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ZAMAK
Zamak is a zinc alloy containing
some aluminum (3.9-4.5%) and
copper (0.02-0.05%).
ZINC
An abundant, lustrous, bluish-white,
metallic element of the magnesium-cadmium
group. Zinc is brittle at
room temperature but malleable
when heated. It is used to
form a wide variety of alloys
including Brass, Britannia,
Bronze, various solders, and
Nickel Silver. Because zinc
is not easily oxidized in
moist air it is used for sheeting,
coating galvanized iron (and
other metals), for electric
fuses, anodes, meter cases,
in roofing, gutters, and is
also largely consumed in electric
batteries.
ZIRCON
Zircon (zircon silicate)
is a lustrous gemstone that
comes in colors ranging from
golden brown to red to violet
to blue. Pure zircon is colorless,
but most zircon stones are
brown. Zircon stones can be
heat-treated to become blue
or colorless; sometimes, heat-treated
stones revert to their original
color. Clear zircon is sometimes
sold (intentionally or otherwise)
as diamond. It has a hardness
of 7.5 and a specific gravity
of 3.90-4.71.
ZOISITE
Named after the man who discovered
it, Von Zois, an Austrian
mineralogist, Zoisite is opaque
grayish or whitish mineral
with green or black streaks
occurring in rhombohedral
crystals or columnar masses.
It is a silicate of alumina
and lime, similar to epidote,
and is often found included
with opaque ruby (corundum).
Zoisite is found in Kenya,
Norway, Austria, Western Australia,
Italy, and North Carolina.
There is a purple-blue variant
of it discovered in Tanzania
in 1967 called Tanzanite.
Zoisite has a hardness of
6.5 on the Mohs scale.
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