ORIGIN
Harts Range, Northern Territory, Australia

DIMENSIONS
7.4mm x 7.4mm diameter x 5.1mm deep

CARAT WEIGHT
2.73ct

CUT
Octagonal faceted (Octagon H Split Mains Cut)

COLOUR
Champagne pink with apricot

TREATMENT
None

CUTTER
Cut by Malcolm Peacock

COMMENTS Zircon is prized for its diamond-like lustre, intense fire, brilliance and strong double refraction. This precision cut stone faces up very bright and is eye-clean. It’s colour is similar to a champagne diamond. The rough crystal was found in Australia’s most famous source of zircon called the Mud Tank Zircon Field, in an area known as Harts Range, situated 1220km south to southeast of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. This field is well-known for producing top quality zircon in beautiful earthy tones of cinnamon, sherry, cognac, pinks, plums, oranges, yellow and even parti-coloured and colourless. The same crystal was used to produce two matching hexagonal cut stones 2 = 3.54ct (listed separately). These stones would be perfect as a pendant and earring combination but could also standalone in a ring.

DURABILITY Although relatively hard, measuring 6.7-7.5 on Moh’s scale – zircon is brittle and sensitive to knocks and pressure. It has the tendency to wear along facet edges and, for this reason should be limited to occasional wear in rings or set into protective settings.