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Z - Jewelry & Gem Dictionary

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ZAMAK

Zamak is a zinc alloy containing some aluminum (3.9-4.5%) and copper (0.02-0.05%).

ZIRCON

Zircon (zircon silicate) is a lustrous gemstone that comes in colors ranging from golden brown to red to violet to blue. Pure zircon is colorless, but most zircon stones are brown. Zircon stones can be heat-treated to become blue or colorless; sometimes, heat-treated stones revert to their original color. Clear zircon is sometimes sold (intentionally or otherwise) as diamond. It has a hardness of 7.5 and a specific gravity of 3.90-4.71.

ZOISITE

Zoisite (Calcium-aluminum silicate) is a gray-green mineral that occurs in cracks of igneous rock. Zoisite has three known forms: anyolite (a green matrix containing rubies), tanzanite (transparent, blue-violet containing strontium), and thulite (opaque pink crystals containing manganese). Zoisite was named for the Slovenian mineral collector Baron Sigismund Zois von Edelstein, who financed the expedition that discovered Zoisite.