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Precious stones and semiprecious stones Names and meaning We could also name them like precious and semiprecious stones; the two terminologies are valid. As we know, the human being, since its inception, has always been devoted and endowed with a certain mysticism to the beautiful or strange stones or very hard stones found in nature, conferring different uses: for ornamentation, as a symbol of power and exclusivity associated with the worship of certain deities and even using them to heal or to the contrary. Precious stones and semi-precious stones are almost mostly minerals; some, however, they are organic (such as amber, fossilized plant resin).
Gemstones To distinguish between gemstones and semiprecious stones three factors are used:
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1. The scale of hardness of the same (which ensures durability), which also traditionally coincides with stones or gems for excellence (the hardest gemstone diamond there is, as we have seen in previous articles) . 2. The rarity, scarcity or difficult to find in nature. 3. Its beauty and perfection. When we talk about the beauty and perfection of a stone, either precious or semi-precious, we refer to color, gloss, transparency and purity. A gemstone pure, flawless and radiant color, may have a value even higher than a diamond of similar characteristics. The only three precious stones or gems besides the diamond-considered by the above factors are the ruby , the emerald and sapphireblue . Decades ago, it was also considered as a precious amethyst stone, but after the discovery of huge deposits in Brazil joined the group of semi-precious stones, not being so scarce and rare.
RUBY Its name comes from the Latin ruber , which means red. Its main feature is the intense and bright red that its name suggests. This color is due to its component metals, iron
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and chromium. It belongs to the family of corundum-just the sapphire and has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. It is the hardest stone after diamond. When extracted from nature, ruby has a sparse and rough looking, but once selected which are to be used in jewelry and after being carved, take this unique radiant tone that makes them so majestic. Please note that only between 1% and 5% of the rubies from nature are selected for use in jewelry. Learn more details about this stone, like emerald and sapphire blue, deserves its own article.
EMERALD Its name comes from the Persian; its meaning is "green stone". Emerald has always been highly valued because, even though there were other green stones, the single crystal was the emerald. Today, we know other green crystal stones, but none of them is comparable in color and transparent emerald. It belongs to the family of beryllium and has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. Only thirty percent of emeralds mined in the mines are carved for marketing in jewelry, and of these only two percent of these inclusions are not visible to the naked eye. Hence, its rarity and high market value on the market.
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We know more facts and trivia about the emerald in the article that will devote special.
SAPPHIRE BLUE Like ruby belongs to the corundum family. Its distinctive feature is its intense blue color; although there are other shades of sapphire, the most valued and appreciated is the blue sapphire. A corundum of any color other than red is called sapphire; hence it should be named adjetive and blue sapphire. Like ruby, blue sapphire has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. Its rarity is growing daily, as many of the deposits of sapphires are exhausted today, and those who find they can not meet demand. We devote an article exclusively to this gemstone.
Semiprecious stones Semi-precious stones have a very disparate including value and is much easier to get large semiprecious stones and pure (clean) that precious stones such features. The oscillation of the value or cost will depend on the same conditions that influences gemstones hardness, rarity and beauty and perfection (purity, color, brightness and transparency). There are approximately 130 species listed as
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semiprecious minerals besides amber, a fossilized tree resin. Let's look at the most important and used in jewelry.
AGATE Variety of chalcedony. You can have multiple tones and colors depending on their microcrystals forming silica (quartz) and be transparent, semitransparent or opaque. The formation of agates is due to the movement of groundwater that are in position close to the saturation of silicon, filling cavities or internal cavities of the rocks and the dissolution of the materials they found there: shells, bones, etc. This process must be concentric bands characteristic of agates, reminiscent of the knots of the tree trunks. The term agate comes from the Greek "Achates" which is the designation of the river with the same name. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is 7.
AGUAMARINA It belongs to the beryl family like the emerald. It's actually a variant thereof, but pale teal. As the name suggests, its color and brightness reminiscent seawater.
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Its name comes from the Latin aqua marine , and formerly was also known as the Stone Fisherman . It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale.
ALEJANDRITA Crisoberilo extremely rare soft green or greenish-yellow variety. The most important feature is its ability to change colors and color when subjected to variations in brightness; You can go from soft green to red soft when subjected to these changes. It was discovered in the time of Tsar Alexander, in Russia; hence its name, also coinciding with the colors of the flag of the Russia of the time. It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale.
AMATISTA As we know, amethyst gemstone was considered, but after the discovery of mines in Brazil, its rarity lost integers and became part of the group of semiprecious stones. It is the most valued variety of quartz in the market. His most prized color is a violeteado lilac, but can be yellow or even transparent, depending on the amount of iron it contains. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is 7.
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Despite having fallen ladder and be a semiprecious stone, because of its beauty and popularity it deserves, later, we draft an exclusive article for her.
AMBER Also called succino (Latin succinum ). Ambar comes from Arabic meaning "floating on the sea" because the amber floats in water. His best-known or common color is yellow, but can have other colors: orange or cognac, or cherry red, white, coffee or caramel, teal and finally, moss or black, comprising all dark shades of amber. One of the most valued and sought is red or cherry with origin of Chiapas, Mexico. There is a mineral, is fossilized plant resin from conifers, mostly in Europe. It was formed from the residual vegetable resin of some trees, and may have originated twenty, sixty million years or more ago. During that time, this resin may suffer a process of fossilization, forming large irregular masses within the strata of sandstone and shales of the Tertiary age. In Europe, the amber was formed from the resin of Pinus succinifera , while in America comes from the legume Hymenaea Courbaril , known in Mexico as Guapinol and Nicaragua and Dominican Republic as Algarrobo . It has a hardness of 2.5 on Mohs.
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AVENTURINE Although it would be correct to call Quartz fling . It comprising various shades of green, but it can have reddish, brown and brownish yellow due to inclusions of other minerals. Its most appreciated feature is inside scintillation when subjected to a light source and turned simultaneously. Please note that often, buyers are subject to attempted deception aventurine be offered as jade. Jade is much more valuable and rare aventurine. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
ZIRCON Or zircon , belonging to the family of silicates. Its name comes from the Arabic zarqun , meaning cinnabar. It is one of the oldest known mineral and also the most abundant. Crystallization from magmatic rocks, is transparent, but can acquire different shades; the yellow is called hiacinta . It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
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CITRINO Also called citrine . It is another variation of quartz, but lemon yellow and with the same level of hardness 7 Mohs. Its name comes from French citron . Formerly, he had come to be called "topaz quartz" for its resemblance to the topaz, but we must make clear that they are two completely different stones.
Chrysoberyl Semiprecious stone of greenish yellow, also known in the past as chrysotile, now disused name. It has far more harshly than beryl and is widely used in jewelry. There is a stone of about 50 carats in the British Museum of Natural History. Its name comes from Greek, meaning golden beryl, and has a hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs scale.
Chrysoprase Also known as crisopras or lacewings . A variety of agate (chalcedony) intense green bottle. It is the
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most valued of all belonging to the family of chalcedony agate. Its attractive green color is due to nickel. Very popular in ancient Greece. As a curiosity, to say that Alexander always wore on top before going into battle. Currently it used as a substitute stone emerald in color and low cost compared to this. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
CORNELIAN Orange red agate family of chalcedony. The brown hue is called sardonia . Its high popularity is somehow related to the Muslim prophet Muhammad, as it had a ring of carnelian. Currently, he is back in fashion in the Italian jewelry. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
QUARTZ Also called rock crystal, its virtue is its transparency and low cost. Widely used in high jewelry and jewelry, rock crystal is ultimately crystallized transparent rock crystal. Greek krysallos , meaning clear ice, hence its name crital rock. And related to Quartz his slang comes from a German word that dates from the fifteenth century.
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Its formation is a result of the slow crystallization of the residual magmas. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
QUARTZ Also I called quartz fumĂŠ and incorrectly called until recently topaz smoked as they both have very different characteristics. Silica compound comprising various shades of brown, from light to very dark. In very dark brown variety is called morion . It has a hardness on the Mohs scale 7.
ESPINELA Its most important property is its resemblance to the ruby. You can have multiple colors, from white to blue, to green, but the most prized stone is magnified by red iron oxide in combination with magnesium. There is, however, a rare variety of spinel appreciated cobalt blue. Its name comes from the Latin EspĂąa , meaning spine, referring to his sharp crystals, as it is usually in the form octahedral. As a curiosity, to know that he has been confused in antiquity thousand times with ruby; Proof of this is that many of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom considered, in the past, like rubies, are actually spinels.
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It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale.
FELDESPATO Known to all as Moonstone or Moonstone , it belongs to the family of silicates of aluminum, calcium, sodium and potassium or mixtures thereof. Its color ranges from a transparent possible bluish white to translucent, but always presenting his particular iridescent sheen called adularescencia (blue, undulating and meandering reflections that appear to float when the stone is turned in front of a light source). Very famous in Roman times, when it was believed that its interior was composed of moonbeams. It has a hardness of 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
GARNET The same color, but you can also be found in orange, yellow, green and even black tones. It belongs to the family of aluminum silicates combined with iron oxide or magnesium; hence his famous maroon red. Its name comes from the Latin granatum which, curiously, leads us to think that defines its color; in reality however, it means grain. In the Bible, it referred to under the name garnet carbunculus .
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Because found in large proportions in nature, its cost is quite low compared with ruby, which is most frequently used in jewelry as a substitute for it to achieve cost reduction. It has a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
JASPER Belonging to the family of quartz (chalcedony) but mixed with iron oxide. It is an opaque stone that can be found in various colors, but the most appreciated is red, called blood jasper . We can also find dark, yellow, green and brown, sometimes with color mixtures thereof. Its name comes from the Latin iaspis . It has a hardness of 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
LAPISLAZULI Family silicates, mixed with lime and sodium sulfate and inlaid with small iron pyrite veining give that so characteristic. Deep blue, widely used especially in accounts for necklace and bracelet.
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His name is a composition of two words, one Latin root, lapis , meaning stone, and allazjard , which comes from Arabic and means sky or what is the same, blue. This stone has been highly valued since ancient times; we have data on it for more than nine thousand years ago. Until the nineteenth century, this semi-precious stone was used for the intense blue color used for oil painting. It has a hardness of 5.5 on the Mohs scale.
TIGER EYE Belonging to the family of quartz (chalcedony). Varied color between gray, yellow, brown and gold; with a characteristic, a shimmering reflections. This effect is due to the inclusion of quartz microcrystals produced inside the silky luster. If cabochon size, we can get the feeling of having a front our eyes. A variant blue, called Hawkeye .
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It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
ONYX Another opaque variety of quartz formed agate list, appearing in typically dark and black colors, although there is some variety in clear and even reds. Currently, associate onyx black.
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At the other varieties of onyx that are not black they are known as sardonyx . Its name comes from the Greek onyx which means nail, and is linked to the mythical story that explains that, when Cupid Venus cut nails while sleeping, they fell to the ground and scattered on it. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale.
OPAL Quartz rare variety. It can be opaque or translucent and come in different colors: white, gray, blue, orange or black. Opal is a very unique stone with a unique property: a play of colors inside. This effect is due to diffraction of light passing through the transparent spherical microparticles -of siliconmostly found within. These microparticles projected only pure spectral colors as the angle of light will vary depending on the rectilinear propagation of the waves. It should be borne in mind that the opal is very sensitive against sources of heat and intense light. This is because inside can still get up to 10% water without crystallizing. Its name comes from the Greek opalion . It has a hardness of 6 on the Mohs scale.
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PERIDOT Also called olivine and formerly known as sun gem . It is composed of magnesium, iron and silicon, and although its most prized color is olive green, also can be found in nature in other colors. Apart from its color, it has an intense, characteristic of peridot brightness. Its name comes from the French perindon . It is often found between volcanic rocks and has a hardness of 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
TANZANITA Very fashionable today, remember that it was discovered mid last century, about 1960. It is one of the rarest precious stones to find, since there are only deposits of tanzanite in Tanzania. It is a transparent variety of zoisite zoisito or mineral. Vadesde variety violet color to light blue to dark blue intense. It has a hardness of 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
TOPAZ Semiprecious stone widely used in jewelry,
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both for its beauty as for its hardness. Currently, the most fashionable Topaz is blue topaz, although there are a variety of colors like yellow, pink, smoked, etc. It must be said that he had always regarded as the yellow topaz. The most rare and sought after variety is the TopazImperial , which has a reddish orange color. Its color is unmatched by any other stone. Its name comes from the Greek Topazion . Because the demand for blue topaz today is greater than the amount that can be drawn, blue topaz radiating heat they obtained colorless topaz. Having achieved this blue, it appears stable to the eye, but is very fragile when it comes to repairs of jewelry, because if he is re-applied heat, it will become colorless quickly. It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale.
TURQUESA Opaque semi-precious stone. We are presented in blue, blue-green and green. It comprises alumina phosphate mixture of copper and iron. Its name means coming from Turkey , as it is believed that its origin was that, although in reality only the Turks acted as intermediaries between Asia and the Middle East and the West.
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It is a porous stone, so it requires some care and treatments that do not require other semiprecious stones. Highly prized fashionable.
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It has a hardness of 5.5 on the Mohs scale.
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