Zircon Mineral Data

Zircon Mineral Data +

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General Zircon Information

Chemical Formula:

ZrSiO4

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 183.31 gm

Zirconium 49.77 % Zr 67.22 % ZrO₂

Silicon 15.32 % Si 32.78 % SiO₂

Oxygen 34.91 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

ZrSiO₄

Environment:

Magmatic, metamorphic, pegmatitic, and alluvial rocks..

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric

Locality:

Laacher See, Niedermendig, Germany. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named from its containing the element, zirconium; which was named from the Arabic, zargun = "gold color."

Synonym:

Cyrtolite

Hyacinth - orange red

ICSD 71943

Jarcon - colorless

Malacon

PDF 6-266

Zircon Image

Images:

Zircon

Comments: Clear, crystalline zircon prism with pyramidal termination.
Location: Laacher See, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Zircon Perrierite-(Ce) Pyrochlore Loparite-(Ce)

Comments: Reddish black perrierite crystal, with orange-brown pyrochlore crystal, yellow-brown zircon, and grayish-black loparite.
Location: Buer, Bjorkedalen, Langesundfjord, Telemark, Norway. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Images:

Zircon

Comments: Deep red-wine colored, lustrous, internally bright zircon crystals in matrix.
Location: Thorfjord, Seiland, Alta, Norway. Scale: 13 x 10.5 x 9 cm.
© Rob Lavinsky

Images:

Zircon

Comments: Cathodoluminescence image of earth's oldest-known mineral (zircon grain - W74/2-36) with inset concordia plot showing the 4,404 billion year old region. Note the oscillatory zoning in the outer rim. Image by John W. Valley.
Location: Interlayered red quartzites and metaconglomerates, Jack Hills, Western Australia. Scale: See Image.
© University of Wisconsin

Zircon Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.90536

Cell Dimensions:

a = 6.604, c = 5.979, Z = 4; V = 260.76 Den(Calc)= 4.67

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - Ditetragonal DipyramidalH-M Symbol (4/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: I 4₁/amd

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.3(1), 2.518(0.45), 4.43(0.45),

Forms:

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Forms: [ 3 3 1] [ 1 1 0] [ 1 1 1]

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Crystal Structure:

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Robinson K , Gibbs G V , Ribbe P H , American Mineralogist , 56 (1971) p.782-790, The structure of zircon: A comparison with garnet

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Zircon
[1] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Zircon

Cleavage:

[110] Indistinct

Color:

Brown, Reddish brown, Colorless, Gray, Green.

Density:

4.6 - 4.7, Average = 4.65

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent to opaque

Fracture:

Uneven - Flat surfaces (not cleavage) fractured in an uneven pattern.

Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Habit:

Prismatic - Crystals Shaped like Slender Prisms (e.g. tourmaline).

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

7.5 - Garnet

Luminescence:

Fluorescent and radioactive, Short UV=yellow, Long UV=dull red.

Luster:

Adamantine

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Zircon

Dichroism (e):

colorless.

Dichroism (w):

colorless.

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.011 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.016 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2067,KPDmeas= 0.2076,KC= 0.21

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.92-1.96, w=1.967-2.015, bire=0.0470-0.0550.

Calculated Properties of Zircon

Electron Density:

r_electron=4.36 gm/cc
note: r_Zircon=4.65 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.06315
Boson Index = 0.93685

Photoelectric:

PE_Zircon= 68.77 barns/electron
U=PE_Zircon x r_electron= 300.07 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Zircon is Not Radioactive

Zircon Classification

Dana Class:

51.5.2.1 (51)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups Only

(51.5)with cations in >[6] coordination

(51.5.2)Zircon group

51.5.2.1 Zircon ZrSiO4 I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

51.5.2.2 Hafnon HfSiO4 I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

51.5.2.3 Thorite ThSiO4 I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

51.5.2.4 Coffinite U(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

51.5.2.5 Thorogummite Th(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

VIII/A.09-10 VIII - Silicates

VIII/A - Nesosilicates with [SiO4]4-groups, cations of octahedral and cubic orientation [8+6]

VIII/A.09 - Zircon - Thorogummite series

VIII/A.09-05 Reidite! ZrSiO4 I 4₁/a 4/m

VIII/A.09-10 Zircon ZrSiO4 I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/A.09-20 Hafnon HfSiO4 I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/A.09-30 Thorite ThSiO4 I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/A.09-40 Coffinite U(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

VIII/A.09-50 Thorogummite Th(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x I 4₁/amd 4/m 2/m 2/m

Other Zircon Information

References:

NAME( Emsley91) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Heinrich65)

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Zircon

ZrSiO4
Dana No: 51.5.2.1 Strunz No: VIII/A.09-10
Locality:

Notes: