The world of gems so diverse and plentiful. In each type of stone re contain its capacity marvelous.
Mystery of precious stones
The world of gems so diverse and plentiful. In each type of stone re contain its capacity marvelous.
Gemstones and health
High quality jewelry - gold brass mixed
How to choose jewelry
Agate banded beauty
Agate banded beauty
No gemstone is more creatively striped by Nature than agate, chalcedony quartz that forms in concentric layers in a wide variety of colours and textures. Each individual agate forms by filling a cavity in host rock.Chrome diopside
A beautiful gem with an ugly nameChrome diopside certainly won't win any contests for the most
beautiful name. To most people, it sounds more like a car polish than a gemstone. But don't be misled by that! Chrome diopside has a beautiful rich green colour and an amazingly low price. In fact it is the most affordable gemstone in a pure rich green.
beautiful name. To most people, it sounds more like a car polish than a gemstone. But don't be misled by that! Chrome diopside has a beautiful rich green colour and an amazingly low price. In fact it is the most affordable gemstone in a pure rich green.
Alexandrite
Alexandrite
This rare gemstone is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. The discovery was made on the day
Blue tourmaline
Tourmalines are the most colourful gemstone group. They occur in all variations, green, red, blue, yellow, colourless, black ... and some come in two or more colours at once.
Ruby
Along with the emerald and sapphire, ruby is one of the most prized colored gem available. The main quality of the ruby is its bright red color. The best color usually comes from Burma and is very costly; stones from Thailand are darker but clearer and much more common. Only red stones are called rubies. If the color is too light to be called red, it is a pink sapphire.
Lemon Quartz
Quartz is one of the most versatile gemstones on earth. Many people do not know that some of the most popular gems such as citrine, amethyst, onyx and chalcedony are varieties of quartz.
Jade
Originally prized for its toughness and used in tools and weapons by prehistoric man, jade has a varied history. This gem has been known as the "royal gem" in China for 5000 years, and it was once valued more than gold by the Mayans and Aztecs.
Amber
The gemstone Amber is one of the birthstones listed for the Sun Sign for Taurus.
Amber deposits have been found that range between 360 and one million years old and belong between the Carboniferous and Pleistocene geological periods. As sticky resin oozed from ancient pine trees, small insects, plant material, feathers and other small objects in the path of the flow became entrapped. Over time, the resin was encased in dirt and debris and through a process of heat and pressure it fossilized to become amber.
Amber deposits have been found that range between 360 and one million years old and belong between the Carboniferous and Pleistocene geological periods. As sticky resin oozed from ancient pine trees, small insects, plant material, feathers and other small objects in the path of the flow became entrapped. Over time, the resin was encased in dirt and debris and through a process of heat and pressure it fossilized to become amber.
Amber increases in value with the rarity and perfection of the entrapped object. Complete insect specimens are rare though and command top price.
Copal, is also a tree resin but it hasn't fully fossilized to amber. It is usually only thousands of years old, instead of millions of years. There is strong debate about some deposits of African amber as to whether it is copal or true amber.
Amber can range in color from dark brown to a light almost clear lemon yellow. Most amber that has been used in jewelry is from the region of the Baltic Sea or the Dominican Republic.
Amber is very soft, between 2 1/2-3 on the Mohs scale and can be scratched easily. Bracelets and rings with amber cabochons should be worn with care to prevent marring the stone. Much of the amber used in commercial jewelry is actually reconstituted which makes it harder and less prone to scratching. Reconstituted and processed amber usually doesn't have natural inclusions.
There are many tests that can be performed to determine if the piece is natural amber or man-made. Of these, only the flotation test is recommended for the novice. Make a saturated solution of regular table salt and water and place the piece of amber in this mixture. If it floats, it is amber. If it sinks it is man-made (some natural copals will also sink and you would need to make more scientific tests to make a determination
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Powers attributed to amber include love, strength, luck, healing, and protection, calming for hyperactivity and stressed nerves, finds humor and joy. Legend says that Amber was believed to provide magicians and sorcerers with special enhanced powers.
Helps remove energy blockages, strengthens physical body. Excellent for enhancing altered states of consciousness.
Powers attributed to amber include love, strength, luck, healing, and protection, calming for hyperactivity and stressed nerves, finds humor and joy. Legend says that Amber was believed to provide magicians and sorcerers with special enhanced powers.
Helps remove energy blockages, strengthens physical body. Excellent for enhancing altered states of consciousness.
Tourmaline
The gemstone Tourmaline is the official birthstone for October as adopted by the American National Association of Jewelers in 1912. It also the tradidional birthstone for October, the stone for the Zodiac sign of Leo, and the accepted gem for the 8th wedding anniversary.
The name Tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) word tura mali which translates as the stone of mixed colors. These stones are 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs’ scale of hardness.
Tourmaline is available in a wide variety of colors from black to bluish-black, dark brown, yellow, medium brown, blue to neon blue, lime to dark forrest green, red and reddish purple, yellow, pink, and colourless.
Bi-colored and multicoloured tourmalines may be green at one end and pink at the other, watermelon tourmalines are green on the outside and pink on the inside. Some stones are dichroic meaning they appear to change color when viewed from different angles.
The most expensive tourmalines are the blue indicolite, green verdelite and pink rubellite.
Cat's Eye Tourmaline exhibits a "cat;s eye" effect similar to what is commonly seen in tiger's eye cabochons. Chrome Tourmaline is colored by chromium resulting in a beautiful green stone that is often confused with emerald or the tsavorite garnet. Indicolite is a dark blueish black stone. The Paraiba tourmaline is a bright neon-blue and Rubellite is a deep reddish purple stone. Schorl is the name given to black tourmalines which are the most commonly found tourmalines.
The name Tourmaline comes from the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) word tura mali which translates as the stone of mixed colors. These stones are 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs’ scale of hardness.
Tourmaline is available in a wide variety of colors from black to bluish-black, dark brown, yellow, medium brown, blue to neon blue, lime to dark forrest green, red and reddish purple, yellow, pink, and colourless.
Bi-colored and multicoloured tourmalines may be green at one end and pink at the other, watermelon tourmalines are green on the outside and pink on the inside. Some stones are dichroic meaning they appear to change color when viewed from different angles.
The most expensive tourmalines are the blue indicolite, green verdelite and pink rubellite.
Cat's Eye Tourmaline exhibits a "cat;s eye" effect similar to what is commonly seen in tiger's eye cabochons. Chrome Tourmaline is colored by chromium resulting in a beautiful green stone that is often confused with emerald or the tsavorite garnet. Indicolite is a dark blueish black stone. The Paraiba tourmaline is a bright neon-blue and Rubellite is a deep reddish purple stone. Schorl is the name given to black tourmalines which are the most commonly found tourmalines.
Chalcedony
Chalcedony and its named varieties are well represented in various birthstone charts and can be found for all the months except January, April, and November. It is also listed as a birthstone for all the Zodiac signs except Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio and Sagittarius.
The term chalcedony is derived from the name of the ancient Greek town Chalkedon in Asia Minor.
Chalcedony, which is found worldwide, is the name for a group of stones made of a microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, which means the quartz crystals are too small to be seen without high magnification.
In jewelry usage, the name Chalcedony is usually applied only to the light blue translucent and waxy form. Other stones in this group are know as agate, jasper, petrified wood, bloodstone, petrified dinosaur bone, fire agate, tiger's eye, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, onyx, sardonyx, and carnelian.
The term chalcedony is derived from the name of the ancient Greek town Chalkedon in Asia Minor.
Chalcedony, which is found worldwide, is the name for a group of stones made of a microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline variety of quartz, which means the quartz crystals are too small to be seen without high magnification.
In jewelry usage, the name Chalcedony is usually applied only to the light blue translucent and waxy form. Other stones in this group are know as agate, jasper, petrified wood, bloodstone, petrified dinosaur bone, fire agate, tiger's eye, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, onyx, sardonyx, and carnelian.
Chalcedony is found in almost every color including: white, gray, black, brown, brownish red, orange, yellow, light to dark green, blue, lavender or, in the case of agates and jaspers, combinations of those colors.
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Native American Indians believed chalcedony was a sacred stone and used in the spiritual ceremonies of the tribe.
It is thought to increase vitality, stamina, and endurance and to promote emotional balance and charity while relieving melancholy, fever, gallstones, and eye problems.
Chrysocolla
The gemstone Chrysocolla is often confused with turquoise. It is a copper bearing mineral found wherever copper deposits occur especially in areas of the southwestern USA, Chili, Zaire, Australia, France and England.
Eliat Stone is a variegated blue and green mixture of chrysocolla and other copper minerals found in the Gulf of Aqaba, near the northwestern end of the Red Sea".
Pure chrysocolla is too soft for jewelry purposes but it is often found in quartz deposits which makes it hard enough to polish for cabochons. It is often found mixed with malachite, turquoise and azurite.
The drusy form of chrysocolla is a beautiful Robin's egg blue. Pure chrysocolla is between 2.0 and 4.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Eliat Stone is a variegated blue and green mixture of chrysocolla and other copper minerals found in the Gulf of Aqaba, near the northwestern end of the Red Sea".
Pure chrysocolla is too soft for jewelry purposes but it is often found in quartz deposits which makes it hard enough to polish for cabochons. It is often found mixed with malachite, turquoise and azurite.
The drusy form of chrysocolla is a beautiful Robin's egg blue. Pure chrysocolla is between 2.0 and 4.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Creativity, female energy, communication, relieves ulcers and arthritis.
Chrysocolla is associated with tranquility and peace, intuition, patience, and unconditional love. It is thought to offer gentle and soothing qualities.
Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper
Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper is a famous, but increasingly rare orbicular jasper with red and yellow dots of "poppy flowers". It is a brecciated jasper, meaning it probably came from sun-dried and oxidized iron-rich clay. The cracks were filled in by other substances.
Jasper is from the chalcedony/quartz group. It is a microcrystalline variety of quartz that contains up to 20% foreign material. These materials are what determine the color and appearance of the stone. Also because of the foreign materials, jasper is rarely uniform in color, it is usually multicolored, striped, and/or spotted.
Jaspers of all kinds have long been attributed magical powers in just about every culture known to man. Jasper was used in Ancient European times as a "rain bringer" and it is interesting to note that the word for jasper in some American Indian cultures also meant, "Rain Bringer".
Jasper runs between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale.
Morgan Hill poppy jasper is found in the area of Morgan Hill, California, USA. Other popular jaspers are found in Germany, India, Russia, Pakistan, France and the USA as well as many other countries.
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Poppy Jasper acts somewhat like
adrenaline, waking up and energizing areas of the body that appear to be sleeping. It is believed to encourage a deep connection with the life of the Earth. It inspires a positive, joyful attitude and gives the motivation and energy to take creative action.
Jasper was thought to drive away evil spirits and protect against snake and spider bites.
Jasper is from the chalcedony/quartz group. It is a microcrystalline variety of quartz that contains up to 20% foreign material. These materials are what determine the color and appearance of the stone. Also because of the foreign materials, jasper is rarely uniform in color, it is usually multicolored, striped, and/or spotted.
Jaspers of all kinds have long been attributed magical powers in just about every culture known to man. Jasper was used in Ancient European times as a "rain bringer" and it is interesting to note that the word for jasper in some American Indian cultures also meant, "Rain Bringer".
Jasper runs between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale.
Morgan Hill poppy jasper is found in the area of Morgan Hill, California, USA. Other popular jaspers are found in Germany, India, Russia, Pakistan, France and the USA as well as many other countries.
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Poppy Jasper acts somewhat like
adrenaline, waking up and energizing areas of the body that appear to be sleeping. It is believed to encourage a deep connection with the life of the Earth. It inspires a positive, joyful attitude and gives the motivation and energy to take creative action.Jasper was thought to drive away evil spirits and protect against snake and spider bites.
Beryl
Pure beryl is colorless, but it also occurs in a variety of colors including green, yellow, greenish-yellow, blue to blue-green, red, colorless and pink when tinted by impurities. The pink variety is known as Morganite, red is very rare and known as Bixbite, Goshenite is the colorless form. Golden beryl is a yellow-green and called Heliodor. Aquamarines and emeralds are actually a variety of beryl. Beryls are some of the most valuable of all the colored gemstones.
Dark blue beryls are available today that are actually light colored beryls treated with radiation, much in the same manner as blue topaz.
Beryl is a 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale and is found in Colombia, Africa, Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, and California.
The name is from ancient Greek, beryllos, and means "precious blue-green color".
Dark blue beryls are available today that are actually light colored beryls treated with radiation, much in the same manner as blue topaz.
Beryl is a 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale and is found in Colombia, Africa, Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, and California.
The name is from ancient Greek, beryllos, and means "precious blue-green color".
There are extensive references to beryl as a gemstone in folk lore and only a few of those are referenced here. For more information about beryl's powers and curative attributes, consult some of the listed below.
Legend says that Beryl was used to ward off demons and evil spirits. Ancient literature notes that Pliny used powdered beryl to cure eye injuries. It is said to protect travelers from danger and to treat disorders of the heart and spine.
Other legends about Beryl indicate it was used to promote cheerfulness and marital love, to retard laziness, and maintain youthfulness. Golden beryl is said to make one sympathetic and increase sincerity.
Legend says that Beryl was used to ward off demons and evil spirits. Ancient literature notes that Pliny used powdered beryl to cure eye injuries. It is said to protect travelers from danger and to treat disorders of the heart and spine.
Other legends about Beryl indicate it was used to promote cheerfulness and marital love, to retard laziness, and maintain youthfulness. Golden beryl is said to make one sympathetic and increase sincerity.
Carnelian Birthstone
Carnelian is one of the birthstones listed in the ancient Arabic, Hebrew, Italian and Roman tables and is a Zodiac birthstone for the signs of Leo and Virgo.
Carnelian is a form of chalcedony a member of the quartz family and most Carnelian is heat treated today to enhance the reddish brown color.
Carnelian is a form of chalcedony a member of the quartz family and most Carnelian is heat treated today to enhance the reddish brown color.
Folklore suggests that carnelian was used protect the traveler after death and guard against evil. Carnelian's healing properties are thought to help purify the blood, relieve menstrual cramps and back pain. It is also thought to be beneficial in the treatment of infertility and is worn to enhance passion and desire.
Onyx
Onyx is a chalcedony quartz that is mined in Brazil, India, California and Uruguay. It has a fine texture and black color; however some onyx also displays white bands or ribbons against a black or brown background and this variety is known as sardonyx.
The name comes from the Greek word onyx which means nail of a finger or claw. Legend says that one day while Venus was sleeping Eros/Cupid cut her fingernails and left the clippings scattered on the ground. Because no part of a heavenly body can die, the gods turned them into stone which later became known as onyx.
Originally, almost all colors of chalcedony from white to dark brown and black were called onyx. Today when we think of onyx we often preface the word with black to distinguish it from other varieties of onyx that come in white, reddish brown, brown and banded. A variety of onyx that is reddish brown with white and lighter reddish bands is known as sardonyx. A 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness., onyx is a very good stone for use in carving.
Most Black Onyx that is commercially available today is color enhanced (heated and dyed) to increase it's depth of color.
The name comes from the Greek word onyx which means nail of a finger or claw. Legend says that one day while Venus was sleeping Eros/Cupid cut her fingernails and left the clippings scattered on the ground. Because no part of a heavenly body can die, the gods turned them into stone which later became known as onyx.
Originally, almost all colors of chalcedony from white to dark brown and black were called onyx. Today when we think of onyx we often preface the word with black to distinguish it from other varieties of onyx that come in white, reddish brown, brown and banded. A variety of onyx that is reddish brown with white and lighter reddish bands is known as sardonyx. A 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness., onyx is a very good stone for use in carving.
Most Black Onyx that is commercially available today is color enhanced (heated and dyed) to increase it's depth of color.
Folklore, Legend, and Healing Properties:
Thought to increase regeneration, happiness, intuition, instincts. Also thought to decrease sexual desire and helps to change bad habits.
Thought to increase regeneration, happiness, intuition, instincts. Also thought to decrease sexual desire and helps to change bad habits.
Tiger's Eye
Tiger's Eye is the Planetary stone for Gemini (May 21-Jun. 20) and the accepted gem for the ninth wedding anniversary.
Tiger's eye (tigers eye, tiger eye, tiger iron) is a member of the quartz group of chalcedonies It is one of the chatoyant gemstones. Chatoyancy exhibits a changeable silky luster as light is reflected within the thin parallel fibrous bands. This effect is due to the fibrous structure of the material.
Tiger iron is composed of tiger's eye, red jasper and black hematite. The rippled wavy bands of color often resemble a scenic view. Marra Mamba is a form of tiger iron found in one area of Australia near Mount Brockman. It is a very rare type of tiger iron that contains shades of red, green, yellow, and blue. This area has been mined out for many years so very little of the "true" marra mamba is available today.
The exceptional looking piece of marra mamba tiger's iron rough from Australia (seen in third image) looks like the evening sun setting behind a mountain range. It has a greenish cast with shades of brown, golden yellow, red and blue veining. Because the minerals in this stone are of varying hardness, it is difficult to polish without under cutting.
Tiger's eye is mined in Western Australia, South Africa, USA, Canada, India, Namibia, and Burma.
Tiger's eye (tigers eye, tiger eye, tiger iron) is a member of the quartz group of chalcedonies It is one of the chatoyant gemstones. Chatoyancy exhibits a changeable silky luster as light is reflected within the thin parallel fibrous bands. This effect is due to the fibrous structure of the material.
Tiger iron is composed of tiger's eye, red jasper and black hematite. The rippled wavy bands of color often resemble a scenic view. Marra Mamba is a form of tiger iron found in one area of Australia near Mount Brockman. It is a very rare type of tiger iron that contains shades of red, green, yellow, and blue. This area has been mined out for many years so very little of the "true" marra mamba is available today.
The exceptional looking piece of marra mamba tiger's iron rough from Australia (seen in third image) looks like the evening sun setting behind a mountain range. It has a greenish cast with shades of brown, golden yellow, red and blue veining. Because the minerals in this stone are of varying hardness, it is difficult to polish without under cutting.
Tiger's eye is mined in Western Australia, South Africa, USA, Canada, India, Namibia, and Burma.
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