Zircon facts for kids
Zircon is a natural mineral that's found in many different types of rocks all over the world. It's made of a chemical called zirconium silicate, which has the formula ZrSiO4. Sometimes, clear zircon looks a lot like a diamond and has been used as a more affordable substitute. It's important to know that zircon is different from cubic zirconia, which is a man-made material. In the United States, zircon is known as the birthstone for December.
Ancient Zircons: Earth's Oldest Minerals
Some zircon crystals are incredibly old! Scientists have found zircons in a place called Jack Hills in Western Australia that are about 4.404 billion years old. This makes them the oldest minerals ever found on Earth.
Scientists figure out their age using a method called uranium-lead dating. This method looks at tiny amounts of uranium and lead inside the zircon to tell how long ago the crystal formed.
These ancient zircons also give us clues about early Earth. By studying the oxygen inside them, scientists believe that there was already water on Earth's surface more than 4.4 billion years ago. This idea is also supported by other tiny elements found in the zircons.
Images for kids
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An optical microscope view of a zircon crystal, about 250 micrometers long.
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Tiny, sand-sized grains of zircon.
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The crystal structure of zircon.
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A unit cell, showing the basic building block of a zircon crystal.
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A SEM image of zircon, showing its detailed surface.
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An unusual olive-green zircon crystal.
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A cluster of three zircon crystals growing together.
See also
In Spanish: Zircón para niños
