Blue zircon is the genuine stone that is noted for December. It comes from the Greek legend of zircon, the wild hyacinth flower that sprung from the blood of a slain Greek youth. It has a hardness of 6-7.5, and therefore care must be exercised in its wear. Because of its moderate hardness, it is susceptible to scratching and breaking. It is a wonderful shade of blue and is worshipped highly in Eastern and Western civilizations, as legends would hold, for its ability to banish insomnia, protect against lightning, cure one of sickness and for women, it was suppose to ease childbirth. It is a natural gemstone and is not to be confused with cubic zirconia, which is manmade, or with blue topaz, a more modern inexpensive substitute. It is mined in Cambodia, Thailand and Sri Lanka. It has very strong medium blue to aqua hues and is easily polished, creating a very brilliant and intense gem. It has double refraction, which is a property that causes light rays to be split into two.
Blue topaz is a color variety of topaz that is rapidly becoming a favored December birthstone. Its full blue color, its hardness of 8 and reasonable prices make blue topaz a top seller for rings, earrings and pendants. Blue topaz is mined mainly in Brazil, Africa, India, Sri Lanka and the United States. It can come (by radiation and heat treating) in all color shades of blue, to rival aquamarine, zircons and even color shades rarely seen in nature (London Blue). Sometimes other gemstones are substituted for December such as turquoise and lapis lazuli.
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