Facts about quartz

In ancient Egypt, glazed quartz served as a substitute when no high quality examples of Turquoise could be found. The Greeks had originally named quartz, krystallos, the word for ice, but this soon came to mean any crystal.

Turquoise

Aquamarine

Prasiolite

Corundum

Ruby and Sapphire

It's hard to imagine that a mineral with a name as mundane as corundum yields gems as exquisite as the ruby and sapphire, or even that these two stones, so different in color and mystique, are actually the same mineral family. These are among the richest-colored of all gemstones with a romance and history as colorful as they are. Rubies are actually rarer than sapphires, and only red corundums are called rubies.

Corundum

Corundum mineral is naturally clear, but can have different colors when impurities are present. Transparent corundums are used as gems, and if they're red, then they're rubies, while all other colors are called sapphire. The word corundum comes from the Tamil kurundam. Due to corundum's hardness, it is commonly used as an abrasive in machining, from huge machines to sandpaper. Emery is an impure and less abrasive variety, with a Mohs hardness of 8.0.

Jewelry by material

This section provides articles, tips and resources on Jewelry organized by material: Diamond, Gold, Silver, Pearls, Opale, Sapphire, Rubis...

Pearl jewelry

This section provides articles, tips and resources on Pearl jewelry, including: Akoya pearls, Mabe pearl, Tahitian pearls, Mikimoto pearls, Freshwater pearls , Mother of pearl jewelry...

black hills gold rings

There is not a single jewelry that has a more suitable name than the one that makes Black Hills Gold rings. The name reminds me of the Gold Rush days and for good reason. This company has a history that is as rich as its jewelry and its legacy is still going strong today.

cubic zirconia engagement rings

Cubic Zirconia engagement rings are beautiful options for couples to consider. If you want a stunning ring that will get a lot of compliments then you may want to look at the many striking designs available today.

Quartz in jewelry

While quartz is the most plentiful mineral on earth, it also provides endless fascination and beauty for experts and casual observers alike. It is found in nearly every geological environment and is at least a component of almost every rock type.

Emerald

Emerald has one of the longest histories of all gemstones. The first known emerald mines were in southern Egypt and were operated from before 1000 BC into the 1700's. Treasured for at least 4,000 years by different cultures all around the world, emerald is said to quicken the intelligence as well as the heart. Legend gives its owner the gift of eloquence.

Beryls

The beryl is the family of crystal that creates emeralds and aquamarines, when its color is green or blue-green, respectively. Red beryl is bixbite or red emerald or scarlet emerald, pink beryl is morganite, white beryl is goshenite, and a clear bright yellow beryl is called golden beryl.

Unpopular Minerals

Why are most minerals not popular as gems? Many of them aren't in colors that are usually highly prized for jewelry. Or they're not able to be cut and polished to be made wearable as jewelry. But often it's a matter of changing taste and times.

Garnet

Garnets have been known and used in jewelry for thousands of years. Legend says that Noah used a garnet lantern to safely steer his Ark through the darkness of the night and the great flood. Garnets are found in jewelry from ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman eras. Many courageous discoverers and travelers wore garnets for protection, as they were considered popular talismans and protective stones, because it was believed in those days that garnets illuminate the night and prevent their wearer from any sort of evil. Today science explained to us that the proverbial luminosity of garnet is caused by its high refraction of light.

Citrine

Citrine is any quartz crystal or cluster that is yellow or orange in color. Although, often cut as a gemstone, citrine is actually somewhat rare in nature. Citrine is one of the most affordable gemstones, thanks to the durability and availability of this golden quartz.

Amethyst

The finest and most valuable Amethyst are very clear, with very deep color, and they sometimes exhibit reddish or rose overtones. Some stones are so over-saturated with color they have areas that are blacked out, which can negatively impact their value.

Blue sapphire rings

Jewelry is something almost every woman adores. Blue sapphire rings are stunning to look at and their price can fit almost any budget.

White gold rings

When deciding on wedding rings, or other important rings, the choices you have are limited only by your imagination.

1 | 2 |