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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “Gem in the Spotlight”
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tourmaline
Tourmaline is one of the most beautiful gems that you’ve probably never heard of. Less popular than the likes of ruby or sapphire, tourmaline… any color you can imagine, and people have most likely used and appreciated it for hundreds of years. But, before the advent of modern gemology, most tourmaline was believed to be ruby, sapphire, or emerald. Gemology of Tourmaline … and not a species or member of a different family (unlike emerald and aquamarine, for example, which are members of the beryl family). It has a refractive index of 1.624 to 1.644 and a Mohs hardness of 7 to 7.5 which makes it softer …
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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 …, and flashes of color or fire just like diamond. Zircon also is known for its variety of colors. Blue zircon is the most popular color. But, zircon can be almost any color you can imagine including red, yellow, orange, brown, green, …, golden, saffron, and colorless. Zircon colors are pure and have that distinctive fire that sets it apart from other gems. The Gemology of Zircon Why does zircon have so much more fire then other colored gems? Zircon has a high …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Jade
Jade has one of the richest heritages of all gemstones. People have been using jade from as early as 6,000 BC, and it has been an …North American history ever since. But, what is jade, and what has given it such a prominent place in human history? The term “jade” actually refers to two completely different gems: nephrite and jadeite. These are actually two unique …, but since they have been confused for so many years, and are similar in many ways, they are both referred to by the blanket term “jade”. Both materials are silicates that have exceptional toughness, can be carved, and can be taken to a…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Morganite
Morganite is a beautiful, soft pink gemstone and a graceful expression of elegance. It is not a very well-known gem, but it definitely should be. It is … and known for its transparent peach-pink hue though it also occurs as soft pink, violet-pink, or pale salmon. It is the subtle, understated nature of Morganite’s color that sets it apart from many of the more popular gemstones. … as emerald and aquamarine. Because of its association with emerald it is sometimes called “Pink Emerald”. Other names for Morganite are “Pink Beryl”, “Rose Beryl”, and “Cesian (or caesian ) Beryl”. “Cesian” refers to the presence of the…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Iolite
Iolite is maybe not the first gemstone people think of for their blue-violet jewelry, but it should be near the top of the list. Iolite’s … sapphire, tanzanite, and amethyst. They may have name recognition, but iolite has a rich, unique color and great gem value on its side. It is more subtlety nuanced than amethyst and deeper than many tanzanites. Iolite’s name comes from … word “ios” meaning violet. Unlike many other popular gems, iolite cannot be heat treated to enhance its color. The color you see is the natural color of the stone when it was first discovered. This adds value to many gem buyers who don’…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
Opal has been described as containing the wonders of the skies, sparkling rainbows, fireworks, and lightning. Its dazzling play of color is totally unique in … for those lucky enough to born in October, and it is found in a huge variety of colors (sometimes all within the same stone). Gemology of Opal Opal’s captivating dance of colors is a result of its unique internal structure. This …spheres arranged in a pattern, which diffract light and create the spectacular play of colors known as opalescence . The colors seen in an opal depend on the size and arrangement of these spheres as well as the background colors and the …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Ruby
For much of human history, rubies have been the most prized gemstone. But, what is it about this red gem that has captivated our hearts and minds for so long? Is it… high cost? Or, is it something deeper? Whatever it is, ruby’s impact on humanity is broad and deep, with arguably the richest history of all gemstones. Gemology of Ruby Rubies are in the corundum gem family along with sapphires. … only to diamond (which has a Moh’s hardness of 10) and moissanite (which is in between). Rubies only occur in the color red which comes from trace amounts of chromium in the crystal structure. If they are too purple or too pink, they …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Peridot
Peridot is a lovely yellow-green gem with a rich history. Legend has it that Peridot was the favorite gemstone of Cleopatra. The ancients called it the “…It was believed that peridot could chase away evil spirits and dissolve curses but only when set in gold. Peridot is the birthstone for August. It is also the accepted anniversary gemstone for the 16th year of marriage. Peridot’s unique …’s color ranges from yellow-green to a warm olive green, and it is distinguished by its soft appearance. Color is the most important characteristic when determining the value of a Peridot gem. The deeper green the peridot is, the higher …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
Spinel, the Great Imposter” sounds like the title of an action movie, but it could also be the title of this article. For years … today is often used as a substitute for similar looking stones. In recent years, spinel has started to move out of the shadows and be appreciated in its own right, and we can see why. Its colors rival even the best rubies, sapphires, …, and other more popular gems. For only the 3rd time in the last one hundred years, the industry is modifying the official birthstone list. Spinel will be joining peridot as the August birthstone! This change was officially made in 2016…
