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Color range: colorless, yellow, brown, red, orange, blue, green,
violet
Value: Varies with the
variety. Brown zircons and clear zircons are commonly found, but
other types are found only infrequently. |
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In luster and fire alike, properly treated zircons
resemble diamonds so closely that foolish buyers are often rooked by
unkind sellers playing on the similarity. The dwarves have always
known the difference, however, even if humans and elves are
deceived! One noteworthy type of zircon is the snowflake zircon,
which is tinged deep brown with a hint of emerald green. Instead of
losing value due to internal fracturing, snowflake zircons gain it,
for most snowflake zircons are chaotically fractured in a fashion
that resembles snow falling over a forest (if seen with a properly
fanciful mind.) Needless to say, snowflake zircons are terribly
fragile. Save for snowflake zircon, zircons
may be found worldwide. Snowflake zircon can only be located in the
northern reaches of the world.
Although the races of Elanthia are generally
unaware of its properties, zircon is faintly responsive to all forms
of mental magic. Clear zircons respond best to spells of divination,
brown zircons respond best to spells of transference, green zircons
respond best to spells of transformation, yellow zircons respond
best to spells of manipulation, and snowflake zircons respond best
to spells of telepathy. Among the Erithi, apprentice savants, bards,
and empaths frequently carry and make use of these gems when
practicing small cantrips. Zircon is almost always destroyed by such
spells, and more skilled practitioners do not bother with its faint
enhancement.
However, the various hues of zircon have developed
interesting reputations in Elanthia because the stone is cheap
enough that it is readily available to common folk.
Legend has it that if you bury a green zircon in a
garden and invoke Kuon's name, the garden will not fully fail in
even the most terrible of droughts.
Snowflake zircons are said to be a charm against
frostbite, while clear zircons are said to protect against
sunstroke.
Yellow zircons are a traveler's boon, and gnomish
tradition holds that any traveler who offers a yellow zircon as a
gift cannot be turned away from food and shelter.
The name probably comes from the Persian word
zargun which means "gold-colored," although zircon comes in a
wide range of different colors.
Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the
ultimate gift to the gods, which was a glowing tree covered with
gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. Zircon has long had a
supporting role to more well-known gemstones, often stepping in as
an understudy when they were unavailable.
In
the middle ages, zircon was said to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and
promote honor and wisdom in its owner. Zircon was
believed to drive away plagues and evil spirits. The lost of luster
on a zircon stone is said to warn of danger.
Natural zircon today suffers for the
similarity of its name to cubic zirconia, the laboratory-grown
diamond imitation. Some don't realize that there is a beautiful
natural gemstone called zircon.
Zircon occurs in a wide range of colors but for many years, the most
popular was the colorless variety which looks more like diamond than
any other natural stone due to its brilliance and dispersion.
Today the most popular color is blue zircon.
Most blue zircon is a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems have a
bright blue color.
Zircon is the birthstone for December, alternating with
lapis lazuli and
turquoise. |
