The very first rock that formed on Earth looked like and were dark, crystalline and ultramafic lavas that are called komatiites.
Because the young planet Earth was extremely hot when these rocks formed, the mantle of Earth generated highly magnesium rich magmas, which also pooled and also solidified as dark and heavy crust that looked much different than the granites that we see today.
Also before the surface of Earth solidified, the planet earth was a churning magma ocean.
The absolute oldest surviving remnants of Earth's rock record, which dates back over 4 billion years and are hard, banded rocks that are known as gneiss, like Acasta Gneiss in Canada, or basaltic crust that is found in the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.
These rocks were also largely composed of a mineral called olivine and dark pyroxenes, which give them a dark, greenish-black, and sometimes speckled or layered appearance and if you look before Earth formed, the first rocks in our solar system were also cosmic dust and ice aggregates, which collected to form asteroids and the earliest planetary cores.
Zircon is the oldest known gemstone on Earth and is also known as the oldest material on Earth other than the Komatiites.
Zircon crystals have been discovered in the Jack Hills of Western Australia and have been dated to be as old as 4.4 billion years old.
The Zircon crystals or gemstones formed just 160 million years after the planet Earth itself had formed and survived as tiny and resilient time capsules.
The Zircon crystal and gemstone is extremely durable and can easily survive extreme heat, pressure and even the erosion of the rocks, in which it had originally formed from.
Natural zircon crystals and gemstones are available in a brilliant palette of colors, which includes red, yellow, brown, green and even highly prized blue varieties.
Colorless zircon crystals and gemstones are also known for their intense "fire" as well as brilliance, and have been used for centuries as a stunning natural alternative to diamonds.
Zircon is also officially recognized as being one of the birthstones for the month of December.
Zircon is a naturally occurring zirconium silicate mineral (ZrSiOâ‚„) that is also renowned in geology for its durability and radioactive dating capabilities, and in jewelry for its intense brilliance.
Zircon also often contains trace elements like uranium, making it an invaluable tool for scientists studying Earth's ancient history.
And because zircon incorporates uranium during their formation, which decays into lead at a known rate, the zircon crystals allow geologists to accurately calculate the age of the rocks that they reside in.
Zircon crystals measure 6 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, which makes it relatively soft for daily rings when compared to diamonds or sapphires, although zircon crystals are still ideal for earrings and necklaces.
Natural and untreated blue or vibrant red zircon crystals can range from $150.00 to several thousand dollars in price, depending on the carat weight as well as the cut and clarity.
And zircon is also a 100 percent natural mineral, whereas Cubic Zirconia is a man made synthetic (zirconium dioxide), which is often used as a diamond simulant.
Zircon can also sometimes lose it's color or even fade if it's exposed to any harsh and bright sunlight for extended periods of time.
Rocks are made of multiple minerals and there are also other oldest intact rock formations on Earth, which include:
The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt (Quebec, Canada): Recent studies date sections of this ancient ocean floor to about 4.16 billion years ago.
The Acasta Gneiss Complex (Northwest Territories, Canada): These are the most universally confirmed and widely agreed-upon intact rock formations, dating back 4.03 billion years.