CHEMISTRY - ZrSiO4
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY - Tetragonal
CRYSTAL GROWTH AND HABITS - Zircon commonly forms prismatic or tabular crystals with square cross sections often terminated with pyramidal faces. It also forms grains and can be granular to massive.
COLOR AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES - Commonly reddish brown to yellow, green, blue, and gray. It is transparent to opaque. It may fluoresce under ultra violet light.
HARDNESS - 7.5
SPECIFIC GRAVITY - 4.6 - 4.7
LUSTER - Vitreous to adamantine
STREAK - White
BREAKABILITY - Conchoidal fracture with an indistinct cleavage along {110} and {111}.
OCCURRENCE - Zircon is found as an accessory mineral in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Because of its physical durability it is often found as an accessory in sedimentary rocks and in heavy mineral concentrated in alluvium.
ASSOCIATED MINERALS - Quartz, Feldspars, Amphiboles, Mica
MINERAL NAME - The name may have been derived from the Persian zar (gold) and gun (color).