ZIRCON

Zircon

Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. Its chemical name is zirconium silicate and its corresponding chemical formula is ZrSiO4. A common empirical formula showing some of the range of substitution in zircon is 1–x4x–y. Zircon forms in silicate melts with large proportions of high field strength incompatible elements. For example, hafnium is almost always present in quantities ranging from 1 to 4%. The crystal structure of zircon is tetragonal crystal system. The natural color of zircon varies between colorless, yellow-golden, red, brown, blue, and green. Colorless specimens that show gem quality are a popular ...

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zircon

Noun

  1. A mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals, usually of a brown or grey colour and consisting of silica and zirconia.
  2. A crystal of zircon, sometimes used as a false gemstone.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: zircon
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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