Category Archives: Stone Jewelry

Diaspore = Zultanite

Diaspore Gemstone

Diaspore

Diaspore is a native aluminium oxide hydroxide. Diaspore is considered to be a semi-precious gemstone and while limited in nature, gems of good color and size are available, however, faceted stones above 5 carat are rare.

Relatively new to the jewelry world, Zultanite (Turkish Diaspore) is a gemstone whose amazing natural color changing abilities make it well suited to savvy jewelry connoisseurs. Zultanite is light toned with a color change of 100%, going from celery green to champagne to raspberry and ginger. Brilliant, mesmerizing and fashionable, the phenomenal Diaspore and Zultanite are rare stars in fine jewelry design, deserving pride of place in every serious jewelry collection.

Mined from a single deposit in the mountains of central Turkey, the name zultanite is a brand name introduced by the man with mining rights to the deposit, Murat Akgun. We assume the name is supposed to reference the sultans who ruled the Ottoman Empire.

Diaspore has reasonably good gemstone characteristics. It has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, comparable to peridot and tanzanite. It has a refractive index of 1.702-1.750, between tanzanite and spinel. Diaspore does have perfect cleavage in one direction, making it a challenge to cut.

Gems that change color under different lighting are rare and diapsore is attracting buyers drawn to this unique quality. Diaspore is a light yellow green (celery green) with color change to medium yellow pink (pinkish champagne).
Zultanite is a light yellow green (celery green) with color change to champagne to raspberry and ginger.

Diaspore deposits have now been found in a number of locations around the world, including Arizona and Pennsylvania in the USA, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Russia, UK and China. But thus far the only gem-quality material has been mined in Turkey.

Diaspore and Zultanite are not strong gemstones and as such, earrings, pendants, pins, and tie tacks are probably the safest choice for these stones. Rings should be limited to occasional wear and the stones should be set with a protective setting.

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Dendritic Agate, The Tree Inside The Stone

Dendritic Agate

Dendritic Agate

Dendritic agate is a whitish-gray or colorless chalcedony with tree- or fern-like markings known as dendrites. The variety name agate is used for this gem even though it does not exhibit the banding typical of agate.

Agate is a form of microcrystalline quartz. It is usually formed in nodules and has transparent, or translucent portions. As with all of the other species in the quartz family, agate takes a high polish with cerium oxide. This material does have some fractures.

Dendritic agate can be tricky to cut because the dendrite inclusions occur at various depths in the rough stone. The lapidary needs to cut the material to expose the most interesting patterns.

Because of its dendritic inclusions, dendritic agate bears some similarities to moss opal. But dendritic agate is not called moss agate. In fact there is a another gemstone called moss agate, which has inclusions of green hornblende in moss-like patterns.

Dendritic agate deposits are found in Brazil, India, Madagascar, the USA, Mexico and Khazakstan.

Place one of the stone anywhere that you want to encourage abundance and fullness.

Some of the benefits of tree agate include:

* Enhances the health of house plants
* Creates a peaceful environment
* Deepens your connection to the earth

Be patient when using dendritic agate. It works slowly and takes time to be effective. Use it to encourage a more centered viewpoint in life.

Healers use tree agate to align and correct anything with branches (such as blood vessels, nerves, skeletal disorders). Place it on a point of pain for relief.

Dendritic Agate is believed to aid in communication with nature. It is associated with the protection of the earth, rain, prosperity, abundance, healing, restoration and creativity. It said to improve self esteem and emotional balance.

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Demantoid Garnet

Demantoid Garnet

Demantoid Garnet

Demantoid is the green gemstone variety of the mineral andradite, a member of the garnet group of minerals. Andradite is a calcium- and iron-rich garnet.

It is the most expensive and rare of garnet gemstones, with fine specimens commanding prices of thousands of dollars per carat (thousands per gram).

Demantoid garnets are very rare stones that are only mined a few places in the world. Demantoids are valued for their rarity, their beautiful sparkle and their unique form. The gem was first discovered in Russia and the name is derived from its diamond-like adamantine luster.

While the color of demantoid never equals that of the finest emerald, an emerald-green is the ideal. The color should be as intense as possible, without being overly dark or yellowish green. The color of demantoid is believed to be due to chromium. It should be noted that demantoid’s fire is best seen in the lighter, less saturate gems.

Demantoid by definition is always green, but the exact shade ranges from a very strong yellowish green to nearly the color of a fine emerald. Many stones have a brownish cast. Stones with more intense green coloration are more highly valued, but lighter stones display substantially more fire. The choice of stone color or fire can therefore be a matter of personal preference, with some preferring the less valuable but more lively yellowish-green stones.

While garnets have been known since ancient times, the demantoid variety was not discovered until 1853 in Russia’s western central Ural Mountains. The find was about 110 kilometers north, northwest of Ekaterinburg along the Bobrovka River near the village of Elizavetinskoye. This is an alluvial deposit. A second find is 75 km. south of Ekaterinburg on the Chusovaya and Chrisolitka Rivers southwest of the village of Poldnevaya. Deposits are also found underground up to 3 meters deep in the demantoid place.

In terms of clarity, demantoid is relatively clean. Thus when buying one should expect eye-clean or near-eye-clean stones. Demantoids often contain radiating needle inclusions that are termed “horsetails. Some demantoid garnet is heat-treated to improve the color. The resulting stones are stable under normal wearing conditions.

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Danburite Gemstone

Danburite Gemstone

Danburite

Danburite is a crystalline mineral similar to topaz. Danburite is not a well-known mineral but is growing in popularity. Danburite has diamond-shaped cross-section and wedge like termination is a contrast to quartz’s hexagonal prisms and pyramidal terminations.

Danburite has a relatively new history compared to other gemstones, having only been discovered in 1839. Through the years, this stone has become popular as a substitute for other stones like topaz. The color of these stones can vary from translucent to pale pink or yellowish brown.

It is a relatively hard crystal and can be polished to produce a brilliant and beautiful finish. The crystal is often confused with other birthstone gemstones such as tourmaline, topaz, apatite and andulsite. This gemstone has become very popular as a fashion accessory and can be found in a wide variety of sizes, cuts and settings.

Danburite was originally discovered in Danbury, Connecticut and can be found in several locales around the world including Mexico, Madagascar, Japan, Central Europe and parts of Southeast Asia.

Danburite is a very spiritual stone that carries a pure vibration. It is excellent for relief of stress and worry. Hold a danburite in each hand for a calming effect and to prepare for deep meditation.

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Color-Change Sapphire

Color-Change Sapphire

Color-Change Sapphire

Sapphire is the most precious and valuable blue gemstone. It is a very desirable gemstone due to its excellent color, hardness, durability, and luster. In the gem trade, Sapphire without any color prefix refers to the blue variety of the mineral Corundum.

Color Change Sapphire can be called for those gemstones that are found in various other colors other than yellow and blue. These fancy colored sapphires are available in various hues like yellow, purple, pink, red, black, green and sometimes even translucent. You could also further begin in various other shades and tints of these above colors.

Color Change Sapphires come in a variety of cuts, although oval and round are some of the most popular ones. Apart from them you could find rectangles, squares, oval mix cut, emerald cut, cushion mixed, and various other such kinds of creative enhancements. However, these gemstones are usually sold loose and are untreated. Colors like green, pink, yellow and white are some of the most extensively used on jewelries like bracelets, pendants and necklaces. They have become immensely popular and can be found easily around the globe.

The price range of these fancy gemstones depends tremendously on the quality and the size of the stone. Hence, you need to literally look for good cards and great varieties in them to make them really valuable.

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Color Change Garnet

Color Change Garnet

Color Change Garnet

Color change garnet, a more romantic name and one that is in a real sense more accurate might be Alexandrite Garnet. This is the first and only known example of blue garnet. For the past fifty years, the statement “garnet comes in every color but blue” would be completely accurate.

Color Change Garnet is one of the most rare, interesting, and phenomenal of all gems. The color change can be intense and equal to the color change of top quality alexandrite. Color change garnets can easily be mistaken for alexandrite. Some of the best stones are from the deposit in Bekily, Southern Madagascar.

Like alexandrite, the Madagascar gem is a night stone. A lady of the evening who puts her best foot forward beneath the light of a flame. The primary hue under incandescent is a beautiful deep grapey purple. Sometimes a tiny bit of red can be seen flashing from the depths of the gem. In finer stones, the afternoon daylight hue is green-gray-blue to blue. A limpid crystalline stone is always beautiful and thus desirable.

As with alexandrite, color change in garnet is in part due to its even balance of transmission wavelength peaks (maxima) in the green/blue vs red spectra, the perception of which is tipped by the type of light source under which the stone is viewed. In daylight which is stronger in the blue green wavelengths, the stone will appear blue; in incandescent lighting which is richer in the red wavelengths, the stone will appear purplish red.

Color-change in any gem material is a complex interaction between many factors, not all of which are completely understood. Color change garnet is especially difficult to photograph. Not only does the color change as a result of illumination under different kinds of light sources but, it also varies as a result of geographical location and time of day.


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Chrome Tourmaline, The Forest Green

Chrome Tourmaline

Chrome Tourmaline

Chrome is a special variety of green tourmaline that owes its vivid green hue to trace amounts of chromium and vanadium. These are the same elements that also impart to emerald and tsavorite garnet their distinctive pure green hues. It should not be surprising, therefore, that the finest chrome tourmaline tends to resemble the finer examples of emerald and tsavorite. Chrome tourmaline is actually a distinct tourmaline variety called chrome dravite, found in East Africa. Chrome tourmaline is often associated with tsavorite garnet; miners will usually concentrate their efforts on tsavorite, as it fetches higher prices.

Chrome tourmaline is a rather special member of the tourmaline group. Found only in east Africa, it is usually found mainly in small sizes. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in colorr. It displays perhaps the richest, most intense green in the gemstone world.

Between chrome tourmaline and tsavorite garnet werefound in the same locations in Tanzania, and both are colored by chromium and vanadium. Miners will usually concentrate their attention on tsavorite, since it has more of an established market and fetches higher prices. But chrome tourmaline, while more scarce, is in many ways the equal of the finest tsavorite.

Like emerald and tsavorite garnet, fine chrome tourmaline is a visually pure “forest” green with slightly yellowish to bluish secondary hues. The blue will normally show itself in incandescent light, the yellow will be more visible in daylight. The same criterion applied to tsavorite garnet and emerald is applicable to chrome tourmaline.


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Chrome Diopside, The Obvious Green

Chrome Diopsite

Chrome Diopside

Looking for a fine green gemstone with rich color and excellent clarity? Diopside is a monoclinic pyroxene mineral. The name Diopside is derived from the Greek word ‘di’ meaning two, and ‘opsis’, meaning vision.

Chrome Diopside’s popularity rose in 1988 when material surfaced in Europe. Dealers raved about its green color that resembled that of Tsavorite and Chrome Tourmaline at a fraction of the cost. Since then, Chrome Diopside has been granted class one export status among Russia’s mineral resources, a ranking that includes Diamond, Emerald, and Alexandrite.

The important diopside find in Russia is in eastern Siberia, close to the famous diamond mines. This diopside is colored by chromium, the same element that gives the color to ruby, emerald and alexandrite. The color was spectacular; chrome diopside literally glows with green.

However, there are a few limitations to this gem. First, chrome diopside can actually suffer from too much green. In larger sizes the tone can be very dark. Careful cutting is required in the larger sizes to keep the angles slightly shallow to improve brilliance. But in smaller sizes (under 2 carats) the color is exceptionally vivid and fresh.

The main factor to consider when purchasing Chrome Diopside is the color, with medium dark green stones being at the pinnacle of the value spectrum. The quality of the cut will also significantly enhance the value considerably by adding brilliance and scintillation. Specimens over 2 carats displaying a rich green color are incredibly rare and will naturally demand high premiums.

Diopside is believed to be a creative stone, increasing creative visualization and helping to manifest desired goals. It has also been said that it can improve the wearer’s intellect, particularly with regards to mathematical and analytical abilities. In addition to this, Diopside is believed to alleviate aggression and stubbornness, and is said to be related to love, commitment, and the inner heart.

Physically, Diopside is believed to heal the heart, lungs, and the circulatory system. It is also believed to aid with psychological disorders and weaknesses.


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Clinohumite, A Very Rare Gemstone

Clinohumite

Clinohumite

Clinohumite is a very rare gemstone, named after its monoclinic crystal structure and its relation to humite which was named after Sir Abraham Hume (1749-1838), English collector of gemstones, minerals, and pieces of arts.

The color of Clinohumite can be brown, yellow or white. This gem has a hardness of 6 on the Mohs scale. Clinohumite is considered to be a semi-precious gemstone. Very limited in nature and mined in only two spots on earth, which is the Pamir Mountains of Russia and Tanzania. Clinohumite is among the 10 rarest gemstones on earth, with only a few thousand carats known to exist in private collections. While extremely rare, some 1-2 carat stones are available.

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Cat’s Eye Apatite

Cat's Eye Apatite

Cat’s Eye Apatite

Apatite is one of a few minerals that are produced and used by biological micro-environmental systems.

The word Apatite is derived from the Greek word “apate’, meaning to deceive. This was primarily due to the fact that Apatite was often mistaken for rarer, more valuable gemstones such as Beryl, Olivine and Peridot. Apatite falls into two categories, Chlor-Apetite (Chloro-Calcium), and Flour-Apetite (Flouro—Calcium). The name Cat’s eye is derived from the phenomena displayed by this stone known as chatoyancy.

The range of colors on Cat’s eye apatite includes colorless, pink, yellow, green, blue and violet. A rare variety is a rich purple from Maine. Blue Brazilian stones are second in demand. A light green variety of apatite carries the trade name “asparagus stone”. The recent availability of the neon blue-green variety from Madagascar has increased the use of apatite in jewelry.

Chatoyancy, the cat’s eye effect, is a reflection of light by parallel fibers, needles, or channels, which resembles the slit eye of a cat. When the stone is rotated, the cat’s eye glides over the surface.

Cat’s eye apatite is a rarity at apatite mines. Apatites are found in Brazil, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the United States, and it is generally untreated.


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