A Purplish Lepidolite

Lapidolite Gemstone

Lapidolite

Lepidolite is a lilac-gray or rose-colored phyllosilicate mineral of the mica group that is a secondary source of lithium. The mineral is noteworthy as one of the major sources of the rare alkali metals rubidium and caesium.

The lithium content in lepidolite does vary greatly however and low lithium lepidolite is nearly useless as an ore of lithium. The typical violet to pink color of lepidolite is characteristic and is the only field test available to identify lepidolite from other micas. Pink muscovite or very pale lepidolite may confuse an identification.

When Lepidolite was first discovered in the 1700’s, it was given the name Lilalite, for its lavender color (from the Hindu word ‘lila’ meaning play, game). Scientists eventually renamed the stone lepidolite, from the Greek lepidos meaning “scale.” The reference is to the scaly appearance of lithium flakes in the mineral. Lepidolite is not technically a gemstone, but a very beautiful purplish referred to by healers as the Peace Stone. Lepidolite can be laid directly on painful parts of the body. It helps with nerve pain, sciatica, neuralgia and joint problems.

Lepidolite, like other micas, has a layered structure of lithium aluminum silicate sheets weakly bonded together by layers of potassium ions. These potassium ion layers produce the perfect cleavage. lepidolite crystals accompany such other lithium bearing minerals such as tourmaline, amblygonite and spodumene and can add greatly to the value of these specimens. A rock made of granular pink lepidolite and red to pink tourmaline is used as an ornamental stone for carving. Single large plates or “books” of lepidolite can have appealling violet color and make attractive mineral specimens.

Noteworthy deposits have been found in Brazil; Ural Mountains, Russia; San Diego County, California; Mexico; Tanco Pegmatite at Bernic Lake in Manitoba, Canada; Madagascar and Zimbabwe.

Kyanite, Wonderful Manifesting Stone

Kyanite Gemstone

Kyanite

Kyanite, whose name derives from the Greek word kuanos sometimes referred to as “kyanos”, meaning deep blue, is a typically blue silicate mineral, commonly found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and/or sedimentary rock. Its color indeed can make it a lovely gem with a near sapphire-like blue. Usually its color is blue but also can be colorless, white, gray, green or yellow. Color is often not consistent throughout the crystal, often showing white streaks in a medium blue.

Kyanite is used primarily in refractory and ceramic products, including porcelain plumbing fixtures and dishware. It is also used in electronics, electrical insulators and abrasives. Kyanite has been used as a gemstone, though this use is limited by its anisotropism and perfect cleavage. Kyanite is one of the index minerals that are used to estimate the temperature, depth, and pressure at which a rock undergoes metamorphism.

Because kyanite is brittle in nature, it is seldom used in jewelry. Since hardness is related to the cut, kyanite is used best for earrings and pendants, which aren’t exposed to the stress a bracelet or ring could experience.

Kyanite opens and clears the body’s communication centers. For channeling or meditation purposes it works best when it is worn near the throat chakra. Kyanite never needs cleaned or charged because it is self-caring, self-sustaining. It carries a very “light” energy that attracts light beings. Wonderful manifesting stone.

Idocrase Vesuvianite

Idocrase Vesuvianite

Idocrase Vesuvianite

Idocrase is a rare gemstone, also known as Idocrase Vesuvianite. It is a green, brown, yellow, or blue silicate mineral. Vesuvianite occurs as tetragonal crystals in skarn deposits and limestones that have been subjected to contact metamorphism.

While the name idocrase is used for rare gemstone-quality specimens, the mineral is usually known by the name vesuvianite, since the first samples were found on the Mt. Vesuvius volcano.

The mineral was first identified and named by the famous German gemologist Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1795. Werner was also the first to identify chrysoberyl, and he was the mentor of Friedrich Mohs, inventor of the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. The name idocrase is from the Greek and means mixed form, a reference to its crystals showing a mixture of other mineral forms.

Idocrase is not only rare, but transparent specimens that can be faceted count as very rare indeed. Most gem-quality idocrase is opaque with an appearance similar to jade. The opaque specimens have a greasy or resinous luster, while the rare transparent form has a vitreous luster.

Idocrase brings us closer to the higher realms and provides an easier link to our sense of higher self. It facilitates the seeing and the understanding of things on this earth that have no substance.

Psychologically, Vesuvianite is releases feelings of imprisonment and restraint, dissolves anger and alleviates fear and negativity. It helps to create a sense of inner security, opens the mind and stimulates inventiveness and the urge to discover, linking into creativity. Vesuvianite banishes depression and clears negative thought patterns so that the mind can function more clearly.

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Howlite Gemstone

Howlite Stone

Howlite

Howlite is an interesting mineral that is sometimes used as a gemstone, though often masquerading as a better-known and more valuable species. In fact it is fair to say that howlite is more famous for imitating other minerals than it is in its own right.

The most common form of howlite is irregular nodules, sometimes resembling cauliflower. Crystals of howlite are rare, having been found in only a couple localities worldwide. Crystals were first reported from Tick Canyon, California and later at Iona, Nova Scotia. Crystals reach a maximum size of about 1 cm. The nodules are white with fine grey or black veins in an erratic, often web-like pattern, opaque with a sub-vitreous lustre. The crystals at Iona are colorless, white or brown and are often translucent or transparent.

The mineral was discovered by and named for Henry How, a 19th century Canadian geologist. Initial deposits of howlite were found in How’s native Nova Scotia, but have since been uncovered in Southern California as well. The mineral is now generally mined for its use as an imitation stone, although some New Age practices use undyed stones for meditation.

Because howlite is fairly porous, it can be easily dyed to imitate other minerals. Due to the distinctive veining, howlite dyed a blue color makes a fairly convincing turquoise simulant. However, howlite is a much softer stone than turquoise

Howlite is also sold in its natural state, sometimes under the misleading trade names of “white turquoise” or “white buffalo turquoise”, or the derived name “white buffalo stone.”

Place a howlite stone in your pocket to absorb your own anger – or another’s anger that is directed toward you. It helps to overcome critical or selfish behaviour. It is also useful to relieves insomnia, balances calcium levels and strengthens teeth and bones.

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Hessonite Garnet

Hessonite Garnet

Hessonite Garnet

Hessonite belongs to the grossularite garnet group, which also includes the rare tsavorite garnet. While most grossularite garnet is green, hessonite typically has a orange-brown color which has earned it the nickname cinnamon stone.

The name is from the Greek h?ss?n, inferior, in allusion to its lower hardness and density than most other garnet species varieties.

The hessonite garnet is also one of the popular gems in the Indian market and is popularly known as the gomedha or gomed. The hessonite garnet gemstone is one of the Navagraha stones (stones that represent the nine planets that have a cosmic influence on all earthlings).

Hessonite garnet ranges in color from honey-yellow to orange-brown to brown-red. One of the distinguishing characteristics of hessonite is a “treacly” quality — when viewed under magnification one can see undulating, contorted areas of lesser transparency. These subtle inclusions are a useful key in distinguishing hessonite from other gemstones of similar colors, such as citrine, topaz and orange zircon.

Hessonite garnets are mostly used in rings and the natural rough garnets are cut to form round and oval shapes in most cases. Some multi garnets can also be cut and faceted into rectangles or squares and even hexagons. Garnet beads are also used to make necklaces and strings in jewelry. The various facets allow for the garnet to be cut in various ways and therefore you can select from various shapes like round, oval, square, rectangle and even hexagon.

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Hemimorphite Beads

Hemimorphite Gemstone

Hemimorphite

Hemimorphite, is a sorosilicate mineral which has been mined from days of old from the upper parts of zinc and lead ores, chiefly associated with smithsonite. James Smithson was not only a important scientist, he was also a shrewd investor who amassed a fortune during his lifetime. Though he had never visited the United States, his will stipulated that his wealth should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” In 1846 the Smithsonian Institution was founded with Smithson’s fortune.

Hemimorphite is an important ore of zinc, since the mineral contains over 50% zinc. Gem-quality hemimorphite is usually blue or green, and bears some similarities to chrysocolla, smithsonite and turquoise. In an aggregate form, hemimorphite often displays bands of blue and white, or is mixed with a dark matrix.

is a zinc-containing mineral that was once known as calamine. In 1803 the British chemist and mineralogist James Smithson discovered that there were two different minerals under the heading of calamine, a zinc carbonate and a zinc silicate, which often closely resembled each other.

The zinc carbonate was later named smithsonite in honor of Smithson, while the zinc silicate was named hemimorphite. The name calamine is no longer in use in mineralogy; now it is used only for the pink mixture known as “calamine lotion,” which contains zinc oxide and iron oxide.

Hemimorphite is linked to self expression and communication. Linked primarily to the throat chakra, but also opens the inner flute to the heart and crown increasing the connection between all three. Therefore it stimulates an openness, and willingness to share who we really are. It promotes peace and understanding in the self, because of the openness it generates within.

Healers use this stone to relieve PMS, achieve balance during hormonal-related headaches and other maladies, weight loss, ulcer conditions.


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Hambergite Gemstone

Hambergite

Hambergite

Hambergite is one of the lesser-known gemstones. It is usually nearly colorless, with the vitreous luster of glass when cut. It is quite a hard material, with a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale, so it takes a very good polish.

Hambergite is named after the Swedish Mineralogist, Axel Hamburg. It forms in flattened prismatic orthorhombic crystals with vitreous to dull luster. It is a brittle mineral with perfect cleavage in one direction and conchoidal to uneven fracture. Hamberg taught crystallography and mineralogy at Stockholm University and then became professor of geography at Upsala University. From 1913 to 1927 he was president of the International Iceberg Commission.

Hambergite was originally discovered in southern Norway but that material was not clean enough to be considered gem material. The most important current source is probably in Anjanabanoana, Madagascar. Recently, some nice material has also been unearthed in Molo, Myanmar, but most of the crystals are small.

Hambergite has the lowest known density of any gem with such a high birefringence (.072). These unique properties make it easy to identify. Stones have little fire any may resemble quartz but with the high birefringence, hambergite is nearly impossible to misidentify. Gem quality hambergite can be found in Kashmir (India), as well as in Madagascar.

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Grossularite Garnet

Grossularite Garnet

Grossularite Garnet

Grossular or grossularite is a calcium-aluminium mineral species of the garnet group. The name grossular is derived from the botanical name for the gooseberry, grossularia, in reference to the green garnet of this composition that is found in Siberia. Other shades include cinnamon brown (cinnamon stone variety), red, and yellow.

Six common varieties of garnet are recognized based on their chemical composition. They are pyrope, almandine, spessartite, grossularite, uvarovite and andradite. There are also some mixed members, such as rhodolite garnet, which is a mixture of pyrope and almandite by composition.

The grossular group includes the light to medium green grossularite; the cinnamon-colored hessonite; the colorless leuco garnet; a dense opaque green garnet called hydrogrossular; and the rare and valuable deep green tsavorite garnet, colored by chromium.

Deposits of grossularite are found in a number of locations, including Quebec in Canada; Vermont in the USA; Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya and Mali in Africa; as well as in Russia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Most of the green grossularite we have seen recently comes from Kenya, while the hessonite comes from Madagascar. Tsavorite garnet is still found in only one geographic location in the world, in the border area of Kenya and Tanzania.

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Goshenite, A Diamond Replacement

Goshenite

Goshenite

Goshenite is a member of the Beryl family – the “mother of gemstones”. The beryl species is one of the most important in the gemstone world. Other gemstones of the Beryl family include Emerald, Heliodor, red beryl and Aquamarine.

Goshenite is a clear and colorless stone that was first discovered in Goshen, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA. This stone is therefore named after the place it was found first. Goshenite is found in relatively many beryl deposits around the world, so it is perhaps the most common and least expensive form of beryl.

Goshenite was once used for manufacturing eyeglasses and lenses owing to its excellent transparency. These days, it is most commonly used as a gemstone and is also considered a source of beryllium. Before the introduction of diamond simulants such as cubic zirconium, goshenite was often used a diamond replacement.

This stone has a hardness rating of 7.5 to 8 with a hexagonal crystal structure and is a perfect choice for many different types of jewelry including pins, pendants, necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets. The brilliance and fire could be improved by placing silver foil behind the cut stone.

Since goshenite is relatively plentiful, usually only very clean and transparent specimens are cut as gemstones. Goshenite competes in the market with other colorless gems such as white sapphire, white zircon and white topaz.

Goshenite is known to promote practical wisdom and assists those who have difficulty with the decision making process. It is also reputed as a stone of truthfulness that encourages truth in all actions and particularly in giving one’s word. Goshenite brings self-control, creativity and originality.

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Fluorite, The Colorful Mineral

Fluorite Gemstone

Fluorite

Fluorite is a mineral with a veritable bouquet of brilliant colors that range from purple, blue, green, yellow, colorless, brown, pink, black to reddish orange. Fluorite deserves the title “The Most Colorful Mineral in the World” by all means.

Due to its glassy luster Fluorite is highly coveted. Fluorite is the natural crystalline form of calcium fluoride and often forms beautiful cube-shaped crystals.

The many colors of fluorite are truly wonderful. The rich purple color is by far fluorite’s most famous and popular color. It easily competes with the beautiful purple of amethyst. Often specimens of fluorite and amethyst with similar shades of purple are used in mineral identification classes to illustrate the folly of using color as the sole means to identify minerals.

The blue, green and yellow varieties of fluorite are also deeply colored, popular and attractive. The colorless variety is not as well received as the colored varieties, but their rarity still makes them sought after by collectors. A brown variety found in Ohio and elsewhere has a distinctive iridescence that improves an otherwise poor color for fluorite. The rarer colors of pink, reddish orange (rose) and even black are usually very attractive and in demand.

The name fluorite comes from the Latin fluere which means to flow. This name comes from the fact that fluorite melts easily. The mineral flourite was originally termed fluorospar and was first discussed in print in a 1530 work Bermannus, sive de re metallica dialogus, by Georgius Agricola, as a mineral noted for its usefulness as a flux. A flux (from the Latin noun fluxus, a wash or current of water) is used in metallurgy to lower the melting point and promote the fusion of metals and minerals in slag, during smelting.

Fluorite is frequently fluorescent and, like its normal light colors, its fluorescent colors are extremely variable. Typically it fluoresces blue but other fluorescent colors include yellow, green, red, white and purple. Some specimens have the added effect of simultaniously having a different color under longwave UV light from its color under shortwave UV light.

Fluorite is said to absorb and neutralize negative vibrations. It makes one more receptive to the vibrations of other stones. Fluorite should be kept in every room of the home. Fluorite is known as the “Genius Stone”.

Healers use it to help with ulcers as well as the respiratory tract by stimulating cell regeneration in these areas. It fortifies bones, improves arthritic or other joint ailments. It can be laid directly on the body.

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