Admire the most beautiful, oldest mineral on Earth

The mineral zircon – while not as sparkling as a diamond or as precious as a ruby – possesses unique properties that make it one of Earth's most important scientific treasures.

1. Zircon is the oldest mineral ever found on Earth. Ancient zircon crystals in Australia are up to 4.4 billion years old – almost as old as the formation of our planet. Photo: Pinterest.

2. Zircon is an extremely accurate geological dating tool. Thanks to its radioactive element uranium, zircon helps scientists determine the age of ancient rocks and geological events through the uranium-lead dating method. Photo: Pinterest.

3. The name “zircon” comes from Arabic. The word “zarqun” means bright red – reflecting one of the common colors of this mineral in nature. Photo: Pinterest.

4. Zircon colors are very diverse. Zircon can be yellow, brown, blue, red, or even colorless – depending on impurities and natural radiation. Photo: Pinterest.

5. Zircon may contain traces of ancient water. Some zircon crystals have preserved evidence of liquid water that existed on Earth more than 4 billion years ago – hinting at very early life. Photo: Pinterest.

6. Zircon has a high refractive index, similar to diamond. Thanks to that, zircon is used in jewelry as an alternative gemstone with outstanding sparkle. Photo: Pinterest.

7. Zircon occurs on the Moon and in meteorites. Space missions have found zircon in lunar rocks and in some meteorites that have fallen to Earth, demonstrating the mineral’s cosmic importance. Photo: Pinterest.

Dear readers, please watch the video : Fossil Ba Chi | VTV TSTC.

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