Gemstones Beginning with "Z"

Zebra Jasper is actually a calcite with black and white, jagged stripes that look very much like a zebra's skin. Deposits can be found in Mexico. See Calcite for more information.

Zircon has the highest refractive index among any natural gemstones, with the exception of diamonds. A transparent to translucent stone, the most common colors are blue and colorless. High-grade colorless zircon is often used to simulate diamond (although should not be confused with the synthetic cubic zirconia). Other colors, although rare, include yellow, orange, green, brown and red. Deposits can be found in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Sri Lanka and Africa. Zircon is said to help protect from disease and insomnia. Mohs' hardness: 6-1/2 to 7-1/2.

Zoisite is a species name used by gemologists. Zoisite was first found in Austria in 1805 and is named after the collector Siegmund von Zois. Gemstone quality specimens are fairly new to the industry. They include tanzanite, thulite and anyolite, which is also referred to as ruby zoisite.

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