Peridot - jewelry variety of the mineral olivine, iron and magnesium orthosilicate. The hardness of 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs scale, density 3.3 g/cm3, transparent, shiny glass. Other names: Peridot, Peridot, Hawaii, krazelit.
This stone - one of the oldest minerals known to mankind. Not surprisingly named him there is some confusion inherent gems with such a long history. The most ancient is precisely the word "beryl", in the literal sense - the "golden stone" it is found in texts from the III century BC There is no doubt that the "golden stone" chrysolite was due to its beautiful golden-green color, reminiscent of the young spring grass, the ripening grain field. "Nickname" chrysolite - "evening emerald": in artificial light green color it becomes deeper and juicier, and the yellow tint disappears. Many believe that chrysotile has two equal synonym - olivine and peridot. On the other hand, sometimes called olivine darker bot
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Chrysoberyl - aluminum oxide and beryllium, greenish-yellow, rarely colorless mineral. Hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs scale, density 3.5-3.8 g/cm3, shiny glass. Other names: tsimofan, cat's eye, Vaidurya (obsolete).
The name chrysoberyl is received for a golden yellow color (from the Greek. «Chrisos» - «Gold"). This beautiful and rare translucent jewel is one of those that are well known to people, the more popular of his rarest varieties: alexandrite and cat's eye (tsimofan). Already 4000 years ago found the first literary mention of chrysoberyl in the ancient Indian treatise on medicine "Rasaraja Tarangini ', which described its three varieties: the" color of bamboo leaf "(ordinary chrysoberyl)," a brilliant and iridescent, like a peacock's eye "(Alexander) and" Brilliant as cat's eye "(tsimofan or cat's eye).
This would seem like nothing on earth, a special stone alexandrite - merely a form of c
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Chalcedony is a variety of quartz, which is a type of silica. Chemical composition - content SiO2 - 90-99% observed impurities Fe2O3, Al2O3, MgO, CaO, H2O (in the pores of the unit). Crystals - translucent. Glitter - glass. Hardness - 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs scale, density - 2.6 g/cm3.
Chalcedony - an unusual stone, because this name chalcedony understand a group of fibrous opaque minerals, differentiated by color and nature of the picture, but the same hardness, mineralogical structure and waxy luster. This orange chalcedony called cornelian, chalcedony and red - carnelian, chalcedony and blue - sapphirine, and the most expensive of chalcedony bright green chrysoprase, and brownish-red sardonyx, and light yellow waxy chalcedony tseregat ... Dark green chalcedony with red spots and stripes called heliotrope, layered chalcedony - agate, chalcedony tape - onyx ... All the colors of the spectrum, all kinds of colors of gems fou
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Fluorite - fluorspar, calcium fluoride. Hardness of 4.0 on the Mohs school, density 3.1 g/cm3, shiny glass, perfect cleavage. Other names: ore flower, blue John, false ruby, emerald, false, false sapphire, topaz, false, false amethyst derbishirsky stone Litos-lazulite.
Fluorite in the old days was a consummate party semiprecious views. The color scheme it covers all the colors of the rainbow and more, and it is both transparent and turbid as monochrome and with mottled or striped pattern in different shades. Not surprisingly, the dark-green variety of fluorite has long been sold under the guise of emerald, red, crimson and pink - as rubies, yellow and orange - as topaz, blue and purple instead of sapphire, violet and purple - as amethysts. Guess what is so unlike an external crystal is essentially the same mineral that can only specialist - fluorite so diverse, keeping the richness of colors is one of the dominant place am
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Tourmaline - purple varieties transparent or translucent quartz. The hardness of 7.0-7.5 on the Mohs scale, density 2,9-3,26 g/cm3, glitter glass, expressed plehroizm. Old name - Shirley. Brand names of varieties - Brazilian sapphire, ruby Brazilian, Brazilian emerald.
Tourmalines appeared in Europe recently - the first samples were brought from Ceylon in 1703, sailors returning from the Indian colonies. There is no doubt that India tourmalines used since ancient times, especially since there is this kind of minerals is one of the most valuable. Dutch colonists, I must say, at first did not find tourmaline jewelry application - rough Tourmaline crystals are taken out of the ashes of their pipes of tobacco. Maybe it was because the tourmaline has a wonderful property electrify when heated - even its name to the language of the island of Sri Lanka, "turamali" means "attracting the ashes." Tourmalines, especially red and
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Topaz - aluminum fluorosilicate. Hardness of 8.0 on the Mohs scale, density 3.5 g/cm3, the brilliance of glass. Other names - Siberian diamonds (blue and white topaz), Saxon beryl (green topaz), Brazilian Ruby (red Brazilian topaz) killikransky diamond (colorless topaz Australian) Diamond mogoksky (colorless topaz Burmese), Physalia, Pickney.
The origin of the name of this multi-faceted stone is shrouded in mystery - according to one version, it was named after a desert island in the Red Sea Topazios where he claimed to have found for the first time according to legend, these lands have always been shrouded in a mystical mist, and only the most daring adventurers could penetrate the shimmering haze and get a shiny precious award. Another option - the name comes from the Greek word «topazos», which means "search." The third version - which is derived from sankritskogo word "tapas", which means "fire, heat, passion." Who is rig
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Another name for the mineral - blue zoisite. Blue and purple colors are due to impurity ions of chromium and vanadium. Crystals - transparent. Glitter - glass. Hardness - 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs scale, density - 3.1-3.5 g/cm3, perfect cleavage.
Opening tanzanite was as random and spontaneous, as a tropical downpour - in 1967, the African Masai herdsmen found at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania burnt glade - the fire along with grass and trees eaten topsoil, exposing transparent stones violet-purple. One of the warriors of the tribe brought a stone weighing 10 carats (2 kg) in the office Manuelya De Souza involved in the supply of rubies. First discovery in general took over a piece of glass, then felt the sapphire ... However, after careful examination of experts agreed on what they see in front of a brand new gem variety of zoisite - another African gem, hardly used in jewelry.
