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Gemstones
are mineral substances that have to be beautiful
in terms of colors and the way they reflect light.
Gems are rare and durable. Mineral gemstones are
the majority of gems and are crystallized within
the Earth's crust, formed at a high temperatures
and pressures and brought to the Earth's surface
by rising magma or by prolonged erosion. These processes
form the mineral gemstone's internal structure and
fixed chemical or organic compositions, which are
produced by plants or animals. Synthetic gems are
created in laboratories and have similar chemical
properties to real gemstones.
Detail of Gemstones
The Amethyst
The amethyst occurs in shades of purple, lilac,
and mauve. This is the most valuable of the quartz
gemstones group. Some Amethyst can be heat-treated
to produce the yellow variety of quartz called Citrine.
This type of gemstone is still used in some forms
of natural healing as people believe that Amethyst
has strong talismanic properties. It is named for
the curing of "the sober mind against drunkenness",
from the Greek word " amethystos". In
traditional Chinese medicine, ground Amethyst is
prescribed for stomach pain and bad dreams.
Aquamarine is the name of a precious gemstone that
gets its name from its seawater color. In the late
19th century, sea blue and green varieties were
the most popular. The blue ones are more valued
today. There are deposits of Aquamarine in almost
every continent of the world. The blue Aquamarine
is also know as the sailor's gem ensuring safe passage
across the sea, and in medieval times this stone
was thought to reawaken the love of married couples
after long separations.
Cat's Eye or Chrysoberyl is also know as Cymophane
which is always cut en cabochon which makes the
gems translucent in honey brown or apple green colors.
As the precious stone of eyes' of the graceful cat,
its value increases in proportion to the narrowness
and intensity of its flash of light, which looks
as it sounds and allegedly protects the owner against
the "evil eye". In the west, Cat's Eye
chrysoberyls were used in crystal healing. In India,
this stone is also used medicinally particularly
as remedy for cancer. Chrysoberyl comes originally
from the Greek word meaning "golden" because
it comes in many varieties of yellow, gold, honey
or light green. It is one of the hardest stones
(8.5 Moh's scale) and is particularly prized for
jewelry. The interesting type of Chrysoberyls are
alexandrite, which can change from green to red,
mauve or brown depending on the light.
Chrysoprase is a bright-apple green chalcedony
quartz resembling jadeite. However if you could
look close enough you could see the difference in
the microcrystalline structure and waxy appearance.
This green precious stone is the most valuable of
the chalcedonies-family gemstones. This gem is mostly
used for carving and cut into cabochons.
Topaz or Citrine: The name "Topaz" comes
from Sanskrit tapas, meaning "fires" because
this precious stone usually comes in a variety of
sunny yellow colors. However, the stone can also
be heat-treated to produce more popular hues such
pink topaz which is an irradiated form of the more
common yellow. Today pink, blue and honey colors
of Topaz are very rare and valuable. In history,
Topaz was thought to cure madness if worn around
the neck.
The Diamond is known as "the king of gems"
since it is the most precious of gemstones. Diamonds
are a form of carbon and are of the hardest mineral
on earth. Diamonds occur in a range of colors such
champagne, silver, purple, gold, rose and even black.
Yet, the most popular is colorless. The Diamond
is a symbol of love and fidelity and has been used
in engagement rings since the 15th century.
The Emerald is a beautiful green and transparent
gemstone that derives its color from the presence
of chromium and vanadium. A hundred years ago, Emeralds
were thought to possess healing powers especially
for restoring eye sight. In renaissance times, Emeralds
were exchanged among the aristocracy as symbols
of friendship. It was believed that the stone would
stay intact only if friendship lasted.
Coral comes in variations of red, pink, blue and
white. Coral is a substance similar to pearls which
is a calcium carbonate. Yet Coral is formed by the
build up of skeletal remains of colonies of tiny
marine animals and it grows in branch-like formations.
Corals have been used in jewelry and carving for
thousands of years. The deeper the colors, the more
prized the Coral. In the16th century, people thought
that a prig of red or white Coral could calm a raging
tempest, as Coral allegedly cured madness and protected
one against enchantments.
The Garnet comes in many colors of deep-red even
green or violet and purple. These various colors
of the Garnet gemstones family share similar cubic
crystal structure and chemical composition. The
name for Garnet comes from the Latin for pomegranate
which has bright red, garnet-like seeds. In medieval
time Garnets were thought to cure depression and
protect one from bad dreams and relieved diseases
of the liver as well as hemorrhages.
Jade comes from two distinct minerals: jadeite
and nephrite. Jade has been carved for thousands
of years. Jadeite is slightly harder and often appears
dimpled when polished and comes in virtually every
color while nephrite is a more common element in
Jade that makes it soft enough to carve. Most Jade
is green, yellow and white or sometimes purple.
Jade is an extremely tough gemstone despite being
7 on scale of hardness. This is due to its structure
which is a mass of tiny interlocking grains and
fibers. In China, children wore small Jade amulets
to prevent disease and people in the old days used
to powder Jade and distilled it in dew water to
calm the mind.
Moonstone derives its name from its blue-white
sheen, the color of a silvery moon. It was once
thought that the gem's luster waxed and waned just
like the moon itself. Moonstones have always been
used in jewelry by moon-worshipers. In reality,
the stones' distinctive sheen comes from its structure
of thin albite layers that create and attractive
blue. Thicker layers create more of a hue and milky
opalescence. In India, the Moonstone is believed
to bring good luck and is considered sacred so it
is the passion of lovers. The Romans thought that
those who wore Moonstones would receive wisdom,
wealth and even success in battle.
Onyx comes in variety of chalcedony quartz colors
mostly in shinny black or many colors. It is a production
of fossilized wood which make it very hard and durable.
The stone has been carve for centuries or polished
into beads of elegant jewelry that used to be popular
in the 18th century; its shinny blackness reflects
the sense of hope and renewal. North American Indian
used to carve magical objects or animal of Onyx
to attempt to influence the forces of nature, and
in China, blackish Onyx is a symbol of winners.
The Opal is unlike other gemstones because it is
non-crystalline and is formed from hardened silica
gel. The Opal is known for its rainbow iridescence.
The name Opal comes from Sanskrit of Upala, meaning
"precious stone". Opals are found in fossilized
shell, wood and bone. It is a carbon formed substance
with shades of black, flashes of pale pinks, blues
and greens. The play of the colors is caused by
the diffraction of light of its closely packed silica
spheres. Fire Opal is a soft gemstone of deep orange
colors that are translucent or transparent and very
sensitive to changes in temperatures, humidity and
even light intensity. In Asia, the Opal is a symbol
of hope.
The Peridot is rich in green colors as the name
is given to gem-quality specimens of the mineral
olivine which is derived from its characteristic
olive-green colors. These green colors depend on
iron content and it can be bottled green or yellowish
green. The stone is usually cut as a pendeloque
to create a darker and more favored hue. Moreover,
Peridot has a strong double refraction, which means
that you can often see a doubling of the back facets.
Peridot is well known as the "evening emerald".
The Egyptians claimed that Peridots glowed by night
but were invisible by day. They believed the Peridot
had the power to dispel the darkness and terrors
of the nights.
The Ruby comes in colors of classic deep rich red
to shades of pink, purple or brown depending on
the chemical contents of the gemstones. Rubies are
second only to Diamonds in terms of hardness and
this, along with the vibrancy of their colors, makes
them highly prized for jewelry. The finest Rubies
come from Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. Rubies are
traditionally given as a 40th wedding anniversary
present and it's the precious stone for those born
in July. Rubies are the gemstone of prophecy. In
the old days people believed that a Ruby would darken
when its wearer was in danger. In the 15th and 16th
centuries, Rubies were thought to counteract poisons
so were much in demand. Throughout history, Rubies
were thought to bring back or restore youth and
vitality when rubbed on the skin.
Sapphires come in a range of yellows, pinks and
greens as well as the better-known blue variety.
The blue ones are deemed holy as they are jewels
of chastity. In its purest form, the Sapphire is
colorless while traces of vanadium render it violet
and different natural element structures contained
in gemstones such as iron, titanium or chromium
make the presence of Sapphires more pink, yellow,
blue or dark green. Like Rubies, pink Sapphires
are thought to ward off ill-health and misfortune
when worn against the skin.
Spinel can be blue, yellow or red. The colors are
created by various metallic impurities. The most
popular Spinel is ruby red, which contains chromium
and iron. However, pure Spinel is colorless or with
a light pink mauve tinge. Spinel was recognized
as a mineral only 150 years ago, prior to this it
was classified as a Ruby and shared the Ruby's reputed
medicinal and prophetic power. It was also used
as a remedy for hemorrhages.
Turquoise has a rich and colorful history. To the
Aztecs it was "the stone of God" and was
used extensively in religious artifacts. In medieval
Europe it was deemed a powerful talisman. Turquoise
is formed in solid, grape-shape like masses and
nodules, often containing dark veins. In China,
Turquoise beads are often carved into a variety
of animal shapes. The color of Turquoise is affected
by heat, as well as by oils, cosmetics and perspiration,
and when worn can go from blue to a dull green.
So in order to avoid damage it is best to remove
a Turquoise ring before washing the hands. Turquoise
has always been considered lucky and able to safeguard
or bring happiness to the wearer.
Tourmaline is usually presented as a long, three-side
prism. Tourmalines come in a wide range of colors
with many shades of red and dark blue and can even
be colorless. Originally the name Tourmaline comes
from the Greek word achroos, meaning without colors.
However, many Tourmaline crystals are multicolored.
Green Tourmaline is fairly common and is known as
verdelite and dark brown Tourmalines are rich in
magnesium, which can be lighten by heat-treatment.
In 18th century a Dutch scientist claimed that a
Tourmaline wrapped in silk and placed against the
cheek of a feverish child would induce sleep.
Zircon is commonly found in variations of golden
brown, reddish brown, honey color or even blues
or greens depending on its impurity but the purest
forms of Zircons are colorless. The name came from
the Persian Zargun meaning "golden". Although
they appear in a range of colors, many zircons are
heated-treated to produce the popular blue or colorless
varieties. In Roman times, golden Zircon stones
were the most popular and most prized. All Zircons
were deemed magical, in 14th century, they were
popularly worn to safeguard one against illness
and death.
Amber is formed from the fossilized resin of trees
that lived million years ago and may contain plants
and insects trapped within the sticky resin before
it set. Amber is not as dense as synthetic and plastic
resins and will float in salt water. Amber is known
for producing an electrical charge when rubbed.
Amber usually comes in golden brown, honey color
or orange and has been used for jewelry and religious
objects since prehistoric times. Since Amber is
formed naturally and accidentally, the air bubbles
and inclusions give Amber its characteristic mottled
appearance and are not seen as flaws, yet they can
be removed by boiling the fossil resin in oil. Amber
is a soft gemstone and is easy to carve. Amber was
believed to have talismanic properties.
Pearls, once viewed by Arabians as the tears of
the Gods, are created by certain shellfish, mainly
oysters and mussels. They form when an irritant
such as grain of sand enters the shell. Layers and
layers of calcium carbonate form around the irritant
as an innate defense mechanism of the mollusk. It
generally takes years to create a round bead of
pearl. The rare and valuable "Natural Pearls"
are formed as an accident of nature and not by human
intervention. Pearls can be the classic creamy white
color or multicolor and as dark as black depending
on the oysters. Irregular shaped Pearls are known
as Baroque Pearls. Pearls have long been used medicinally.
They were thought to cure everything from fevers
to stomach ulcers.
Lapis quartz or Lapis Lazuli is prized for its
intense blue color. Lapis is made up of several
minerals, but its main ingredient is lazurite. The
gemstone contains many tiny crystals that make it
an ideal material for carving. This precious stone
of a rich dark blue or deep purple has been used
in jewelry and carving and mullets for a thousand
years. The name comes from Latin meaning "the
blue stone". The Egyptians regarded Lapis as
a heavenly stone and often used it on the statues
of their gods and in burial masks as protection
for the next life. Egyptians and Babylonians believe
that Lapis could cure melancholy. Even today, Chinese
traditional medicine uses Lapis to treat phlegm,
congestion and spasms. Overall, Lapis jewelry is
believed to be a good luck charm and protection
against evil.
Gemstones
are mineral substances that have to be beautiful
in terms of colors and the way they reflect light.
Gems are rare and durable. Mineral gemstones are
the majority of gems and are crystallized within
the Earth's crust, formed at a high temperatures
and pressures and brought to the Earth's surface
by rising magma or by prolonged erosion. These processes
form the mineral gemstone's internal structure and
fixed chemical or organic compositions, which are
produced by plants or animals. Synthetic gems are
created in laboratories and have similar chemical
properties to real gemstones.
The amethyst occurs in shades of purple, lilac,
and mauve. This is the most valuable of the quartz
gemstones group. Some Amethyst can be heat-treated
to produce the yellow variety of quartz called Citrine.
This type of gemstone is still used in some forms
of natural healing as people believe that Amethyst
has strong talismanic properties. It is named for
the curing of "the sober mind against drunkenness",
from the Greek word " amethystos". In
traditional Chinese medicine, ground Amethyst is
prescribed for stomach pain and bad dreams.
Aquamarine is the name of a precious gemstone that
gets its name from its seawater color. In the late
19th century, sea blue and green varieties were
the most popular. The blue ones are more valued
today. There are deposits of Aquamarine in almost
every continent of the world. The blue Aquamarine
is also know as the sailor's gem ensuring safe passage
across the sea, and in medieval times this stone
was thought to reawaken the love of married couples
after long separations. 
Cat's Eye or Chrysoberyl is also know as Cymophane
which is always cut en cabochon which makes the
gems translucent in honey brown or apple green colors.
As the precious stone of eyes' of the graceful cat,
its value increases in proportion to the narrowness
and intensity of its flash of light, which looks
as it sounds and allegedly protects the owner against
the "evil eye". In the west, Cat's Eye
chrysoberyls were used in crystal healing. In India,
this stone is also used medicinally particularly
as remedy for cancer. Chrysoberyl comes originally
from the Greek word meaning "golden" because
it comes in many varieties of yellow, gold, honey
or light green. It is one of the hardest stones
(8.5 Moh's scale) and is particularly prized for
jewelry. The interesting type of Chrysoberyls are
alexandrite, which can change from green to red,
mauve or brown depending on the light.
Chrysoprase is a bright-apple green chalcedony
quartz resembling jadeite. However if you could
look close enough you could see the difference in
the microcrystalline structure and waxy appearance.
This green precious stone is the most valuable of
the chalcedonies-family gemstones. This gem is mostly
used for carving and cut into cabochons.
Topaz or Citrine: The name "Topaz" comes
from Sanskrit tapas, meaning "fires" because
this precious stone usually comes in a variety of
sunny yellow colors. However, the stone can also
be heat-treated to produce more popular hues such
pink topaz which is an irradiated form of the more
common yellow. Today pink, blue and honey colors
of Topaz are very rare and valuable. In history,
Topaz was thought to cure madness if worn around
the neck.
The Diamond is known as "the king of gems"
since it is the most precious of gemstones. Diamonds
are a form of carbon and are of the hardest mineral
on earth. Diamonds occur in a range of colors such
champagne, silver, purple, gold, rose and even black.
Yet, the most popular is colorless. The Diamond
is a symbol of love and fidelity and has been used
in engagement rings since the 15th century.
The Emerald is a beautiful green and transparent
gemstone that derives its color from the presence
of chromium and vanadium. A hundred years ago, Emeralds
were thought to possess healing powers especially
for restoring eye sight. In renaissance times, Emeralds
were exchanged among the aristocracy as symbols
of friendship. It was believed that the stone would
stay intact only if friendship lasted. 
Coral comes in variations of red, pink, blue and
white. Coral is a substance similar to pearls which
is a calcium carbonate. Yet Coral is formed by the
build up of skeletal remains of colonies of tiny
marine animals and it grows in branch-like formations.
Corals have been used in jewelry and carving for
thousands of years. The deeper the colors, the more
prized the Coral. In the16th century, people thought
that a prig of red or white Coral could calm a raging
tempest, as Coral allegedly cured madness and protected
one against enchantments.
The Garnet comes in many colors of deep-red even
green or violet and purple. These various colors
of the Garnet gemstones family share similar cubic
crystal structure and chemical composition. The
name for Garnet comes from the Latin for pomegranate
which has bright red, garnet-like seeds. In medieval
time Garnets were thought to cure depression and
protect one from bad dreams and relieved diseases
of the liver as well as hemorrhages.
Jade comes from two distinct minerals: jadeite
and nephrite. Jade has been carved for thousands
of years. Jadeite is slightly harder and often appears
dimpled when polished and comes in virtually every
color while nephrite is a more common element in
Jade that makes it soft enough to carve. Most Jade
is green, yellow and white or sometimes purple.
Jade is an extremely tough gemstone despite being
7 on scale of hardness. This is due to its structure
which is a mass of tiny interlocking grains and
fibers. In China, children wore small Jade amulets
to prevent disease and people in the old days used
to powder Jade and distilled it in dew water to
calm the mind. 
Moonstone derives its name from its blue-white
sheen, the color of a silvery moon. It was once
thought that the gem's luster waxed and waned just
like the moon itself. Moonstones have always been
used in jewelry by moon-worshipers. In reality,
the stones' distinctive sheen comes from its structure
of thin albite layers that create and attractive
blue. Thicker layers create more of a hue and milky
opalescence. In India, the Moonstone is believed
to bring good luck and is considered sacred so it
is the passion of lovers. The Romans thought that
those who wore Moonstones would receive wisdom,
wealth and even success in battle.
Onyx comes in variety of chalcedony quartz colors
mostly in shinny black or many colors. It is a production
of fossilized wood which make it very hard and durable.
The stone has been carve for centuries or polished
into beads of elegant jewelry that used to be popular
in the 18th century; its shinny blackness reflects
the sense of hope and renewal. North American Indian
used to carve magical objects or animal of Onyx
to attempt to influence the forces of nature, and
in China, blackish Onyx is a symbol of winners.
The Opal is unlike other gemstones because it is
non-crystalline and is formed from hardened silica
gel. The Opal is known for its rainbow iridescence.
The name Opal comes from Sanskrit of Upala, meaning
"precious stone". Opals are found in fossilized
shell, wood and bone. It is a carbon formed substance
with shades of black, flashes of pale pinks, blues
and greens. The play of the colors is caused by
the diffraction of light of its closely packed silica
spheres. Fire Opal is a soft gemstone of deep orange
colors that are translucent or transparent and very
sensitive to changes in temperatures, humidity and
even light intensity. In Asia, the Opal is a symbol
of hope.
The Peridot is rich in green colors as the name
is given to gem-quality specimens of the mineral
olivine which is derived from its characteristic
olive-green colors. These green colors depend on
iron content and it can be bottled green or yellowish
green. The stone is usually cut as a pendeloque
to create a darker and more favored hue. Moreover,
Peridot has a strong double refraction, which means
that you can often see a doubling of the back facets.
Peridot is well known as the "evening emerald".
The Egyptians claimed that Peridots glowed by night
but were invisible by day. They believed the Peridot
had the power to dispel the darkness and terrors
of the nights.
Red Jasper comes from chalcedony quartz family
which grows in reddish colored bands resembling
desert landscape.
The Ruby comes in colors of classic deep rich red
to shades of pink, purple or brown depending on
the chemical contents of the gemstones. Rubies are
second only to Diamonds in terms of hardness and
this, along with the vibrancy of their colors, makes
them highly prized for jewelry. The finest Rubies
come from Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. Rubies are
traditionally given as a 40th wedding anniversary
present and it's the precious stone for those born
in July. Rubies are the gemstone of prophecy. In
the old days people believed that a Ruby would darken
when its wearer was in danger. In the 15th and 16th
centuries, Rubies were thought to counteract poisons
so were much in demand. Throughout history, Rubies
were thought to bring back or restore youth and
vitality when rubbed on the skin.
Sapphires come in a range of yellows, pinks and
greens as well as the better-known blue variety.
The blue ones are deemed holy as they are jewels
of chastity. In its purest form, the Sapphire is
colorless while traces of vanadium render it violet
and different natural element structures contained
in gemstones such as iron, titanium or chromium
make the presence of Sapphires more pink, yellow,
blue or dark green. Like Rubies, pink Sapphires
are thought to ward off ill-health and misfortune
when worn against the skin. 
Spinel can be blue, yellow or red. The colors are
created by various metallic impurities. The most
popular Spinel is ruby red, which contains chromium
and iron. However, pure Spinel is colorless or with
a light pink mauve tinge. Spinel was recognized
as a mineral only 150 years ago, prior to this it
was classified as a Ruby and shared the Ruby's reputed
medicinal and prophetic power. It was also used
as a remedy for hemorrhages.
Turquoise has a rich and colorful history. To the
Aztecs it was "the stone of God" and was
used extensively in religious artifacts. In medieval
Europe it was deemed a powerful talisman. Turquoise
is formed in solid, grape-shape like masses and
nodules, often containing dark veins. In China,
Turquoise beads are often carved into a variety
of animal shapes. The color of Turquoise is affected
by heat, as well as by oils, cosmetics and perspiration,
and when worn can go from blue to a dull green.
So in order to avoid damage it is best to remove
a Turquoise ring before washing the hands. Turquoise
has always been considered lucky and able to safeguard
or bring happiness to the wearer.
Tourmaline is usually presented as a long, three-side
prism. Tourmalines come in a wide range of colors
with many shades of red and dark blue and can even
be colorless. Originally the name Tourmaline comes
from the Greek word achroos, meaning without colors.
However, many Tourmaline crystals are multicolored.
Green Tourmaline is fairly common and is known as
verdelite and dark brown Tourmalines are rich in
magnesium, which can be lighten by heat-treatment.
In 18th century a Dutch scientist claimed that a
Tourmaline wrapped in silk and placed against the
cheek of a feverish child would induce sleep.
Zircon is commonly found in variations of golden
brown, reddish brown, honey color or even blues
or greens depending on its impurity but the purest
forms of Zircons are colorless. The name came from
the Persian Zargun meaning "golden". Although
they appear in a range of colors, many zircons are
heated-treated to produce the popular blue or colorless
varieties. In Roman times, golden Zircon stones
were the most popular and most prized. All Zircons
were deemed magical, in 14th century, they were
popularly worn to safeguard one against illness
and death. 
Amber is formed from the fossilized resin of trees
that lived million years ago and may contain plants
and insects trapped within the sticky resin before
it set. Amber is not as dense as synthetic and plastic
resins and will float in salt water. Amber is known
for producing an electrical charge when rubbed.
Amber usually comes in golden brown, honey color
or orange and has been used for jewelry and religious
objects since prehistoric times. Since Amber is
formed naturally and accidentally, the air bubbles
and inclusions give Amber its characteristic mottled
appearance and are not seen as flaws, yet they can
be removed by boiling the fossil resin in oil. Amber
is a soft gemstone and is easy to carve. Amber was
believed to have talismanic properties.
Pearls, once viewed by Arabians as the tears of
the Gods, are created by certain shellfish, mainly
oysters and mussels. They form when an irritant
such as grain of sand enters the shell. Layers and
layers of calcium carbonate form around the irritant
as an innate defense mechanism of the mollusk. It
generally takes years to create a round bead of
pearl. The rare and valuable "Natural Pearls"
are formed as an accident of nature and not by human
intervention. Pearls can be the classic creamy white
color or multicolor and as dark as black depending
on the oysters. Irregular shaped Pearls are known
as Baroque Pearls. Pearls have long been used medicinally.
They were thought to cure everything from fevers
to stomach ulcers.
Lapis quartz or Lapis Lazuli is prized for its
intense blue color. Lapis is made up of several
minerals, but its main ingredient is lazurite. The
gemstone contains many tiny crystals that make it
an ideal material for carving. This precious stone
of a rich dark blue or deep purple has been used
in jewelry and carving and mullets for a thousand
years. The name comes from Latin meaning "the
blue stone". The Egyptians regarded Lapis as
a heavenly stone and often used it on the statues
of their gods and in burial masks as protection
for the next life. Egyptians and Babylonians believe
that Lapis could cure melancholy. Even today, Chinese
traditional medicine uses Lapis to treat phlegm,
congestion and spasms. Overall, Lapis jewelry is
believed to be a good luck charm and protection
against evil. 
