Talkohlorit - soft ancient (Proterozoic) slate, consisting of carbonates - calcite CaCO3, magnesite MgCO3, dolomite CaMg (CO3) 2 and layered hydro - talc Mg3 (Si4O10) (OH) 2 and a much more complex composition of chlorite. The melting point of over 1600 ° C. Hardness of 2.3 on the Mohs scale, density 2,6-3,3 g/cm3.
Talkhlorit produced mainly in Finland, which is the national stone, such as semi-precious symbol of the state, as malachite in Russia and pearls in Japan. His real name - vezolukivi, Tulikivi same - "nickname", meaning "fiery stone." He did a lot of names - in the language it is called mineralogy talkohlorit, talkomagnezit taklkokarbonat or, in the old days in Europe it is called soapstone, soapstone and gilshteinom, speksheytom or soapstone. Soapstone known in ancient Egypt, India and Sumer in a few thousand years before our era - but at the time it was mined in small quantities and make him a magical amulets
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Among blue and blue sodalite stones stands apart - a rare and mysterious gemstone. Sodalite dark history - Europe sodalite first became known in the last few centuries, and was first described in the literature of the stone was in 1811 no Pliny, Herodotus of sodalite or do not mention it, and not in the medieval "lapidary" - and this in spite of that it was known to the ancient Incas in South America, which he faced the walls and floors of houses cut out of his jewelry and sculpture, were removed from the sodalite mineral powder blue paint ultramarine. For some reason, the Spanish conquerors passed sodalite - a stone that went only good, because otherwise the already not great its natural resources to date at all would be depleted. Now sodalite mined in areas of volcanic rocks, such as on the Kola Peninsula, in Russia, in the area of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, and in the mountains in Portugal, Germany, Romania, India, Norway, Canada, USA, Brazil.<
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Carnelian - a variety of chalcedony staple structure. The hardness of 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs scale, density - 2.6 g/cm3, the brilliance of glass. Other names of the stone and its variants: smazen, kadnos, carnelian, sarder, linkury.
Cornelian pebbles, so beloved by Voloshin, has since been considered a symbol of the true precious Silver Age. But before carnelian was rated luminaries of Russian literature - so, AS Pushkin had two carnelian ring. Their fate is confused - one on which was carved three winged Cupid, wore poet since childhood, but once lost his wife Mary Decembrist Rayevsky Volkonskaya carnelian with her was in Siberian exile, and then got in the Pushkin Museum in St. Petersburg. Second, given the Countess Vorontsova Pushkin wore to death and left his friend, the poet Zhukovsky Zhukovsky of decoration passed to his son, then - to the writer Turgenev, who bequeathed it to Leo Tolstoy and then send a "worthy Russia
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Selenium - a translucent long staple variety of gypsum, calcium sulphate water. Hardness of 2.0 on the Mohs scale, a density of 2.3 g/cm3, a silky luster, pearl. Contains inclusions of sand, clay, hematite, sulfur and organic matter. Other names: dzhandarakand, moonstone.
Selenite soft not only on the physical qualities - his character, if I may say so on the gem, however mild and even moderate. It is extremely common, inexpensive, easy to process, and therefore known to many - but most are automatically classified it as "minor" ornamental minerals, whereas in fact originally selenite was the fourth largest stone Urals. By the way, by the middle of XX century in the Urals workshops annually produces up to 400,000 elephants, and that's not counting selenitovyh boxes, toilet sets, money boxes, figurines in our country selenite literally went to every house.
But the history of this mineral did not beg
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Sardonyx - a kind of agate, which is characterized by alternating red-brown, brown-brown, white and bluish streaks. Hardness of 7.0 on the Mohs scale, density 2.5-2.6 g/cm3, silky luster, glass. Other names: agate onyx, carnelian onyx, agate belt.
Sardonyx (Greek onyx - nail and sard - Sardis, the capital of the kingdom of Lydia) combines the best qualities of chalcedony family: strips of agate and onyx, carnelian warm light colors and dark sard, bluish tone sapphirine. The stone people just could not pass by, and he was known and respected in ancient Egypt: the Cleopatra in the I century BC was the favorite vessel of sardonyx and black antimony powder, which she let down ever. But in contrast to the same strip at sardonyx agate thicker, straighter layers shades range from very dark brown, brown, a brown, red-brown and orange-red to pink and white with a blue tint. Often contrasting layers alternate. Sardonyx is opaque, bu
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Sapphire - a variety of corundum gemstone group I, second in hardness after diamond. Hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale, density 4.0 g/cm3, the brilliance of glass. Another name - ruby, sapphire azure, blue alexandrite.
Isstari sapphires are welcome guests and royal regalia, and the decorations of the wealthiest aristocrats. Especially popular were transparent sapphire deep cornflower blue - they were called "royal", is considered a symbol of justice, wisdom, and supreme power. Blue stones known in ancient Egypt, where the priests wore on his chest sapphire amulets, and a crown adorned Cleopatra huge sapphire, in ancient Rome, where sapphires were strewn, and clothes, and jewelry, and in Greece, where Alexander the Great wore a sapphire ring. Print the biblical King Solomon was made according to tradition was of sapphire, in Revelation sapphire is the penultimate step leading to the heavenly Jerusalem, a sapphire among othe
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Ruby - transparent chromium variety of corundum. Gem I order, second in hardness after diamond. Hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale, density 4.0 g/cm3, the brilliance of glass. Other names: scarlet ruby, emerald, red corundum.
The first information about the ruby is found in the ancient Indian tradition, dating from the VI century BC In the scriptures it is called the "king of gems", "leader of precious stones" - it was thought that the owner of the ruby guarantee complete safety, even among enemies. Methods of rubies were truly exotic - in Burma rubies sewn just under the skin, after which the stone allegedly gave invulnerability in battle by the sword, the sword and the spear. Raji were rubies on clothing and hats, kept loose in the storerooms, encrusted their thrones palace utensils, furniture, was inserted into the eye socket of statues of the gods of war. Rubin was one of the most expensive gems along with emeralds and
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