Zircon

The first thing to know about zircon is what it isn’t. That is, zircon IS NOT cubic zirconia. Unlike cubic zirconia, zircon is not a synthetically made stone.

Zircon is in fact a natural gemstone that has suffered from some “bad marketing,” as a result of the similarity of its name to cubic zirconia as well as some of its similar properties to diamonds. But who doesn’t love an underdog? At Malki, we think it’s high time zircon got due credit and respect!

Zircons are old, more so than diamonds and even life itself given that a zircon found in Australia was determined to be over 4.3 billion years old! We’re proud to say that the the zircons we use in Malki Studio are entirely sourced locally, here in Australia, by independent small scale miners, most of who also facet their own stones. That means that, at Malki, zircon is a thoroughly ethical choice.

We think that zircons are stunningly beautiful, ranging in colour from intense and pastel yellows, browns, oranges, and reds, to greens, blues, and white (clear) stones.

Zircon’s high rate of light dispersion and refraction means that, when looking at this gemstone, a lot of the light is reflected back into the eye as well as broken into its constituent wavelengths, resulting in dazzlingly bright rainbow coloured flashes.

Instead of thinking of zircons as a substitute for diamonds, Malki Studio invites our customers to think of zircon as a beautiful and unique gemstone in its own right, and one that is hugely under-appreciated in the mass market.

We consider that the fact that zircons haven’t been swallowed into mass market jewellery is evidence that this is a distinguished choice of gemstone that is perfect for distinguished jewellery worn by distinguished individuals.