Amber is often classified with crystals and gemstones but is not an actual gemstone. Amber is not hardened tree sap, it is fossilized natural resin from coniferous and other tree species. Although both sap and resin are organic substances produced by trees, resin is sticky...
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Category: Materials
Spectrolite was the trade name given to an uncommon variety of Labradorite Feldspar that was discovered and mined in Finland in the 1940s. Quarrying of Spectrolite in Finland began shortly after the Second World War and has grown into a successful local industry. Today any...
Amazonite is an opaque, green-blue to green variety of microcline Feldspar. The presence of lead causes it to be either solid blue-green or blue-green striped with white. Albite, orthoclase and plagioclase Feldspars of similar color also occur and Amazonite may be confused with any of...
Malachite is a secondary mineral that is usually collected in association with copper mining or the weathering of copper ore. It is often found in copper deposits around limestone and together with Azurite, Calcite and Goethite. Malachite and Azurite aggregates are common. On the Market...
Lapis Lazuli is a rock, not a mineral. The intense blue color of Lapis comes from Lazurite, though the presence of Calcite and Pyrite are common to most specimens. Other prominent minerals like Sodalite, Augite, Mica, and Hornblende can occur in prominent amounts with Lapis,...
Living Coral was named by Pantone Color Institute as the as the color of the year for 2019. Pink transparent gemstones are already difficult to find, so transparent gemstones with the distinct warm golden-pink hue of coral are very rare indeed. Naturally-colored translucent or opaque...
Aquaprase is a newly discovered bluish green Chalcedony originating from Africa. This gemstone is translucent, vibrant green blue and different from any other known African Chalcedony. It is thought the color of Aquaprase may be caused by chromium and nickel, and some rough stones contain...
Stromatolites are the oldest of fossils, but scientists disagree on how to define them. According to The Virtual Fossil Museum, a commonly accepted definition of Stromatolite is “laminated rock formed by the growth of blue-green algae,” but then goes on to state that this definition...
Aquamarine means seawater. A variety of Beryl, this captivating stone occurs in all the colors of water, from light blue-green to deep, clear blue. Aquamarine in deep blue can be quite expensive, and like Emerald, Aquamarines are sturdy but may easily break if struck. Aquamarine...
Sapphire is the birthstone for September and a relative of July’s birthstone, the Ruby. Both gemstones are the mineral corundum which typically appears as a dull gray stone, but gem quality corundum is called sapphire, unless it is red.Sapphires are usually blue due to the...
Ammolite is a trade name for gem-quality Ammonite. These gems are cut from the fossilized shells of three extinct species of mollusk that lived in ancient oceans that covered North America more than 70 million years ago. Ammonite refers to any fossil shell of any...
Alexandrite is a rare variety of Chrysoberyl and was discovered in the Ural Mountains. The gemstone has vivid red and green colors that were identical to the military colors of Imperial Russia, so the stone was named for Alexander II, heir apparent to the Russian...
Though both stones are varieties of Corundum, in nature, Rubies are rarer than Sapphires. Both gems form under high temperature and pressure when fluid produced by magma interacts with silica and other rocks within the earth’s crust. Corundum’s crystal structure is hexagonal and though Ruby...
Agate is a classic, sought-after stone, and always popular for use in jewelry, for carving, and for other artisan crafts. This durable stone is suitable for rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings, and will withstand most daily wear without scratching or dulling. Most agates are easily...
The Israeli mining company Shefa Yamim has unearthed a new gem material in the northern Israel that has properties similar in structure to sapphire and ruby. The rare mineral, called Carmeltazite, has been trademarked and will be marketed as “Carmel Sapphire,” and is expected to...
Natural pearls have been used in jewelry for more than 4,000 years. These “natural accidents” are formed randomly when an irritant becomes trapped within the shell of a mollusk, and the animal protects itself by secreting nacre –a protective coating of calcium carbonate – to...
Since about 1874, the area near Cripple Creek, CO has been mineral-rich, with a late but productive entry into the gold rush. More than $400 million dollars in gold was produced there by 1930, and the many mines of Cripple Creek employed thousands of workers,...