Jewelry Article: Colorful Choices in Colored Gemstones; Transparent Varieties Ii

Colorful choices in colored Gemstones

Translucent to opaque varieties

Turquoise

- Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite is a new comer to the jewelry business. While sought by rock hounds for many years and a beloved of starting lapidaries, rhodochrosite appeared only occasionally face of rock and mineral shows frequented by hobbyists. A member of the carbonate mineral group, rhodochrosite is a relatively soft stone occurring in both a rare transparent and a more tasteless non-translucent variety. For practical purposes, we will discuss the latter, more readily available form.

A lovely red to almost white color, often with agate like curved lines creating a produce in contrasting shades of red or pink, rhodochrosite may occasionally occur in an orangy tone, but this is is poorer potential material. The finest color is a medium to deep rose, preferably with curved banding. It has long been beloved for sure ornamental objects (spheres, boxes, eggs) but only recently for jewelry. Today, necklaces using rhodochrosite beads alternating with other gemstones or gold beads are becoming particularly popular. It is soft, however, and some caution should be used in wearing to avoid unnecessary abuse.

- Scapplite

Scapplite is an exciting gem that is starting to appear in more jewelry as it becomes more available. Rediscover in Brazil after a forty years hiatus and also recently discovered in Kenya, scapolite is a nice, transparent, fairly durable gemstone occurring in a range of colors from colorless to yellow, light red, orange to greenish to bluish gray, violet, and violet blue. The orange, light red, and whitish specimens may also occur as semitransparent stones, which may show a cat's eye succeed (chatoyancy) when cut into cabochons.

The most likely to appear in jewelry are the violets and yellows, and maybe orange cat's eye. They might for real be mistaken for yellow beryl or sure quartz minerals like amethyst or citrine.

Consumers and sellers will have to wait and see what trends evolve around this gemstone, as its availability will settle time to come use and cost.

- Serpentine

Serpentine derives its name from its similarity to the green, speckled skin of the serpent. Amulets of serpentine were worn for security from serpent bites, stings of poisonous reptiles, and poison in general. A king was reputed to have insisted that his chalice be made of serpentine, as it was believed that a poisoned drink were put into a serpentine vessel, the vessel would sweat on the outside. The effectiveness of treatment was increased when drunk from a serpentine vessel.

Serpentine is often used as a jade substitute. It is a translucent to semi-translucent stone occurring in light to dark yellowish green to greenish yellow. One range is used for ornamental wall facings and table counter surfaces, but some of the more exciting green varieties so intimately look like jadeite or nephrite jade that they are used in carvings and jewelry, and are often misrepresented as jade. tasteless serpentine is also sometimes dyed a jade like color. One lovely green variety, williamsite, which is a very pleasing deep green, often with small black flecks within, is often sold as "Pennsylvania Jade." It is pretty, but it is not jade. an additional one range of serpentine, bowenite, is also sold today as "Korean jade" or "new jade." Again, it is pretty but nit jade. Serpentine is softer than jade; less durable, and much more common, which its price should reflect.

It is a lovely gemstone in its own right, and makes a nice alternative to jade. While it has been around for a long time (too often, however, represented as jade), we are just starting to see this stone used oftentimes in necklaces and other fine jewelry under its own name.

- Sodalite

This gemstone has already been discussed under lapis. Sodalite is a dark blue semitransparent to semi-translucent stone used oftentimes as a substitute for the rarer, more expensive lapis. While it may have some white veining, it does not have the golden or silver flecks that are characteristics of lapis. If you do not see these shiny flecks, presume that the stone is probably sodalite.

- Spinel

Spinel is one of the loveliest of the gems but hasn't yet been given due reputation and respect. It is ordinarily compared to sapphire or ruby, rather than being recognized for its own intrinsic charm and value. There is also a tasteless confidence that spinel (and similarly zircon) is artificial rather than natural, when in fact it is one of the nature's most gorgeous products. This misconception probably arose because artificial spinel is seen oftentimes on the store whereas genuine spinel is not often seen.
Spinel occurs in red orange (flame spinel), light to dark orangy red, light to dark slightly grayish blue, greenish blue, grayish green, and dark to light purple to violet. It also occurs in yellow and in an opaque variety; black. When compared to the blue of sapphire or red of ruby the color is ordinarily considered less intense (although some red spinel can look very much like some ruby on the market), yet its brilliance can be greater. If you appreciate these spinel colors for themselves, they are quite pleasing. The most beloved are red (usually a more orange red than ruby red) and blue (sometimes resembling a strong Bromo-Seltzer-bottle blue).

Spinel may be confused with or misrepresented as one of many gemstones; ruby, sapphire, zircon, amethyst, garnet, artificial ruby and sapphire or artificial spinel, as well as glass. The artificial is often used to make composite stones such as doublets. Spinel is a fairly hard, fairly durable gemstone, possessing a nice brilliance, and still a good value.

This gemstone is becoming more and more popular, and may, therefore, come to be more expensive if current trends continue.

- Spodumene (Kunzite and Hiddenite)

Spodumene is an additional one gem relatively new to uncut jewelry use. The most beloved varieties are kunzite and hiddenite.

Kunzite is a very lovely brilliant gemstone occurring in delicate lilac, pinkish, or violet shades. Its color can fade in strong light, and so it has come to be known as an "evening" gemstone. Also, while basically hard, it is nonetheless fragile and can break for real if it receives a sharp blow from sure directions. It is not recommended for rings for this presume unless set in a protective mounting. But it is a lovely gem, whose low cost makes it exciting in large sizes, and an exquisite selection for lovely, dramatic jewelry design.

Hiddenite is rarer. Light green or yellow green varieties are available, but the emerald green varieties are scarce. As with kunzite, it is hard but brittle, so care must be exercised in wear.

Spodumene also occurs in many other shades of colors, all pale but very clear and brilliant. Only blue is currently missing but who knows what may yet be discovered in some part of the world? Spodumene is still fairly cheap and is an exquisite selection for contemporary jewelry design. Be careful, however, as it can be confused with and sold for more expensive topaz, tourmaline, spinel, or beryl. Also, artificial corundum or spinel can be mistaken for this gem.

- Sugilite

Sugilite named for the Japanese petrologist who discovered it, Ken-ichi Sugi, sugilite first appeared on jewelry scene in the late 1970s, sold as Royal Azel and Royal Lavulite. Best known today as sugilite, its lovely, deep rich purple to purple red color is unique. An opaque gem, it is ordinarily cut in cabochon or beads, although it is also beloved for inlay work (intarsia) by top artisans. Sugilite belongs to the manganese house and most comes from Africa. The finest color is already becoming scarce, so it is difficult to predict the time to come for this exciting newcomer.

- Tanzanite

See Zoisite below.

- Titanite (Sphene)

Titanite is an additional one "new" gem that is starting to appear and offers some exciting possibilities for jewelry market. While it has been extremely regarded for many years, its relative scarcity prevented its wide scale use in jewelry. Today, however, new sources have been discovered and we are starting to see greater availability.

This is a beautiful, brilliant gemstone, with a diamond like (adamantine) luster and fire that is even greater than in diamond. Unfortunately, it is soft. Its colors range from grass green to golden yellow to brown.
There is need for some caution because of this stone's softness. We propose that it is especially favorable for pendants, earrings, brooches, and protective ring settings.

- Topaz

True topaz, sticker of love and affection, aid to sweetness of disposition, and birthstone for November, is one of nature's most astounding and least known families. The true topaz is rarely seen in jewelry stores. Unfortunately, most population know only the quartz (citrine) topaz, or glass, and in the past almost any yellow gemstone was called topaz. A very gorgeous and versatile gemstone, topaz is a hard brilliant stone with a fine color range, and it is much rarer and much more expensive than gemstones ordinarily sold as topaz. It is also heavier than its imitators.
Topaz occurs not only in the transparent yellow, yellow brown, orangy brown, and pinky brown colors most popularly linked with it, but also in a very light to medium red now found naturally in fair supply, although many are produced straight through heat treatment. It is also found in a very light to medium deep blue, also often the succeed of treatment, although it does occur naturally on a fairly wide scale. Other topaz shades contain very light green, light greenish yellow, violet, and colorless.
Blue topaz has come to be very beloved in modern years, most of it treated; unfortunately, there is no way yet to settle which have been treated and which are natural. The blue form intimately resembles the finest aquamarine, which is very expensive today, and offers a very attractive, and much more affordable, alternative to it. Some of the fine, deeper blue treated topazes have been found to be radioactive and, agreeing to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, may be injurious to the wearer. In the United States all blue topaz must be tested for radiation levels; the Gia now provides this assistance to the jewelry trade. However, be very truthful when buying blue topaz face the United States. If you do, you may be wise to have it tested when you get home.

There are many misleading names to propose that a stone is topaz when it is not, for example, "Rio topaz," "Madeira topaz," "Spanish topaz," and "Palmeira topaz." They are types of citrine (quartz) and should be represented as such.

The true topaz house offers a range of color options in lovely, clear, brilliant, and durable gemstones. This house should come to be more foremost in the years ahead.

- Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a gem of contemporary times, but nonetheless has found its way to the list of birthstones, becoming an "alternate birthstone" for October. maybe this honor succeed from tourmaline's versatility and broad color range. Or maybe from the fact that red and green tourmaline, in which red and green occur side by side in the same gemstone, is reminiscent of turning of October leaves.

Whatever the case, tourmaline is one of the most versatile of gem families. It is available in every color, in every tone, from deep to pastel and even with two or more colors appearing in the same stone, side by side. There are bicolor tourmaline (half red and the other half green, for example) and tricolor (one-third blue, one-third green, and one-third yet an additional one color). The exciting "watermelon" tourmaline looks like the inside of a watermelon; red in the center surrounded by green "rind." Tourmaline can also be found in a cat's eye variety.

One of the most exciting gemological discoveries of this century was the discovery of a unique range of tourmaline in Paraiba, Brazil. These singular beauties, referred to as "Paraiba" or "Hetorita" after the man who discovered them, have colors so intense and come in such a wide range of green, blue, and lilac shades that they are referred to as neon tourmalines. Unfortunately, ask has been unprecedented for these singular tourmalines, and provide has dwindled. The succeed is that many of the finest Paraibas are very expensive and some rival the finest sapphires in price. For whatever who loves these colors, they are worth seeing just for their own sake. If jewelers in your area don't have these gemstones, they can caress the American Gem Trade connection in Dallas, Texas, about where to fetch them.

It is for real surprising that most population know of tourmaline naturally as a tasteless "green" gemstone. Nothing could be more misleading. Today, we are ultimately starting to see other lovely varieties of this exciting gem in the jewelry market. In expanding to the exciting new "Paraiba," other beloved varieties include:

1) Chrome: A particularly rare green hue.

2) Indicolite: Deep indigo blue, ordinarily with a green undertone.

3) Rubellite: Deep pink to red, as in ruby.

Tourmaline is a fairly hard, durable, brilliant, and very wearable gemstone with a wide selection of colors. It is also still available in large sizes. It is a gemstone without ask will play a more and more foremost role in jewelry in the years ahead.

- Turquoise

Turquoise birthstone for December, and ranking highest among all the opaque stones, turquoise; the "Turkish gemstone," is extremely prized throughout Asia Africa, not only for its singular hue of blue (a gorgeous robin's egg or sky blue) but more foremost for its supposed inhibitive and therapeutic qualities. The Arabs reconsider it a lucky stone and have great confidence in its benevolent action. Used in rings, earrings, necklaces, head ornaments, and amulets, it protects the wearer from poison, reptile bites, eye diseases, and the evil eye. It was also believed capable of warning of impending death by changing color. Also, the drinking of water in which turquoise has been dipped or washed was believed to cure bladder ailments. Buddhists revere the turquoise because it is linked with a legend in which a turquoise enabled Buddha to destroy a monster. Even today it is considered a sticker of courage, success, and love. It has also long been linked with American Indian jewelry and art.

Turquoise is an opaque, light to dark blue or blue green stone. The finest color is an intense blue, with poorer qualities tending toward yellowish green. The sublime Persian turquoise, which can be very intense and pleasing blue, is considered a very rare and critical gem.

All turquoises are susceptible to aging an may turn greenish or maybe darker with gem. Also, care must be taken when wearing, both to avoid caress with soap, grease, or other materials that might discolor it, and to safe it from abuse, since turquoise scratches easily.

But exercise caution when buying turquoise. This is a oftentimes simulated gem. Very fine glass imitations are produced that are difficult to distinguish from genuine. Very fine adulterated stones, and reconstructed stones (from turquoise powder bonded in plastic) saturate the marketplace, as does artificial turquoise. There are techniques to swiftly distinguish these imitations or simulations, so, if in doubt, check it out (and get a perfect record on the bill of sale; "genuine, natural turquoise").

- Zircon

Zircon is known to the ancients as "hyacinth," this gem had many powers, especially for men. While it was known to support women in childbirth, for men it kept evil spirits and drams away, gave security against "fascination" and lightning, strengthened their bodies, fortified their hearts, restored appetite, suppressed fat, produced sleep, and banished grief and sadness form the mind.

Zircons are very brilliant transparent gemstones available in several lovely colors. Unfortunately, many consumers suffer from a strange misconception that zircon is a artificial or man-made gemstone rather than a lovely natural creation. maybe this confidence is based on the fact that they are oftentimes color treated, as in the blue zircons so often seen. Zircons also occur naturally in yellow, brown, orange, and red.

Many might mistake the colorless zircon foe diamond because of its strong brilliance, which coupled with its very low cost, makes colorless zircon an exciting alternative to diamonds as a gemstone to offset or dress up colored gemstones. But care needs to be exercised because zircon is fragile and will chip or abrade easily. For this reason, zircon is recommended for earrings, pendants, brooches, or rings with protective setting.

- Zoisite (Tanzanite)

Zoisite was not considered a gem material until 1967, when a gorgeous rich, blue to purple blue, transparent range was found in Tanzania (hence tanzanite). Tanzanite can possess a rich, sapphire blue color, maybe with some violet red or greenish yellow flashes. A gem green range has recently been discovered, which is being called "green tanzanite"or "chrome tanzanite." The green can be a very lovely shade, ranging from a slightly yellowish green to gray green to bluish green. provide is limited, so time will tell either or not this green range will be readily available to the public.

But one must be cautious. It is relatively soft, so we do not propose tanzanite for rings (unless it's set in a very protected setting) or for every day wear in which it would be exposed to knocks and other abuse.

Jewelry Article: Colorful Choices in Colored Gemstones; Transparent Varieties Ii

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