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Agate
achates
Agate is a form of chalcedony (KAL-sed-nee, or KAL-se-doe-nee, it seems to depend on location as to which is the proper pronunciation), which is in the quartz family, being a mictocrystalline silicon dioxide. It is transparent to translucent, and where quartz crystal is sparkly, agate has a waxy appearance. It was formed within empty cavities of rock when ground water seeped in, and depending on the minerals present with the silcon dioxide, there are a wide variety of colors and designs. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Agate is a form of chalcedony (KAL-sed-nee, or KAL-se-doe-nee, it seems to depend on location as to which is the proper pronunciation), which is in the quartz family, being a mictocrystalline silicon dioxide. It is transparent to translucent, and where quartz crystal is sparkly, agate has a waxy appearance. It was formed within empty cavities of rock when ground water seeped in, and depending on the minerals present with the silcon dioxide, there are a wide variety of colors and designs. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Amber
electrum
Amber is not a mineral material, but rather an organic material that is considered a gem. It is a fossilized resin, light in weight. It has a 2-2.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so care should be taken not to scratch or bang it.
Amber is not a mineral material, but rather an organic material that is considered a gem. It is a fossilized resin, light in weight. It has a 2-2.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so care should be taken not to scratch or bang it.
Amethyst
amethystus
Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz, ranging in color from so light its almost clear/white to so dark it's nearly opaque. The color is formed by iron present in the water as the crystal is forming, later, after crystalization has occured, radiation present in the surrounding rocks modify the iron to produce the purple coloring. It is best stored in the dark, as prolongued exposure to bright light will fade the color over time.
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February.
It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it quite durable, but it can still sometimes be scratched or chipped.
Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz, ranging in color from so light its almost clear/white to so dark it's nearly opaque. The color is formed by iron present in the water as the crystal is forming, later, after crystalization has occured, radiation present in the surrounding rocks modify the iron to produce the purple coloring. It is best stored in the dark, as prolongued exposure to bright light will fade the color over time.
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February.
It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it quite durable, but it can still sometimes be scratched or chipped.
Apatite
apatein (Greek for 'to deceive')
Apatite is a phosphate mineral. It's color range is green, brown, yellow, violet, pink, and colorless. When stones have exellent color or clarity, they are used as gemstones. Apatite is a brittle stone, and can be scratched or broken easily, so care should be taken that it not be banged against hard surfaces. It is a 5 on the Mohs scale of harndess.
Apatite is a phosphate mineral. It's color range is green, brown, yellow, violet, pink, and colorless. When stones have exellent color or clarity, they are used as gemstones. Apatite is a brittle stone, and can be scratched or broken easily, so care should be taken that it not be banged against hard surfaces. It is a 5 on the Mohs scale of harndess.
Aventurine
a ventura (Italian for 'by chance')
Aventurine is a variety of quartz, or quartzine that has shiny inclusions of mica or hematite. Common colors are green, red, pink, orange, and blue. It is durable and is a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Aventurine is a variety of quartz, or quartzine that has shiny inclusions of mica or hematite. Common colors are green, red, pink, orange, and blue. It is durable and is a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Bone
ostean
Bone is of organic origin, being formed from collagen and calcium. It is a 5 on the Mohs scale of hardnes, and though not super delicate, care should be taken that it not bang sharply against hard surfaces.
Bone is of organic origin, being formed from collagen and calcium. It is a 5 on the Mohs scale of hardnes, and though not super delicate, care should be taken that it not bang sharply against hard surfaces.
Chrysocolla
chrysokolla (Greek)
Chrysocolla is a hydrated copper silicate. Its color comes form the copper content in the mineral. Sometimes quartz or opal is present when the crystals are forming, as it can be seen on some of these nuggets. It is a softer stone, so care should be taken to not let it get damaged. It is a 2 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Chrysocolla is a hydrated copper silicate. Its color comes form the copper content in the mineral. Sometimes quartz or opal is present when the crystals are forming, as it can be seen on some of these nuggets. It is a softer stone, so care should be taken to not let it get damaged. It is a 2 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Chrome Diopside
Originally sourced from Eastern Siberia in Russia in 1988, it is now found in Pakistan, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa as well. Diopside, meaning "two vision" in Greek, is a monoclinic pyroxene mineral that occurs in yellow, brown, and the most common color, green. The green is created when diopside is exposed to traces of the element chromium, hence the name chrome diopside. The color of chrome diopside ranges from a bright, light green to a near black, with the darkness of the color increasing with the stone's size.
Coral
Coral is a colonial organism that lives in warm shallow waters. Fossilized, it is a hard calcium carbonate material that is white, cream, pink, or red in color and has a harndess of 3.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Care should be taken that it not be crushed or banged on hard surfaces.
Garnet
grantum
Garnets are a combination of several different minerals, the content of which yields different colors, though generally the word garnet brings to mind a dark red stone. Colors can range from red, pink, purple, orange, yellow, green, gray, brown, and black.
They are transparent to translucent, and when polished have a high shine.
Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January.
They are a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Garnets are a combination of several different minerals, the content of which yields different colors, though generally the word garnet brings to mind a dark red stone. Colors can range from red, pink, purple, orange, yellow, green, gray, brown, and black.
They are transparent to translucent, and when polished have a high shine.
Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January.
They are a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Goldstone
avventura
Goldstone is actually a man-made glass and not a stone, though it is included in the stone category, and is often used as a gemstone. The story behind how goldstone was first made is that while someone was melting glass, the huge vat spilled, knocked over a container of copper, but being too hot to handle, it was left to cool, and when checked later, a beautiful sparkling glass was discovered.
There are several colors of goldstone, each with their own inclusions to lend color. Brown is made from the inclusion of copper, and has no other colorant, while the other colors use metals other than copper, and have additions to color the actual glass. Blue has the inclusion of cobalt, green the inclusion of chromium, and purple is colored by manganese. Goldstone has a hardness of 5.5-6 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Goldstone is actually a man-made glass and not a stone, though it is included in the stone category, and is often used as a gemstone. The story behind how goldstone was first made is that while someone was melting glass, the huge vat spilled, knocked over a container of copper, but being too hot to handle, it was left to cool, and when checked later, a beautiful sparkling glass was discovered.
There are several colors of goldstone, each with their own inclusions to lend color. Brown is made from the inclusion of copper, and has no other colorant, while the other colors use metals other than copper, and have additions to color the actual glass. Blue has the inclusion of cobalt, green the inclusion of chromium, and purple is colored by manganese. Goldstone has a hardness of 5.5-6 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Jasper
iaspis
Jasper is a microcrystalline silicon dioxide, an opaque variety of chalcedony, and in the quartz "family". It has a range of colors, some of those colors given their own names, such as bloodstone and flint. Most colors and localities also have their own names, so there are a lot of different 'types' of jasper. Jasper is smooth and waxy looking in its raw state, and takes a polish well. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Pictured are the "porcelain" jasper beads that we have.
Jasper is a microcrystalline silicon dioxide, an opaque variety of chalcedony, and in the quartz "family". It has a range of colors, some of those colors given their own names, such as bloodstone and flint. Most colors and localities also have their own names, so there are a lot of different 'types' of jasper. Jasper is smooth and waxy looking in its raw state, and takes a polish well. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Pictured are the "porcelain" jasper beads that we have.
Labradorite
names for the locality of its first discovery
Labradorite is a plagioclase feldspare that can be orange, yellow, colorless, brownish, or red. Often it has a play of color just beneath the surface, so when a stone is turned and catches the light, beauty is flashed unexpectedly. This is called a 'shiller effect' known as 'labradorescence'.
It is a 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It can break easily on impact with a hard surface, and so care should be taken.
Labradorite is a plagioclase feldspare that can be orange, yellow, colorless, brownish, or red. Often it has a play of color just beneath the surface, so when a stone is turned and catches the light, beauty is flashed unexpectedly. This is called a 'shiller effect' known as 'labradorescence'.
It is a 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It can break easily on impact with a hard surface, and so care should be taken.
Lapis Lazuli
lapis lazaward
Lapis lazuli is not one mineral, but is a rock composed of lazurite (where is gets its blue color), calcite, pyrite, sodalite, and sometimes others, in varying degrees. It is semi-translucent to opaque. On the Mohs scale of hardness it has a 3 from the calcite, and a 5.5 form the lazurite, so depending on which minerals and to what degree the hardness varies from stone to stone, so should be treated gently with care.
Lapis lazuli is not one mineral, but is a rock composed of lazurite (where is gets its blue color), calcite, pyrite, sodalite, and sometimes others, in varying degrees. It is semi-translucent to opaque. On the Mohs scale of hardness it has a 3 from the calcite, and a 5.5 form the lazurite, so depending on which minerals and to what degree the hardness varies from stone to stone, so should be treated gently with care.
Moonstone
hecatolite
Moonstone is a type of feldspar, which is a rock-forming silicate mineral. It gets its name from the glow that appears just beneath the surface as the stone is turned in the light. It is made up of thin, alternating layers of orthoclase and albite, or sometimes labradorite,or others, which when light penetrates, bends and reflects and is scattered over the different layers.
there are no mechanized mines for moonstone, instead it is either dug by hand, or gathered from stream sediments and gravels.
Moonstone can be found in many colors- white, gray, brown, pink, orange, green, yellow, and colorless. Colorless moonstone with a blue flash is rare and rarer still is the 'rainbow moonstone', usually caused by layering with labradorite.
Along with pearl and alexandrite, moonstone is a birthstone for the month of June.
Moonstone is a more delicate rock, it breaks easily, so care should be taken that it not be damaged. It has a hardness of 6-6.5 on the Mohs sclae, and can be scratched by other objects.
Moonstone is a type of feldspar, which is a rock-forming silicate mineral. It gets its name from the glow that appears just beneath the surface as the stone is turned in the light. It is made up of thin, alternating layers of orthoclase and albite, or sometimes labradorite,or others, which when light penetrates, bends and reflects and is scattered over the different layers.
there are no mechanized mines for moonstone, instead it is either dug by hand, or gathered from stream sediments and gravels.
Moonstone can be found in many colors- white, gray, brown, pink, orange, green, yellow, and colorless. Colorless moonstone with a blue flash is rare and rarer still is the 'rainbow moonstone', usually caused by layering with labradorite.
Along with pearl and alexandrite, moonstone is a birthstone for the month of June.
Moonstone is a more delicate rock, it breaks easily, so care should be taken that it not be damaged. It has a hardness of 6-6.5 on the Mohs sclae, and can be scratched by other objects.
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