... 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, ...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Metaphysical healing using crystals has in some form, been practiced by almost every culture on Earth. Before we look at specific techniques, it is essential to get some idea of the underlying principles that inspired the use of crystals in healing. Healers of crystal healing state that crystals are...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Pyrite is a protective, shielding stone and is excellent to wear or carry as an amulet to deflect harm and danger. It is especially helpful when one is away from home or performing hazardous work. Pyrite NuggetClick to view this item Pyrite guards against ongoing control, criticism and manipulation by a partner,...
Morganite is a pink, peach or purple/pink variety of Beryl, a beryllium aluminum silicate mineral with hardness of 7.5 to 8. Its crystal system is hexagonal (trigonal).Its color is caused by manganese. Morganite was mined first in Madagascar in 1902. It was named after the financier and mineral collector J.P....
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
The name Aquamarine is derived from the Latin aqua (water) and mare (sea). Aquamarine is one of our most popular and best-known gemstones, and distinguishes itself by many good qualities. It is almost as popular as the classics; ruby, sapphire and emerald. In fact it is related to the emerald both...
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...
Kunzite and Hiddenite are both varieties of the mineral Spodumene. Kunzite carries the pink ray of Divine love and joy, and Hiddenite carries the green ray of Divine healing and gratitude. Kunzite's realm is the emotion of the heart- learning to see the energy of Divine love in every aspect of...
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,...
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