BIRTHSTONES

DECEMBER

Zircon

Zircon comes in a wide variety of colors – blue, green, yellow, orange, red and brown, in addition to colorless. Zircon is prized for its brilliance and fire as well as being a very "clean" stone, displaying very few inclusion.

The yellow "hyacinth" zircon was associated with the zodiac sign of Leo, thus with lions and courage. Rare red zircon was said to be the cure for all insomnia. From ancient times through the Middle Ages, a zircon was considered a must for travelers because it was a powerful protection against wounds and plagues. It was also said to increase its wearer’s riches because it gave him wisdom with which to conduct his finances. Someone bewitched by evil spirits was encouraged to rub zircon over a cross cut into a fresh-baked loaf of bread, recite a chant, and eat the bread. The spell would soon vanish.

Zircon is one of the accepted birthstones for December.

To clean, immerse in a jewelry cleaner or in lukewarm soapy water and use a small bristle brush. Do not use a home ultrasonic machine. Avoid abrasives and extreme temperature changes.

As part of the customary fashioning process, various shades of brown zircons are heated to produce colorless stones or beautiful shades of blue and red.

Zircons are found today in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia.

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