Tips and Trivia

Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/november-birthstone-topaz Posted by EarthSky in HUMAN WORLD Happy birthday November babies!  Your birthstone, the topaz, can be blue, pale green, yellow, pink, red, purple, brown and even black. November’s birthstone is the topaz. The word topaz comes from a Sanskrit word meaning fire. Ancient lore said the topaz could be used to control heat. It was said to have […]

Source: http://www.geologyin.com/2016/06/types-of-opal-with-photos.html Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·nH2O), Because of its amorphous character, it is classed as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms of silica, which are classed as minerals. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl,

Source: https://www.shimmerlings.com/gemstones/opal/ “Stone of Inspiration & Change” ˈō-pəl Opal, similar to the Quantum Quattro stone, is hardened silica gel. The stones often contain 5-15% water, sometimes up to 20%, and therefore if not cared for properly, may dry out and crack. There are a great many colors and names for different types of Opals, but

Source: https://www.opalauctions.com/learn/how-tos/how-to-care-for-opal-jewelry Opal Jewelry has been popular for centuries, but we still get asked what the proper way is to care for Opal Jewelry. Opal is a precious gemstone that when cared for correctly will last a lifetime and can be handed down throughout generations.  Opals are more delicate then other gemstones, but they can still

Source: https://www.gemselect.com/english/other-info/october-birthstone.php The month of October is rather unique when it comes to birthstones. Two birthstones and powerful healing crystals, opal and the tourmaline, share the place of the October birthstone. These two gemstones both resonate with October and influence the two zodiac signs of Libra and Scorpio. The beautiful and increasingly rare opal is

Sapphires have long been heralded as containing special spiritual, medicinal, and religious significance, with many examples appearing throughout history. The Lore And Mystique Of Sapphires In History Sapphires figure prominently in numerous beliefs and traditions, both past and present.  For centuries, sapphires have been used for alchemy, magic, healing rituals, and astrological prognostication. Early priests and

Sapphire is one of the Big three of jewelry colored gemstones—the other two are ruby and emerald. A durable stone that’s designated as a birthstone for September, it captures jewelry buyers with its practicality and aura of romance. Corundum is the mineral species that includes both sapphire and ruby as varieties. Red corundum is known as

Hardness and toughnessGem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The numbers are based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral can be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but

Posted by EarthSky in HUMAN WORLD | September 1, 2019 Sapphires are typically blue stones, with the color caused by small amounts of titanium and iron in the crystal structure. But if the crystal contains different impurities, you might also see sapphires in gray, yellow, pale pink, orange, green, violet or brown. The sapphire, birthstone for September, is a relative

Hardness and toughnessGem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The numbers are based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral can be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but