Zircon Buying and the Four Cs
The IGS zircon value listing gives price guidelines for top color red, blue, green, and gold gems, as well as other colors and blue cat’s eye zircons.
Color
Since zircons come in all colors of the rainbow, jewelry buyers and gem collectors have many options.
Blue
Blue zircons are the most popular, and their prices reflect this trend. Occasionally called starlite or stremlite, blue hues are almost always the result of heat treatment, which creates a stable color. Blue zircons often have strong green components that give the stone a unique hue. Fine blue zircons exhibit strong green hues and medium tones.
Green
Extremely rare green zircons are a collector’s item. Most green zircons have brownish hues and may have a khaki color. Bright green gems are extremely rare and are the top color for green zircons. Heat treatment of these gems can lighten the hue and restore clarity to the crystal. Zircons with green hues are sometimes called “beccarite.”
Other Colors
Yellow, orange, and red hues are less popular than blue. Thus, they have lower prices. Trade names for yellow zircon include “melichrysos” and, for pale yellows, “jargoon” or “jargon.” The popular…
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