The title Precious Beryl refers to all colors of beryl that are not emerald or aquamarine (previous blogs). Beryl is a high temperature and high pressure metamorphic mineral. The colors in precious beryl are caused by different impurities included in the chemical makeup of the crystal. All forms of precious beryl have the same basic […]
Agate is a cryptocrystalline form of chalcedony characterized with brilliant colors and banding. One of the more famous varieties of agate is called “Crazy Lace.” Crazy Lace Agate is called the Laughter Stone, or “Happy Lace.” It is associated with sunny Mexican fiestas and dancing, and brings joy to those who wear it.It is not […]
Precious opal shows a variable interplay of internal colors and even though it is a mineraloid, it has an internal structure. At micro scales precious opal is composed of silica spheres some 150 to 300 nm in diameter in a hexagonal or cubic close packed lattice. These ordered silica spheres produce the internal colors by […]
Beryl is an aluminum beryllium silicate mineral. It is found in metamorphic and hydrothermal regions and produces several gemstones. It forms crystals in the hexagonal system with a hardness of 7 1/2 to 8 on the Moh’s Scale. It has a density of 2.67 to 2.78 grams / cubic centimeter. Streak is white. The mineral […]
“A fusion of fashion and nature” is the way that Cindy describes her amazing creations. Each handcrafted piece is made with a goal of emphasizing the natural characteristics of the stones while still keeping on trend with the fashion world. Not an easy task, but one that this talented designer gladly takes on. Cindy was […]
Feldspar is the most common mineral found at the surface of the earth. There are two basic varieties of feldspar: Orthoclase (Potassium Feldspar) and Plagioclase (Calcium-Sodium Feldspar). The term feldspar came from German meaning “field split.” Very well named as feldspars have a bad property for gemstones-perfect cleavage. Here are some of the most common […]
Posted by Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC Chalcedony is a catch all term that includes many well known varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz gemstones. They are found in all 50 States, in many colors and color combinations, and in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Chalcedony includes carnelian, sard, plasma, prase, bloodstone, onyx, sardonyx, chrysoprase, thundereggs, agate, […]
Posted by Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC Quartz is a very common mineral in the earth’s crust (second to feldspar in abundance), and comes in a variety of colors. Seen here is a cluster of quartz crystals. Quartz is silicon dioxide (SiO2) and is the primary mineral in sand. Quartz has a hardness of seven […]
This is the first in a series of blogs featuring gemstones other than the big four (diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald). Each monthly blog will feature a different colored gemstone. The correct division of gemstones is white and colored. There is only one white gem-diamond. All others (including several in clear/white) are called colored gemstones. […]
Lori did not start out to learn everything possible about stones, gems and jewelry making, more like it hit her when she stumbled upon a unique piece of jewelry with an aqua colored gem attached to a twist of wire. Rather than walk away, she found herself obsessed with finding out what this sparkly treasure […]
