... 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, ...
While most varieties of transparent quartz are valued most when they lack inclusions, some varieties are valued chiefly because of inclusions! The most popular of these is known as rutilated quartz. Rutilated quartz is transparent rock crystal with golden needles of rutile arrayed in patterns inside. Every pattern is different...
Lepidolite is an uncommon mica and has only in the past decade become available on the mineral market in large quantities. Lepidolite is an ore of lithium and forms in granitic masses that contain a substantial amount of lithium. The lithium content in lepidolite does vary greatly however and low...
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...
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...
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...
Natural glass created by a meteorite striking the earth. Green in color with a clarity that makes it the only tektite that can be faceted. The history of moldavite goes all the way back to the Holy Grail. At that time it was considered to be a holy relic with the...
With its bright, almost luminescent green coloring Prehnite is an attractive mineral that can have a very good luster. It forms in cavities in basaltic rocks. Prehnite is a hydrous, calcium-aluminum-silicate mineral, which is commonly found in cavities and "pillows" and along fractures of basalt and diabase rock. Butterfly Shaped Prehnite...
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...
Malachite is copper carbonate formed from very small crystals. It is usually found with alternating layers of light green and darker green. These color layers give malachite its distinctive appearance.Malachite is sometimes called the stone of transformation for its ability to help you on your path to spiritual growth. It...
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...
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...
A pyramid is any man-made structure where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point. The base of a pyramid may be either quadrilateral or trilateral, meaning that a pyramid may have either three or four vertical sides, but all pyramids must have trilateral sides. The measurements of...
Which colour would you spontaneously associate with love and vividness, passion and power? Obviously this will evoke the colour red. Red symbolizes love, it emanates warmth and a strong sense of life. Red is also the colour of Ruby, the King of gemstones. After all, in the fascinating realm of...
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"...
A tetrahedron (plural: tetrahedra) is a polyhedron composed of four triangular faces, three of which meet at each vertex. A regular tetrahedron is one in which the four triangles are regular, or "equilateral," and is one of the Platonic solids. Tetrahedron
Agate provides for balancing of yin-yang energy and for balancing of the physical, emotional and intellectual bodies with the etheric energies. It stabilizes the aura, providing for a cleansing effect which its to smooth dysfunctional energies and to both transform and eliminate negativity. It further assists one in the development...
Geodes, a term derived from a Greek word meaning earth-shaped, are irregular, roughly spherical bodies. They can be oblong or shaped like invertebrate fossils. Some are hollow and lined with most beautiful and unusual layers and clusters of various mineral crystals, but others are completely filled by inward-growing crystals. Hollow geodes,...
Calcite can be found in clear, green, gray, yellow, pink, red, and blue. Calcite is calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and will dissolve in dilute hydrochloric acid. Some types are fluorescent in ultraviolet light. Calcite is an aid to perception, allowing you to see things more clearly and to see reality in...
Ancient and yet always at the height of current fashion: that is Turquoise for you. Its brilliant sky-blue belongs to the all-time favourite trend colours in the world of fashion and jewellery.In many cultures of the Old and New World this gemstone has for thousands of years been appreciated as...