I did something different for December’s third birthstone is Zircon. I fused a CZ into the fused glass. Two are pictured but I can fused CZ into any piece that you like just email me for details.
Derived from the Arabic words zar and gun, meaning gold and color. Zircons are primarily found in sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks. The least abundant type of zircon is the large zircon crystals. Zircon is one mineral that is found worldwide and is a very common accessory. Natural zircon crystal originally comes in earthy brown, bright red, strong green and yellow. Zircon of good fine quality are always transparent. Zircon stone normally will keep changing its color when being heated. Treated or heated zircons can come in variety of colors from yellow, bright red, red, blue, purple, colorless white etc. The black color to dark brown observed in most Zircon crystals is due to the impurities of iron oxide. The green coloring in rounded pebbles usually indicates the Zircon as radioactive Cyrtolite variety.
Today however zircons are commonly confused with cubic zirconia—the man-made diamond substitute however, Zircon and cubic zirconia are totally separate materials and those two have no connection with each other. Colorless Zircon may be used as a Diamond fake, but it is still quite valuable in its own right. Zircon ranks 6 to 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Folk wisdom grants zircon the power to relieve pain, whet the appetite, protect travelers from disease and injury, to ensure a warm welcome, and to prevent nightmares guaranteeing a deep, tranquil sleep. In ancient times zircon was believed to have curative powers and other mystic qualities. Zircons reached their peak in popularity during Victorian times when they were used extensively in brooches, pendants and pins. They are most appreciated by gem collectors who savor the variety of colors and brilliance of this lovely, natural stone.
It is believed zircons have special properties:
• Used to fight evil and avoid jealousy and enviness.
• To protect people from insomnia and help to calm people down.
• Brings happiness and self-satisfaction.
How to Care for Zircon
Zircon is generally stable when exposed to light, but some heat-treated stones might revert to their original colors (usually light brown) after prolonged exposure to bright light. Heat can alter the color of some zircon. Zircon is stable when exposed to chemicals. Warm, soapy water is recommended for cleaning zircon. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are not recommended for cleaning this gem. Zircon is commonly heat-treated to produce blue and colorless varieties. As with any transparent gemstone, zircon can be fracture-filled to improve apparent clarity, but this treatment is rarely applied to this gem.
For the fused glass birthstone version of December “Zircon”, I took a cubic zirconia and fused it inside the glass. I can fuse the zirconia into any type of glass but the light ones reflect the zirconia color better.
If you would like a Fused Glass Zircon please email me at elegantfusedglass@gmail.com.
Keeping my Kiln warm,
Karen
