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'''Zircon''' is a mineral, gem, and birthstone. Zircons are commercially mined for the metal [[zirconium]]. "More than 95% of current world production of zirconia and zirconium chemicals comes from processing of zircon. Zircon is processed in a number of locations world wide but [[China]] currently dominates supply of processed zirconium products and world output is around 96,000 tonnes." <ref>[http://www.alkane.com.au/projects/nsw/dubbo/DZP%20Summary%20June07.pdf The Dubbo Zirconia Project]</ref> Zircon is one of the three [[birthstone]]s for December; the other two are [[Tanzanite]] and [[Turquoise]]. <ref>[http://www.americangemsociety.org/birthstones.htm?gclid=CLu6o5CW-pACFRsTawodHiK31Q American Gem Society: Traditional Birthstones]</ref>   
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'''Zircon''' is a mineral, gem, and birthstone. It has a density of 4.7 grams/cm<sup>3</sup>.
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Zircons are commercially mined for the metal [[zirconium]]. "More than 95% of current world production of zirconia and zirconium chemicals comes from processing of zircon. Zircon is processed in a number of locations world wide but [[China]] currently dominates supply of processed zirconium products and world output is around 96,000 tonnes." <ref>[http://www.alkane.com.au/projects/nsw/dubbo/DZP%20Summary%20June07.pdf The Dubbo Zirconia Project]</ref> Zircon is one of the three [[birthstone]]s for December; the other two are [[Tanzanite]] and [[Turquoise]]. <ref>[http://www.americangemsociety.org/birthstones.htm?gclid=CLu6o5CW-pACFRsTawodHiK31Q American Gem Society: Traditional Birthstones]</ref>   
    
*"Zircon is often confused with [[Cubic Zirconia]]. Cubic Zirconia, a synthetic, inexpensive Diamond simulant, resembles colorless Zircon and has a similar sounding name. However, the two are totally separate materials, and have no connection with each other." <ref>[http://www.minerals.net/mineral/sort-met.hod/alphabet/abcdsort.htm Minerals.net]</ref>  
 
*"Zircon is often confused with [[Cubic Zirconia]]. Cubic Zirconia, a synthetic, inexpensive Diamond simulant, resembles colorless Zircon and has a similar sounding name. However, the two are totally separate materials, and have no connection with each other." <ref>[http://www.minerals.net/mineral/sort-met.hod/alphabet/abcdsort.htm Minerals.net]</ref>  
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Notable occurances are located in Seiland, [[Norway]]; [[Pakistan]]; [[Russia]]; Bancroft and Sudbury, [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] and [[New Jersey]] and [[Colorado]], USA.<ref>[http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/zircon/zircon.htm Mineral galleries]</ref> Zircon belongs to the [[Silicates]] mineral class.   
 
Notable occurances are located in Seiland, [[Norway]]; [[Pakistan]]; [[Russia]]; Bancroft and Sudbury, [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] and [[New Jersey]] and [[Colorado]], USA.<ref>[http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/zircon/zircon.htm Mineral galleries]</ref> Zircon belongs to the [[Silicates]] mineral class.   
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==Zircon and Creationism==
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Zircon has recently become a subject of interest for [[Creationist]]s.  Studies of the rate at which radioactive particles in the zircon release [[helium]] have shown that the zircons found today contain far to much helium to be more than 14,000 years old. <ref>http://www.icr.org/pdf/research/Helium_ICC_7-22-03.pdf</ref>  This has been used to support the idea of a young Earth.
    
==References==
 
==References==

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