Category Archives: Stone Jewelry

Cassiterite Gemstone

Cassiterite Gemstone

Cassiterite

Cassiterite is the most important ore that occurs from tin and is marked with high durability. The name of this mineral is derived from the word “Cassiterides” which was used to describe British islands during the pre-Roman times. Their most prevalent usage is in the form of gemstones. The name Cassiterite was derived from a Greek word “kassiteros” which stands for tin. It is also popularly known as ‘tinstones’.

Cassiterite occurs in pegmatites and can be washed into alluvial deposits. Localities include the Malay Peninsula, England, Germany, Australia, Bolivia, Mexico and Namibia.

Cassiterite is a rare natural gemstone. The color of Cassiterite can be black, brownish black, brown, gray, yellowish, greenish, red or colorless. Cassiterite has a hardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scales. Cassiterite has much more dispersive fire than even diamond. Cassiterite is one of the rarest gemstones.

Cassiterite is primarily concentrated in alluvial surfaces. They are mainly available in the tin mines located in Bolivia where they exist in hydrothermal veins. This type of ore is available in small elements that are derived from igneous rocks. The different aspects of this ore are elaborately arranged and exhibit tremendous amount of luster. Associated minerals with which cassiterite ores are generally found are Tourmalines, Molybdenite, Bismuthinite, Topaz, Fluorite, and Wolframite.

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Calcite Powerfull Stone

Calcite Gemstone

Calcite

Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate. The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 470 °C, and vaterite is even less stable.

Calcite is mostly found in sedimentary rock. Calcite turns into the rock called limestone. Some limestone is made when sea creatures die and their skeletons and shells fall to the bottom of the ocean.

Calcite is mined using quarrying or underground mining. Calcite/limestone is used for making glass, paper, photography, statues, building, and animal food. The Ancient Egyptian Sphinx [below] is made of limestone. Calcite is one of the most important carbonate minerals. It is often referred to as a industrial mineral, and is found in over 300 forms.

Calcite may be any color, from colorless to black, depending upon the other minerals contained in it. Almost all of the ancient alabaster artifacts of ancient Egypt were not really alabaster. The artifacts were actually made of calcite. Calcite has striking beauty and offers much variety in color and form. The name calcite is derived from the Greek word “chalx” which means lime. Calcium carbonate is lime stone and calcite is a beautiful variation that naturally exists in a variety of colors and forms.

Calcite has a special characteristic known as bi-refringent. Anything that you see by looking through a bi-refringent gemstone will appear doubled. The calcite crystal has a light-splitting ability and creates what appears as image duplication. This property is important to gemologists. Calcite is used in an instrument called the calcite dichroscope. This instrument is used to see different colors as they are transmitted through a gemstone.

Gem therapists claim a person who wears golden/yellow calcite will experience wisdom and mental harmony. Red calcite is an energy booster. Orange calcite enhances energy for new beginnings in life. Green calcite provides joy and emotional balance. Blue calcite brings those in authority into righteous power.

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Axinite Gemstone

Axinite Gemstone

Axinite

Axinite is a group of brown to violet-brown or reddish brown minerals that sometimes occur in gem quality. Axinite is distinctive for its strong vitreous luster when polished, and its interesting pyro- and piezo-electric properties. Axinite is also popular with mineral collectors due to its unusual crystal structure.

Axinite is a gemstone which gets its name from the term ‘acine’ which in Greek, means axe. Axinite was discovered by R.J.Hauy in 1797. The crystals are wedge or axe shaped. This gemstone is not a birthstone but sometimes one mistakes Axinite for Quartz.

Axinite 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 1 carat are rare. Despite being a bit brittle, Axinite’s brilliance and sumptuous colors ranging from a rich clove color to a vivid blue, make it a exquisite and unique gemstone that is keenly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs alike. Currently, the most in demand colors of Axinite are the earth toned browns.

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Apatite Gemstone

Apatite Gemstone

Apatite

Apatite is a naturally occurring gemstone. It is basically known for its asparagus green color but it is found in wide range of colors, from colorless to pink, yellow, blue to violet. The best apatite is neon greenish blue with a clean clarity. The cost of the stone increases with the intensity of the color.

Apatite is a member of the Apatite group, a group of isomorphous hexagonal minerals. Apatite may be regarded as a single mineral, but is usually divided into three more minerals: Fluorapatite, Chlorapatite, and Hydroxylapatite. Since it is hard to distinguish between these minerals, and since they may partially replace each other, a distinction between them is rarely made, and they are simply called “Apatite”. However, most Apatite is Fluorapatite, the most common member by far.

The name, ‘apatite’ has been taken from a Greek word ‘apate,’ which mean to deceive. It is so named because one can be easily get confused with variety of other stones like tourmaline, peridot and beryl.

Apatite is found in all igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. It can also be cut as gems but the softness of apatite prevents its acceptance as a gemstone.

Apatite is a common mineral, and fine localities are worldwide. Enormous deposits are in the Kola Peninsula, Russia, containing both crystals and botryoidal material. Some of the finest crystals came from Ehrenfriedersdorf, Saxony Germany, where they are blue to purple in color. Colorless, hexagonal crystals were found in the Tyrol, Austria, and excellent material from Panasqueira, Portugal. Deep blue crystals are found in Campo Formosa, Bahia, Brazil, and in Sri Lanka. Enormous deposits mined for industrial use exist in Nauru, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Israel.


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Andesit Labradorite

Andsine Labradorite

Andesine Labradorite

The labradorite gemstone gets its name from the region Labrador in Canada where this gem stone is found in plenty. Even before the year 1000, the natives of Maine used this gem for decoration. However, it was only in the 1770’s that the labrafdorite got its name, when it was found by Moravian Missionaries in Labrador.

Labradorite occurs in large crystal masses in anorthosite rock and shows an iridescence or play of colors, like the wings of tropical butterflies. Iridescence is an optical phenomenon and is a characteristic property of surfaces in which the hue changes according to the angle from which the surface is viewed (as may be seen in butterfly wings).

Labradorite is a dark gray colour mineral. In most cases, it displays only one or two iridescent colors and these are mostly blue and green. This gives out an amazing rich greenish blue color. The labradorite variety that shows more that two spectral colors is called Spectrolite. This variety displays a wide variety of amazing spectral colors like yellow, orange and red as well as blue and green. These color change depends upon the viewing angle.

Andesine labradorite is a unique kind of gemstone, renowned for its beauty and form. Andesine labradorite, also called andesine or andesine feldspar, is a type of feldspar. It exists in a variety of colors, including yellow, green, organge and red, often with different inclusions that create a unique shimmering effect. Andesine labradorite belongs to the plagioclase feldspar series of minerals and occurs in Norway, Greenland and the Andes, which is the name taken from.

Red andesine labradorite shows increased absorption across the visible spectrum of light (from red to violet). Red andesine labradorite reportedly shows an “Alexandrite effect”: when a gemstone can show a distinctive color change when viewed under different sources of light.

Red andesine labradorite is primarily used in the jewelry industry. Stones of various sizes and shapes are carved and set in rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, watches, broaches and the like. Red andesine is valued in the ceramic industry and is important in the manufacture of tiles, stones and bricks for landscape gardens, floors and swimming pools. The gemstone is also used in artwork, including on decorative boxes and engraving.

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Andalusite

Andalusite Gemstone

Andalusite

Andalusite is named after Andalusia, the province of Spain where it was first discovered. While it is a strikingly beautiful gem, it is largely unknown by the gem buying public. With a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale, it is very suitable for all kinds of jewelry. Andalusite is used widely in making jewelry and objets d’arts, on account of its hard texture and durability. It is often regarded as a poor cousin to the extremely valuable though rare Alexanderite gemstone, since it mimics the stone in color play, showing a range of earth tones. It is a very popular gem in jewelry, especially for men. One of the other reasons andalusite has been referred to as “poor man’s alexandrite” is the fact that it is reasonably priced—anywhere from $40 to $200 per carat, which is far less than natural alexandrite.

The colors of andalusite cover the range of yellow-green, green, brownish red and reddish brown. Depending on the cut each gemstone carries two colors that also differ in intensity, or blend into a mosaic.

The attraction of andalusite comes from its play of colors if one changes the viewing angle. A similar effect is gained when the light comes from different directions. Andalusite is a naturally occurring gemstone, meaning it does not require any enhancements, such as heat, to help achieve its beauty.

Spain is no longer the primary source for andalusite. In today’s era, Sri Lanka and Brazil provide a large portion of andalusite gemstones. In addition to Spain, Sri Lanka, and Brazil, andalusite has also been found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Russia.

Chiastolite, also known as star andalusite, contains inclusions of carbon that is arranged in the formation of a cross. In many countries, these have been used as amulets because of the symbolism of the cross. Star andalusite is thought to be a protective gemstone against “evil eye” curses. Metaphysically speaking, some people believe andalusite broadens the intellect and provides mental clarity to better solve problems.

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Types Of Agate

Types Of Agate

Types Of Agate

Agate is a beautiful mineral that occurs in an amazing variety of colors, shapes and patterns. Agate is a unique stone that is part of the quartz family.

It is important to note that there are many types of Agate, in fact Agate types are created each year. They are mainly coined new terms for marketing purposes and can consist of the following names: Blue Lace Agate, Eye Agate, Irish Agate, Rainbow Agate and Snake Skin Agate, among many others.

Fortification Agate

This is the most common and distinctive type of agate. In these agates, bands crystallized into concentric layers that more or less follow the shape of the cavity. The banding resembles an aerial view of a fort.

Water-Line Agate (also called water-level or onyx)

During its formation, silica-rich solution either entered the cavity slowly laying one band at a time, excess water drained out leaving a small amount of silica to settle out into separate bands, or the vesicle filled under low pressure. In any case, the silica crystallization in water-level agates is controlled by gravity in one orientation, forming a stack up of parallel bands.

Shadow Agate

Some agates exhibit a shadow effect in which there is what appears to be movement across the agate layers when the specimen is rocked back and forth (or your orientation to the specimen moves). This optical effect only occurs when there are alternating translucent and opaque bands. It is caused when light goes into the agate, but is not reflected out.

Tube Agate

Tube Agate During the formation of some agates, parallel projections of tiny hair-thin mineral rods grow first within the silica gel, around which later the chalcedony agate micro-crystals form. In some cases the inclusions remain, but sometimes they weather away leaving hollow tubes that subsequently fill in with silica.

Eye Agates

This mysterious agate characteristic is believed to be formed when most of the silica gel drains from the cavity, leaving only a droplet that “beads up” on the inside wall of the cavity. This droplet crystallizes into solid chalcedony “eyes”. In some cases, crystal growth will continue from this droplet in a manner similar to the formation of stalactites in caves. Later, the pocket fills in with the usual deposition of chalcedony microcrystals.

Plume Agate

These agates initially had formations on their outside layer that formed prior to the deposition of chalcedony bands. They are filament growths of mineral inclusions that resemble ferns or feathers.

Geode Agate

Geode Agate In some cases the supply of silica-rich water runs out before the entire cavity fills in. When there is a hollow center within a crystalline outer fill, the specimen is considered a geode. Not all geodes have agate banding, but many do. Also, the inner layers can form into several different types of silica mineral crystals and may even have other types of mineral crystals.

Moss Agate

Moss Agate Moss agates have clusters of mineral inclusions that resemble plants, trees, or landscapes. Most moss agate inclusions are comprised of iron or manganese oxide. In some cases, the inclusions inhibit chalcedony banding allowing the mineral clusters free reign to grow within the silica gel.

Seam Agate

Seam agates for in cracks within host rock, rather than in rounder pockets. The bands form in parallel rows that follow and fill in the crack or seam.

These types of Agate are usually create into beautiful stones that are then placed on rings, as charms, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, dream catchers etc. Agate is very strong, resists acid and is an excellent stone to work with when it comes to jewelry. Agate is also used in beautiful mosaics and picture frames.

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Aegirine Stone

Aegrine Stone

Aegirine

Aegirine was first described in 1835 for an occurrence in Rundemyr, Øvre Eiker, Buskerud, Norway. Aegirine was named after Ægir, the Teutonic god of the sea. A synonym for the mineral is acmite (from Greek ???? “point, edge”) in reference to the typical pointed crystals.

It is black, brown, or green on thin, brittle, translucent edges, a glassy luster with uneven cleavage. It visually recognizable only when crystallized. Usually in prismatic, embedded crystals, several inches (10 cm) long, terminated by steep points, as well as in fibrous masses.

Aegirine, which is listed in some guides as acmite, forms impressive crystals that have become classics among collectors. Aegirine is difficult to distinguish from its close cousin augite. Under normal circumstances, the steep pyramids of aegirine are the only point of differentiation.

On mystical property, Aegirine is a mineral, which can assist one in following personal convictions and morality and to do that which is required; it actually provides the strength for one to be true to oneself. It further dispenses with the effects of group pressure, bring acceptance of the self without conformance. It has been used to remove emotional blockages, to allow one to reflect personal attitudes, opinions, and conceptions, and to accept the state of sufficiency. It further strengthens personal integrity and conviction.

In matter of healing property, Aegirine has been used in the treatment of deficiencies of the immune system, to protect one from negative energy and psychic attack, and to increase the amount of energy applied by other minerals when used in ANY healing situation.


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Types Of Topaz

Type Of Topaz

Type Of Topaz

The Topaz is a beautiful gem symbolizing love and affection. It can be found in a variety of colors ranging from red, pink to brown, blue and even colorless. A true topaz is known as an “imperial topaz”. The topaz is available in every imaginable shape and size, making it a coveted gem for jewelry settings.

On the gem market, topaz is usually classified by color. Below is a list of the color names designated for gem topaz:

  • Pink Topaz
  • Blue Topaz
  • Brown Topaz
  • Green Topaz

Other names may be designated to certain types of topaz:

  • Precious Topaz – used to distinguish topaz from cheaper fakes, such as citrine
  • Imperial Topaz – lustrous orange-yellow to orange-brown variety of topaz
  • Sherry Topaz – orange-brown topaz
  • London Blue Topaz – deep blue topaz (the deepest blue form of topaz)
  • Silver Topaz – colorless topaz
  • Paraiba Topaz – sea-green topaz
  • Brazilian Ruby – False name given to pink topaz
  • Brazilian Sapphire – False name given to blue topaz (as well as blue tourmaline)
  • London Blue Topaz – deep blue topaz (the deepest blue form of topaz)
  • Swiss Blue Topaz – deep blue topaz (not as deep blue as London blue topaz)
  • Brazilian Aquamarine – False name given to aquamarine
  • Nerchinsk Aquamarine – False name given to aquamarine

THE BLUE TOPAZ : The blue topaz is commonly found in nature as a result of color centers. It is a fine yet cheaper substitute to aquamarine in jewelry pieces. The types of blue colors that are present in a topaz are :

London Blue – It is the darkest blue. The lower quality crystals sometimes have a grey tone to it.
Electric Blue – This is the best color being very blue and vibrant and not as dark as the London Blue.
Sierra Blue – It is a medium blue, but not as deep or hot colored as the Electric Blue.
Swiss Blue – This is quite similar to Sierra Blue but a little lighter.
Sky Blue – It is a pale light blue in color.
Light Blue – This is pale, and very slight bluish tint.

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Jadeite and Nephrite Jade

Jadeite and Nephrite jade

Jadeite and Nephrite Jade

Since the beginning of time, Jade has been one of the most important stones in the Chinese culture. Jade is valued because of its beauty and utility. There are two types of Jade that commonly being known in society, which are Jadeite and Nephrite.

According to the color of Jade, there may be others name of Jade like, ice jade or lemon jade, but the particular differentiates are coming from those two types; Jadeite and Nephrite

Nephrite is mainly found in China. High quality nephrite is also known as “mutton fat” due to its uniform cream color and translucency. Nephrite is used in finely carved jade artwork and artifacts. Since this stone is higher in availability as compared to Jadeite, it is cheaper in price too. It has a strength o f 6.5 in Moh’s scale, which means it is more prone to chipping which is why the finish cannot be as fine as jadeite.

While, Jadeite is found in Burma. As far as the aspects like price, texture and even color are concerned; Jadeite finds more uses in jewelry than nephrite. This stone is more expensive out of the two varieties. Imperial Jade is the name given to the emerald green, translucent variety that is evenly colored. As far as its strength is concerned Jade is strong stone with a 7 on Moh’s scale and is quite resistant to breaking and chipping.

Jadeite, which is commonly known as Jade, can be further classified into different types on the basis of cutting, texture, clarity, translucency, color and tone.

However, there are translucent and opaque stones available, clearer the jade, higher the quality. Depending on these qualities, there are four types of Jade.

Type A Jade is also known as natural Jade. It is also called “True Color” Jade since it has a natural color. This Jade is polished and soaked in wax, which helps in enhancing its color and quality.

The translucency of Type B jade is improved by processes like chemical bleaching which helps in the removal of impurities. This kind of treatment may impact the chemical structure of Jade.

When jade is dyed to enhance its color, then it’s known as Type C jade. The color fades with time.

In case of type B+C jade, even though it is dyed, the color stays fast since it is also treated with a polymer.

Type A Jade is one of highest quality Jade that is naturally more expensive and precious. Emerald green and Imperial Jade belong to this variety.

Overall, Jade is symbolize luck and to offer protection in some of countries, and the most important thing from Jade is the beauty and elegant that it has. It is enough reason for adoring the precious and the valued of jade.

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