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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “Blue stones”
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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
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Gem in the Spotlight: Blue Zircon
Zircon may be last in the alphabet of gemstones, but it is first in sparkle. The crystal structure of zircon creates one of the liveliest displays found in any … of Zircon Since it has been known from antiquity, Zircon has a rich mythology. Zircon is one of December’s birthstones. In the middle ages, Zircon was said to aid in resting, induce sound sleep, drive away evil spirits, bring prosperity, … Zircon care and cleaning is simple: avoid steamers or ultrasonic cleaners. This is particularly important with stones that may have been color enhanced (like most Blue Zircon). Also, avoid the use of harsh cleaning chemicals or agents, …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Topaz
… be taken to avoid rapid cooling or heating. Topaz is the birthstone for November and blue topaz is one of the birthstones for December. We have a great variety of topaz jewelry in stock at our everyday low prices. They make great gifts for… comes to mind when I hear people discussing Topaz. You can hear one person say, “I love Topaz; it reminds me of a blue sky.” Then her friend says back, “Topaz may be like a golden sunset, but not the sky.” A third friend will chime in, “…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tanzanite
… majority (current estimates are around 95%) of tanzanite is heat treated to help bring out the vibrant blues. The stones that haven’t been heated by humans were heated through natural effects while they were still underground. Without … isn’t heated and is still pretty enough for jewelry displays trichroism. Trichroism is an effect that causes gemstones to display different colors when viewed at different angles. Tanzanite in its raw form has three colors: blue, purple, …
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The Birthstones
…midst of cold, white (valley fog) and at times stark surroundings are rewarded with one of the most varying birth gemstones, Garnet. Garnet’s pizzazz energizes the gloomiest day. Garnet varieties brighten the world in colors of yellow to … form directly from the hand of nature, ready to be admired and worn to display all their beauty. Alternative gemstones for June include moonstone, alexandrite, and rhodolite garnet. Learn more about Pearl and Alexandrite July’s Birthstone…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Aquamarine
… was believed to guarantee a happy marriage and inspire mutual fidelity in newlyweds. Notable Aquamarine Gemstones The largest gem-quality aquamarine gemstone ever mined was 19 inches long. The largest cut aquamarine is named the Dom Pedro …. Her tiara is an exquisite piece of platinum jewelry that has evolved several times over the years. Having larger stones swapped in and exchanging her pendant for the center stone in the tiara. The tiara is one of only a few items of …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tourmaline
… F. Kunz. He documented reports about the tourmaline deposits of Maine and California and praised the quality of the stones they produced. Along with opal, tourmaline is October’s birthstone. Care and Cleaning of Tourmaline Tourmaline makes… daily wear. Because it isn’t exceptionally hard (Mohs hardness of 7-7.5), it should be stored away from other gemstones that could potentially damage it. Tourmaline should not be put into an ultrasonic cleaner or steam cleaned, and should …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
… color, and a wide range of colors. Red carries more value and is by far the rarest color that opals can display. Stones with larger patches of color are valued higher than those that display only small pins (pinfire) or no play of color at…”. Opal has a refractive index of 1.37 – 1.47 and a Mohs hardness of 5.5-6. This makes it one of the softest gemstones commonly used in jewelry. For reference, here are the Mohs hardness values for some other gemstones you may know: Diamond…
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The Magic of Polarized Light
… Polarizing filters are critical to many fields of study. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to easily identify gemstones, TVs and monitors wouldn’t work in the same way, and the latest blockbuster movie wouldn’t pop off the screen the way … them to function efficiently as they do without negative side effects. Using Polarized Light in Gemology Some gemstones, due to their unique chemical structure, actually polarize light themselves. These gems are doubly refractive (DR) and …
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Anatomy of a Ring
… prongs checked by a jeweler, especially if it looks to you like any of the tips are missing or worn down, or if any stones are loose. The more tips that are thin or missing, the more likely you are to lose a stone. In addition to prong …rings have been very popular for sometime and so you may be familiar with this one already. The “halo” refers to the stones that surround the center stone, or sometimes center cluster. There are many styles of halo rings. A halo can be a …
