We hope we have helped you to discover zirconia and that you already know what zirconia is. It is a very special stone and we love to discover the properties of zirconia and other stones with which we create our jewelry. In our blog you will find much more information and curiosities about the stones and materials we use to create LAVANI jewelry.

You can also discover our zirconia jewelry: don't miss our , the perfect choice for when you want to shine!

SEE JEWELRY WITH ZIRCONIA