Does natural CZ actually exist?

[innerkitten]

I'm sure I've read it does. But if so how come we've never seen any?

 

[LD]

Are you perhaps thinking of Zircon?

As far as I'm aware CZ is a man made material and doesn't occur naturally.

 

[T L]

I think it does exist, but it's very very rare.

The high temperature cubic crystalline form, called 'cubic zirconia', is rarely found in nature as mineral tazheranite (Zr,Ti,Ca)O2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirconium_dioxide

 

[LD]

Well what do you know! That's what I love about this forum - you learn something new every day! Thanks TL.

 

[T L]

Don't thank me LD, thank Wikipedia!! I did once read a long time ago that natural occurring CZ did exist, but Wiki refreshed my memory.

 

[Michael_E]

Now wait a minute, I think that one needs to qualify this by what is meant by the word "exist". In this case the mineral in question may technically be a form of CZ, but in reality it is a rare, ugly little spec of brown junk that's found in very specific host rocks. The attached image is the most prevalent one on Google images and the frame is 2mm wide I believe. I doubt that you'll ever see one of these cut into anything...but then who knows, stranger things have happened.

 

[T L]

Impurities in nature probably cause the ugly color. In a laboratory, it is more pure and that is probably why it is colorless. That's my guess!

 

[AustenNut]

Wow, very cool thread. My initial response was like LD's, that maybe you were thinking of zircon. But thanks to LD and Michael, we've got more info and pictures! Thanks for starting this thread.