... fade if exposed to direct sunlight. It has natural termination points.Some peices are like wands, wide, slender and transparent. Others are quite opaque. Celestite is found around Lake Erie, California, ...
Sunstone is also called aventurine feldspar (a variety of oligoclase). This gemstone varies from golden to orange to red-brown, and can be transparent or translucent. Sunstone is metallic-looking due to sparkling red, orange or green crystalline inclusions (these are hematite or goethite crystals). Sunstone has a beautiful glittering sunlight effect as...
Facets are flat faces on geometric shapes. The organization of naturally occurring facets was key to early developments in crystallography, since they reflect the underlying symmetry of the crystal structure. Gemstones commonly have facets cut into them in order to improve their appearance. Of the many hundreds of facet arrangements that...
Larimar (misspelled: lorimar) is a rare blue variety of pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. Its coloration varies from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue Larimar
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is one of the most popular gems. If it were not for its widespread availability, Amethyst would be very expensive. Amethyst is a widely used gem. Open Smile Amethyst Geode SphereClick to view this item The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek word "amethustos"...
Colour is often light-blue or white, colourless. Lustre is vitreous, pearly and is translucent. The hardness scale: 3 - 3 1/2. This crystal grown in clusters and is brittle and factures unevenly. It may fade if exposed to direct sunlight. It has natural termination points.Some peices are like wands, wide,...
Kyanite, whose name derives from the Greek, kyanos, meaning blue, is a typically blue silicate mineral, commonly found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and/or sedimentary rock. Kyanite is a diagnostic mineral of the Blueschist Facies of metamorphic rocks. Kyanite is a member of the aluminosilicate series, which includes the polymorph andalusite and...
Since at least 2950 BC, jade has been treasured in China as the royal gemstone, yu. The character for jade resembles a capital I with a line across the middle: the top represents the heavens, the bottom the earth, and the center section, mankind. The word yu is used in...
This gemstone is called the gemstone of the Vikings, Iolite is also very often mistaken for Tanzanite. It derives it's name from the Greek work 'ios' which means violet. This gemstone is bluish violet in color, Iolite with prominent blue color tones resembles blue sapphire and in lighter blue violet...
This form of Cryptocrystaline Quartz contains inclusions of small crystals that reflect light and give a range of colors - depending on the nature of the inclusion. Hence aventurine may be green, greenish-brown, blueish-white, bluish green and orange. Aventurine has a hardness rating of 7. Aventurine has been confused with amazonite...
A very common, coarse-grained variety of the silica mineral quartz that ranges in colour from nearly black through smoky brown. No distinct boundary exists between smoky and colourless quartz. Its abundance causes it to be worth considerably less than either amethyst or citrine. Heating bleaches the stone, the colour sometimes...
The name "topaz" is derived from the Greek topazos, "to seek," which was the name of an island in the Red Sea that was difficult to find and from which a yellow stone (now believed to be a yellowish olivine ) was mined in ancient times. In...
Spinel crystallizes in the isometric system; common crystal forms are octahedra, usually twinned. It has an imperfect octahedral cleavage and a conchoidal fracture. Its hardness is 8, its specific gravity is 3.5–4.1, and it is transparent to opaque with a vitreous to dull luster. It may be colorless, but is...
Obsidian is an excellent grounding stone and provides for a connection from the base of the spine to the heart of the Earth.It is an excellent protective stone, stabilizing internal and external energies and gently protecting one from that which could bring physical and/or emotional harm. It provides a shield...
Gypsum is found in nature in mineral and rock form. As a mineral, it can form very pretty, and sometimes extremely large, crystals. As a rock, gypsum is a sedimentary rock, typically found in thick beds or layers. It forms in lagoons where ocean waters high in calcium and sulfate...
Labradorite (also called Spectrolite sometimes) is a considered by mystics to be a stone of transformation. It is said to clear, balance and protect the aura. It is purported to help provide clarity and insight into your destiny, as well as attract success. It is used in metaphysics for dream...
The many colors of fluorite are truly wonderful. The rich purple color is by far fluorite's most famous and popular color. Fluorite Pebble with Silver BraceletClick to view this item It easily competes with the beautiful purple of amethyst. Often specimens of fluorite and amethyst with similar shades of purple are used in...
Apophyllite is used as an aid to meditation and helps us make a conscious connection with the spiritual world. It has been used to help in mind over matter (eg fire-walking) and astral travel. It helps us see the truth and how to act on it. As an energy stimulator, it...
Moonstone shows an almost magical play of light as its characteristic feature. It owes its name to this mysterious gleaming which appears different whenever the stone changes its position in movement. Experts call this the “adularescence”, and in earlier times the phases of waxing and waning moon were though to...
Opal is a sedimentary stone. Under proper conditions, water percolates through the earth, becoming rich in dissolved silicates. When it enters a cavity, the silicates are deposited as tiny spheres. If they are uniform in size and shape, they will diffract light. If they are random in shape and arrangement,...
Rhodochrosite (whose name means rose-colored from the Greek rhodon -"rose" and chroma - "color") is a very attractive mineral with an absolutely one-of-a-kind, beautiful color. High Quality Natural Rhodochrosite Teardrop Pendant in Silver July BirthstoneClick to view this item Although it can be an ore of manganese, it is its ornamental and...