| GARNET - Garnets are found in various
| |
| | but opaque. Hydrophane Opal is opaque
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| shades and colours from brown to purple
| |
| | but appears colourless in water.PEARL -
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| shades. But its dark red variety is
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| | Along with Coral, this extremely popular
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| valued as a precious stone although the
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| | gemstone used in jewellery, is found in
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| mineral is quite common. Garnet crystals
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| | the seas not the land and is therefore
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| are 12 faced. The stones have been
| |
| | not of the same composition nor
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| prized in jewellery for over 5000 years.
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| | characteristics of the earth born
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| When many garnet crystals are gathered in
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| | gemstones. Care must be taken to
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| a rock cavity they are likened to a ripe
| |
| | preserve the quality of pearls. Pearls
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| pomegranate. Cut as brilliants, garnets
| |
| | are made of calcium carbonate formed
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| are used as ring stones with large ones
| |
| | within an oyster. The basic irritant is
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| as pendants, often with cabochon cut and
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| | usually a grain of sand which stimulates
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| carved. Garnets and star garnets from
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| | the oyster to cover it with its own body
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| are found in Australia.JADE - This is the
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| | secretion - eventually forming the well
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| name given to both nephrite and jadeite
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| | known round and perfect pearl. The
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| which are tougher than steel although not
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| | lustre of the pearl comes from minute
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| particularly hard. China, New Zealand
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| | crackles on its surface - finer than
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| and Alaska supply good Jade. Burma also.
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| | those on opals. Their lustre increases
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| Brazil it occurs naturally Used since
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| | in the body warmth of human beings and
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| Neolithic times for weapons and tools and
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| | therefore the practice of allowing the
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| later for delicate carvings. Aztecs used
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| | shop attendants to wear the strings of
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| jade. In ancient Egypt the stone was
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| | pearl has a practical basis. Different
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| called Nemehen. Pure Jade is white with
| |
| | pearl qualities depend upon colour and
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| impurities causing different colours and
| |
| | size and range from the tiniest "seed
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| most pieces are mottled. It is generally
| |
| | pearls" to the rare gems of considerable
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| translucent or opaque green in colour and
| |
| | size Harvesting pearls from the wild is
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| is lustrous rather than brilliant. The
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| | singularly unrewarding and cultured
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| most prised of all jades is "imperial
| |
| | pearls have been able to meet the demand
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| jade" the transparent emerald green
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| | for these beautiful natural ornaments.
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| coloured by chromium. It has been always
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| | Cultured pearls have been produced in
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| revered in China as a sacred stone. Its
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| | China for several centuries as now in
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| quality as a gemstone is judged by the
| |
| | Japan, Australia and the Pacific.RUBY -
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| intensity of the green colour and its
| |
| | Next to diamond, rubies (and sapphires)
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| coolness to the touch. Jadeite is the
| |
| | are the most valued of the gems. Ruby is
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| rarer of the jades and Myanmar remains
| |
| | a variety of corundum, When the corundum
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| the only commercial source. Much of the
| |
| | includes chromium, it becomes ruby, when
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| Central American jadeite originates in
| |
| | it contains titanium and iron instead and
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| Guatemala. Soapy jade is the term for
| |
| | therefore is blue - the sapphire. The
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| the inferior grades used commonly for
| |
| | world's finest come from Myanmar,
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| carving decorations, lamp stands
| |
| | Pakistan and Afghanistan, also Burma,
|
| etc.LAPIS LAZULI - This stone consists of
| |
| | Thailand, India and Ceylon .Burmese ones
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| blue silicate lazurite with variable
| |
| | are exceptionally beautiful - found near
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| amounts of calcite and the brassy gold
| |
| | Mogo N.E. of Mandalay. "Pigeon Blood"
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| flecks of pyrite which is more abundant
| |
| | rubies are the highest in the scale of
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| in the poorer quality material.
| |
| | value. Thai Rubies are often found with
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| Afghanistan has the best quality that
| |
| | spinel and are darker red than the
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| consists mostly of lazurite and is deep
| |
| | Burmese Rubies. A fine ruby is a
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| blue. In ancient times it was also known
| |
| | magnificent gemstone. Ruby has been
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| as "sapphirus". The Egyptians used to
| |
| | synthetically produced successfully since
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| ground it into pigment to use in
| |
| | 1904. But the genuine rubies are valued
|
| paintings and murals and in eye shadow
| |
| | because of their rarity and therefore
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| and used in manufacture of amulets and
| |
| | have not dropped in commercial value, in
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| symbols, particularly in the
| |
| | fact have risen. Rubies are also used in
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| representations of the goddess Isis and
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| | Space research in connection with
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| in the Sacred Eye of Horus. Later it was
| |
| | communication systems to cut out surface
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| ground for use as pigment in religious
| |
| | sounds of the earth and pick up beams
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| paintings for the glorious blue of the
| |
| | from space.SAPPHIRE - Pink Sapphires,
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| Madonna's robes. In China, royal seals
| |
| | Blue sapphires and Yellow Sapphires are
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| and carvings were made of it. It is
| |
| | found in Thailand and East Africa. They
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| considered as a sacred stone in Buddhism.
| |
| | are next to diamond in hardness and
|
| Lapis lazuli is one of the most ancient
| |
| | therefore resistant to wear. Australia
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| in items of jewellery - having been known
| |
| | is the largest producer of blue and
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| and used for over 6000 years. It was
| |
| | golden sapphires. Non-blue sapphires are
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| mined in Afghanistan and Siberia near
| |
| | White Sapphires or Golden Sapphires. The
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| Lake Baikal, but nowadays produced
| |
| | largest sapphire known was 950 carats
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| profusely in Chile.MOONSTONE - Moonstone
| |
| | from Burma. The largest in Australia was
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| is a Feldspar, comprised of calcium
| |
| | 886 carats from Queensland in 1934.
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| sodium or potassium aluminium silicates.
| |
| | There are star sapphires and star rubies
|
| Sri Lanka is the most important source of
| |
| | found which contain fine fibre crystals
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| Moonstone. India produces strongly
| |
| | giving star effect when cut in en
|
| coloured stones as beige, pink, green,
| |
| | cabochon.TOPAZ - Topaz is an aluminium
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| yellow, grey, white and brown. It is
| |
| | silicate containing about 20% water and
|
| considered to be a sacred stone in India
| |
| | fluorine and comes in several colours.
|
| and by tradition, it is always cut en
| |
| | Yellow quartz is sold today under the
|
| cabochon. It is an important stone in
| |
| | name of topaz and it is one of the most
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| Ayurvedic medicine. Beautiful sheens
| |
| | popular colours, although there are
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| come as with other stones, with subjected
| |
| | others which are greenish and of reddish
|
| light and its particular sheen is called
| |
| | tint.. Golden Topaz from Brazil is a
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| "adularescence" and most prized when the
| |
| | golden brown to pink colour. The main
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| sheen is bluish in colour. Throughout
| |
| | suppliers are Brazil, Germany and Russia.
|
| the world it is associated with the Moon
| |
| | Japan also produces topaz. Topaz is
|
| and very popular semi precious stone is
| |
| | harder than Rock crystal and is known for
|
| used in jewellery everywhere. Their
| |
| | its huge crystals - a colourless one from
|
| fascination lies in their gentle glowing
| |
| | Brazil was found weighing as much as 600
|
| and elusive sheen and above all the
| |
| | pounds, well formed and clear throughout.
|
| softness of their quality, compared with
| |
| | The largest known topaz was cut in 1977
|
| the strength and brilliance of faceted
| |
| | and weighed 21,327 carats. Another is
|
| jewels.OPAL - Opal is one of the few gem
| |
| | known at 36,853 carats. Found in
|
| minerals which is non crystalline. Opals
| |
| | Australia topaz is usually light yellow,
|
| are referred to in history and in legend.
| |
| | green and blue also. Hardness 8 and
|
| Pliny is said to have liked it and
| |
| | Orthorhombic crystals brilliant and
|
| Orpheus is said to have declared that the
| |
| | beautiful stone found in quartz rose
|
| opal 'fills the heart of the gods with
| |
| | rocks. Associated with tin ores .
|
| joy". Shakespeare refers to ... "this
| |
| | Tinted by heating. Sky blue topaz found
|
| miracle and Queen of gems". Opal consists
| |
| | in the Scottish Highlands, Brazil and
|
| of pure silica (silicon combined with
| |
| | Siberia.TURQUOISE - This stone is
|
| oxygen) with traces of numerous compounds
| |
| | composed of aluminium copper sulphate
|
| which explains the many differing types.
| |
| | hydrated phosphate of aluminium and
|
| Opals were rare in antiquity. It is
| |
| | copper) and is only medium hard.
|
| thought to have become commonly known
| |
| | Egyptians are the first people known to
|
| only after the time of Alexander the
| |
| | mine it in Sinai over 6000 years ago.
|
| Great. The only known mines in the
| |
| | The finest is said to be found in
|
| earliest times were the Carpathian
| |
| | Naishapur, Iran, where it has been mined
|
| Mountains. The stone is extremely porous
| |
| | for about 3000 years. It is found also
|
| with the weight varying in proportion to
| |
| | in Sinar, Turkestan and Tibet. The
|
| the amount of contained water. The
| |
| | colours range from pale blue to deep
|
| colours are determined by structure and
| |
| | green/blue. Water content affects the
|
| the light which causes ever changing
| |
| | colour of the stone. It responds to
|
| effect. Finest opal and opalized wood
| |
| | human touch and warmth and in the Middle
|
| and fossils are found also in Australia
| |
| | East is used as a reflector of babies'
|
| at Coober Pedy and Andamooka. France
| |
| | health in the crib etc. It is relatively
|
| also supplies some and also Idaho...
| |
| | soft and has a waxy lustre. It is porous
|
| Opals are usually cut as en cabochon.
| |
| | and its colour may deteriorate if skin
|
| Their varieties include - Hungarian opals
| |
| | oils and cosmetics are absorbed during
|
| are very fine and were once popular in
| |
| | wear. It's famous for its change of
|
| Europe.Mexican Opals fine transparent
| |
| | colour when difficult influences are near
|
| variety of opal - Black opals are
| |
| | and for this reason was attached to
|
| extremely vivid flashes of colour
| |
| | cradle of babies to reflect the child's
|
| including red, with dark background and
| |
| | vitality and to alert them to any change
|
| of highest value Milky opal or white
| |
| | in tone and colour. Some believe it
|
| opals are opaque with smaller and less
| |
| | becomes moist and changes colour when
|
| spectacular softer markings and colours.
| |
| | warning against Poison. The gem is
|
| Fire opals or Harlequin Opal is the
| |
| | regarded as a pledge of true affection
|
| finest quality and variety of gemstone
| |
| | and drawing evil influences. The green
|
| Water Opal is clear and colourless with
| |
| | variety is found in New Mexico and in
|
| internal play of colour. Rose Opal or
| |
| | Australia.
|
| potch opal has a beautiful pink colour
| |
| |
|
