| The mineral to which the term " precious
| |
| | again neglected for other gems, causing a
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| stone" is applied, must be adaptable for
| |
| | sensible difference in the value of these
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| jewelry or ornamental purposes and must
| |
| | stones.
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| possess beauty, hardness, and rarity.
| |
| | It has been a mooted question as to the
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| The beauty of a precious stone or gem
| |
| | proper dividing line between stones that
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| consists of its color or colorlessness,
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| | deserve the title "precious," and those,
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| brilliancy or softness of luster, and
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| | which should be placed in a so-called
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| transparency. To take a high and lasting
| |
| | semi-precious or lower category. To draw
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| polish, a mineral must be hard, -and many
| |
| | such a line is hardly possible, as
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| stones that would otherwise be highly
| |
| | neither hardness, rareness, nor value
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| valued are low in the estimate of worth
| |
| | would be a positive test--some of the
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| because they do not possess of sufficient
| |
| | hard stones, like zircon and almandines
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| hardness to make them endure the wear and
| |
| | being less valuable than softer opal,
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| friction to which a precious stone is
| |
| | while the diamond, one of the most
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| subjected when used in the form of
| |
| | plentiful of precious stones, is at the
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| jewelry. The rareness of precious stones
| |
| | same time, one of the most valuable.
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| has a decided effect in determining their
| |
| | Neither can price be taken as a complete
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| values. For instance, the crocidolite,
| |
| | test, because fashion makes a turquoise,
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| commercially known as tiger-eye, was sold
| |
| | an opal, or an emerald much more valuable
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| by the carat some years ago, and was
| |
| | at one time than at another, All precious
|
| largely used in the making of fine
| |
| | minerals used for ornamental purposes,
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| jewelry. Today, this material is so
| |
| | from the diamond to quartz, or
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| plentiful that it is no longer classed
| |
| | chalcedony, may properly be termed
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| among the higher gems, but serves for
| |
| | precious stones.
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| cameos and intaglios like chalcedony and
| |
| | The Final Word On Precious Stones
|
| onyx.
| |
| | The most precious stones are the
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| The changes of fashion have much to do
| |
| | diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
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| with determining the market value of
| |
| | The pearl is oftentimes classed with
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| precious stones. Amethysts, topazes,
| |
| | precious stones. Although strictly
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| cat's-eyes, aquamarines, alexandrites,
| |
| | speaking while it is not a stone it holds
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| and even emeralds and opals have been
| |
| | an esteemed place in jewelry.
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| eagerly sought for at times and then
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| |
|
