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AMETHYST 

Amethyst is the most highly valued stone in the quartz family.  Amethyst means not drunken (Greek) and was worn as an amulet against drunkenness.   Amethyst color varies from a pale red-violet to a dark purple.   The coloring agent in Amethyst is iron.  Important deposits are in Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia, Uruguay, Burma, India, Canada, Mexico, Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka and the United States.

The best stones are faceted.   Hardness on the Mohs scale is 7.

APATITE

The name is derived from the Greek word cheat because it can easily be confused.

Deposits are found in Burma, Brazil, India, Kenya Madagascar, Mexico, Norway, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the United States.   Color varies from colorlessn, pink, yellow, green, blue and violet.   Hardness on a Mohs scale is 5.

AQUAMARINE

Aquamarine is so named (Latin- water of  sea) because of its seawater color.  A dark blue is the most desirable color  although color varies from a very pale light blue to a beautiful dark sea blue.  Aquamarine is brittle and sensitive to pressure so care must be taken in jewelry making.  The most important deposits are in Brazil while past deposits were from Russia.  Some commercial significance is still found in Australia, Burma, China, Madagascar, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Aquamarine is part of  the Beryl family. The coloring agent is iron.

Hardness on the Mohs scale is 7 1/2 -8.

 CITRINE

Citrine is from the quartz family and the name is derived from its lemon yellow color.  Most commercial Citrines are heat treated amethysts or smokey quartzes.   Natural Citrines are more rare and are mostly pale yellow.    Deposits of natural colored Citrines are found in Brazil, Madagascar and the United States as well as Argentina, Burma, Namibia, Russia Scotland and Spain.    The coloring agent in Citrine is iron.  Hardness on the Mohs scale is 7.

Chrome Diopside

Chrome Diopside has a strong emerald green color.  It is a calcium magnesium silicate.  Deposits are found in Burma, Finland, India, Madagascar, Austria, Sri Lanka, South America and the United States.   Mohs hardness 5-6.

 GARNET

This is a group of differently colored minerals with similar crystal structure and related chemical composition.  The main representatives are pyrope, almandite, and spessartite,

Grossuolarite, andraite and uvarovite.  The name desired from the Latin for grain because of the rounded crystals.  Garnet in the popular sense, is usually understood only as the red carb uncle stones pyrope and almandite.  Color varies from dark red, brown red, raspberry red, green, orange brown and black.   Deposits are found in Burma, China, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania and the United States.  Hardness on the-Mohs scale is 6 ½ - 7 ½ .

OPAL SPECIES

The name is derived from an Indian (Sanskrit) word for “stone”.  It is divided into three subgroups, precious opals, yellow-red fire opals and common opals.  Their physical properties vary considerably.  Precious opals special characteristic is their play of color, a display of rainbow-like hues changes with the angle of observation. 

 White opal (precious) has a white or light background with color play.

Black opal (precious) has a dark gray, dark blue, green, gray basic color with a play of color.  Deep black is an exception.  Black opals are rarer than white opals.

Opal Matrix shows a banded growth of leafed inclusion of precious opal with and/or in the matrix rock.

Boulder Opal is also considered precious opal with dark base surface, color play and high density.   Occurs as pebble rock where opal fills hollows.

Jelly Opal is bluish-gray opal with little play of color.

Crystal Opal is transparent with strong color play on colorless, vitreous surface.

Fire Opal (named after its orange color) usually shows no play of color and can be milky and turbid. 

Common Opal is opaque, rarely translucent and shows no play of color.

 Mohs hardness  5 ½ - 6 ½.

Famous deposits of precious opal were found in Australia, New South Wales at Lightning Ridge and White Cliffs, in South Australia at Coober Pedy and Andamooka.   Other deposits have been found in Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Nevada and Idaho.

 PERIDOT

The name derives from the Arabic word faridat(gem).  The name commonly used in mineralogy is olivine because of its olive green color.  Historically important deposit was on the Red Sea volcanic island Zabargad.  It was mined for over 3500 years but forgotten for many centuries and rediscovered only after 1900.  Peridot was brought to Central Europe by the crusaders in the Middle Ages.  It was the most popular stone during the Baroque period.  The largest cut peridot weighing 319 ct was found on the island Zabargad and is in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.  Deposits have been found in Australia, Brazil, China, Kenya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania and Arizona.   Hardness on the Mohs scale is 6  ½  - 7.

 ROSE QUARTZ

Rose quartz named after its pink color is often crackled, usually a little turbid.  Coloring agent is titanium. Deposits are found in Brazil, Madagascar, India, Mozambique, Namibia, Sri Lanka and the United States.  Hardness on a Mohs scale is 7.

RUBY

Ruby is thus named  because of its red color (Latin ruber).  The color varies within each deposit so it is not possible to determine the source from the color.  The designations Burma ruby or Siam ruby are erroneous and refer more to the quality than origin.  The most desirable color is the pigeon’s blood pure red with a hint of blue.  Heat treatment is commonly used to improve the color.   Ruby is the hardest mineral after the diamond.  The most important deposits are in Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.  Other producers include Afghanistan, Cambodia, Kenya, Madagascar and Vietnam.   Hardness on the Mohs scale is 9.

 SAPPHIRE

The name sapphire (Greek blue) used to be applied to various stones.  In antiquity and as late as the Middle Ages, the name sapphire was understood to mean what is today described as lapis lazuli.  Around 1800 it was recognized that sapphire and ruby  are gem varieties of corundum.   Today corundums of gemstone quality of all colors except red are called sapphire. Red varieties are called rubies. Colors of sapphire vary from white, pink, orange, green, yellow and blue.  Hardness on the Mohs scale is 9.

TANZANITE

The name Tanzanite was introduced by the New York jewelers Tiffany & Co after the East Africa state of Tanzania.  In good quality the color is ultramarine to sapphire blue.  In artificial light it appears more amethyst violet.    The only deposit is in Tanzania.

Hardness on a Mohs scale is 6 ½ - 7.

TOPAZ

The name Topaz is most probably derived from an island in the Red Sea, now Zabargad but formerly Topazos, the ancient source of Peridot.    Colors of the gemstones found today are rarely vivid and are most color treated to enhance the brilliance.  Today, Brazil is the most important supplier.  Other deposits are in Afghanistan, Australia, Burma, China, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Zambabwe, Sri Lanka and the United States.  The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC owns cut topazes of several thousand carats.  Hardness on the Mohs scale is 8.

IMPERIAL TOPAZ

Commercial quantities of true Imperial Topaz come from only one locality in the world.   This mine is an open pit located amid rolling, parched hills just a two hour drive from the state capitol of Minas Gerais, Brazil.  Mohs hardness is 8.

 TOURMALINE

The Tourmaline group refers to a number of related species and varieties with varying colors.  Even though Tourmaline has been known since antiquity in the Mediterranean region, the Dutch imported it only in 1703 from Sri Lanka to Western and Central Europe  and gave the new gem the name Turamali which is thought to mean “stone with mixed colors”.  The most important Tourmaline supplier is Brazil.  Other deposits are in Afghanistan, Australia, Burma, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria, Russia, Zambia, and Sri Lanka.  In Europe there are Tourmaline deposits in Italy and  Switzerland.     The most desired colors are intense pink and green.  The most expensive color are the blues (Indicolites).

Hardness on the Mohs scale is 7-7  ½ .

 SMOKEY QUARTZ

Quartz named after its brown color.  Coloring is caused by natural and artificial gamma rays.  Deposits are found in Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, Scotland, Switzerland and Ukraine.    Hardness on the Mohs scale is 7.

 ZIRCON

Zircon has been known since antiquity, albeit under various names.  Today’s name is likely derived from the Persian language (golden colored).  Because of its high refractive index and strong dispersion, it is great brilliance and intensive fire.  Color varies from clear to yellow, brown, orange, red, violet, blue and green.  Hardness on the Mohs scale is 6 ½ - 7 ½.