A Primer of Gemstones. Posted 02.01.00 NOVA Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires may reign supreme on the red carpet, but a broader spectrum of gems have captivated humans through the ages. Here, see 20 of the world's most prized gemstones, together with the properties that experts use to distinguish them from one another and from artificial look-alikes. Agate has a striking color banding due to slight differences in the compositions and grain sizes of the crystalline fibers. Enlarge Photo credit: © International Colored Gemstone Association/Bart Curren Agate Agate, along with carnelian, chrysoprase, jasper, and flint, is a variety of chalcedony, a type of quartz made up of tiny crystalline fibers. Amethyst's brilliant purple color has often been associated with royalty, but because of its widespread availability, the gem is a favorite among "commoners" as well.
Amethyst Amethyst is a transparent variety of quartz that contains trace amounts of iron, an impurity that lends amethyst its lovely violet hues. Jade. Birthstone Myths and legends By John Inmon. The birthstone for December, turquoise, is the gift for the 5th and the 11th wedding anniversary (source 1). Turquoise promotes mental and spiritual clarity, expansion, enhance wisdom, trust, kindness and understanding (source 1). In the orient, turquoise was said to ward off all evil things (source 11). Indians used it to guard burial sights as well as signified the god of the sky (source 11). Properties attributed to turquoise include relax the mind and relieve mental tensions, calming the emotions and easing stress (source 11). Turquoise Picture taken from birthstone/turquoise.htm. Return to the birthstone list.
Sources Source 1. Source 2. Source 3. Source 4.Gemsbrokers, Diamond, World Wide Web URL: Retrieved on April 23 2004. Source 5. Source 6. Source 7. Source 8. Source 9. Source 10. Source 11. Return to the GO340 student webpages. Birthstone Collection. Amethyst - Amethyst is a form of quartz, composed of silicon dioxide which is the primary ingredient of sand.
Most quartz samples are clear, but amethyst has a beautiful purple color due to small amounts of iron impurities in the crystal lattice. Amethyst is the birthstone for February and the Aquarius zodiac sign. Aquamarine - Aquamarine is a gemstone that is a member of the beryl family of stones. The name means "sea water" and serves as an accurate description of the gemstone's color. Diamond - Diamonds are perhaps the most cherished of all gemstones. Emerald - Emerald is another gemstone that is a variety of beryl (along with aquamarine), this time with a beautiful green color. Garnet - Garnet is the name of a large family of gemstones that includes pyrope, grossular, andradite, spessartine, and almandine. Opal - Opal is one of the few non-crystalline gems that has a very poorly defined system and a relative hardness far less than quartz. Questions or comments?
Birthstone | Birthstones | Birthstone by Month. Traditionally, a birthstone is associated with each month of the year. For example, the birthstone for January is a garnet, while lucky babies born in April get a diamond as their birthstone. The origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The current list dates back to 1912 with only one addition since then – the tanzanite was added to December. There are numerous legends and myths about birthstone healing powers and their therapeutic influence. According to these legends, wearing a gemstone during its assigned month heightened its healing powers. Contact an AGS-certified jeweler near you with any birthstone questions you have: The gemstones featured below are arranged by month. Share.
Gemstones - Metaphysical & Healing Properties. Smithsonian Gem & Mineral Collection. A Wonderful World of Minerals. As of July 1, 2013 ThinkQuest has been discontinued. We would like to thank everyone for being a part of the ThinkQuest global community: Students - For your limitless creativity and innovation, which inspires us all. Teachers - For your passion in guiding students on their quest. Partners - For your unwavering support and evangelism. Parents - For supporting the use of technology not only as an instrument of learning, but as a means of creating knowledge.
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