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Beads and Beading Blog - the Official Weblog of House Of Gems, Inc. (www.houseofgems.com). Here you can find exciting news and tips on - beads, gemstones, beading materials & methods, jewelry making plus product and website updates , promotions and more. This is a place for us to interact with our customers and the beading community, in general, on a fairly regular basis.Tune in regularly to the voice of House Of Gems. |
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Moonstone Beads |
Moonstone, a feldspar, is known for its moonlike opalescent sheen. This sheen, which mineralogists call adularescence or schiller, is caused by light scattering or reflecting off microscopic layers of albite and feldspar crystal plates inside the stone, which are parallel to the surface. Thicker layers of albite give a white “schiller”; thinner layers, a blue. The stone is usually cut as a cabochon, and will sometimes have a cat’s eye effect or rainbows. Occasionally, moonstones are carved, as in cameos.
Color: Colorless, yellow, pale sheen; rainbow moonstone has blue sheen
Chemical composition: K(AlSi3O8) potassium aluminum silicate
Mohs’ hardness: 6-6 ½
Transparency: Turbid, transparent
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Uneven, conchoidal
Crystal system: Monoclinic; prismatic
Cleavage: Perfect
Specific gravity: 2.56-2.62
Refractive index: 1.522-1.530
Dispersion: 0.012
Pleochroism: None
Fluorescence: Weak; bluish, orange
Occurrence: Australia, Brazil, India, Malagasy Republic, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United States
Astrology: September birthstone (Ayurvedic), and connected with the moon, Gemini, and the month of June
Chakra: 2nd (sacral) and 3rd (solar plexus)
Of all the mineral groups, feldspar is the most widespread on the planet and occurs in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. In general, feldspars crystallize from cooling molten rock. The finest moonstone is found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India. Labrodorite, Amazonite, Oregon Sunstone, and Aventurine (sunstone) are also part of the feldspar group; moonstone is the most valuable of these feldspar gems.
In India, moonstone has long been regarded as sacred. It’s said that moonstone grows under the influence of the moon, and as it forms, it absorbs the moon’s magical powers. The Sanskrit name for moonstone is chandrakanta mani (Chandra is one of the names for the moon, kanta means light, and mani means jewel). Indian tradition holds that this moonlight gem helps us befriend the moon, and that the stone itself symbolizes the Third Eye, or enlightenment. In Ayurvedic medicine, moonstone is used to influence the body’s magnetic field, a clear connection to the moon’s gravitational influence on the Earth.
Moonstone is considered the “National Stone of Sri Lanka.” Anuradhapura, the first capital of Sri Lanka (previously Ceylon), was known for its “moonstone temple,” whose altar steps were said to be decorated with shimmering mosaics made of moonstone. Although the ruins of this temple still exist, none of the moonstone remains. As for the stone’s origins, according to Ceylonese legend, every 37th year the sea, under the influence of the moon, hurls opalescent blue moonstones onto the shores of the island.
The Romans used moonstone in their jewelry as early as 100 A.D. A great deal of the lore about moonstone seem to be based on the writings of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. It was Pliny who recorded the belief that the moonstone contains the image of the moon, and as the actual moon waxes and wanes, the image in the stone mirrors it. This link between the moonstone and lunar cycles, made the stone a popular talisman for women, who wore it as an aid in fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. Since it was connected with the lunar goddesses, Isis, Selene, and Diana—it was believed that Diana’s image could be glimpsed in the stone--moonstone amulets were hung in fruit trees to assure fertile crops. Interestingly, moonstones—often paired with opals-- became very popular during the 1890s and early 1900s in Art Nouveau jewelry, much of which harkened back to the classical world.
In the Far East, moonstone was once believed to be made of solidified moonlight. The glimmering light inside it was thought to be a good spirit who lived inside the stone.
In Venice, during the Renaissance, the moonstone was considered a stone of prophecy. It was believed that if you held the stone up to the waning or Crone’s moon, you would see a vision of the future in it. During the waxing moon, the stone was said to excite lovers’ passions, especially if held under the tongue. Known as “the traveler’s stone,” moonstone is said to be a protection for travelers, especially those swimming in the ocean.
One famous piece of jewelry that incorporates moonstones is a tiara that Ernst Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse, gave as a Christmas present to his wife in 1906. The tiara, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, combines turquoise, representing true love, diamonds for eternity, and moonstone for innocence.
Metaphysically, moonstone is considered a stone of balance, especially in regard to the emotions. Working gently, it’s a soothing stone, believed to be good for stress. Moonstone is also strongly connected to the unconscious, a stone that strengthens empathy, intuition, and psychic abilities.
Moonstones look especially beautiful with celestite, opals, blue topaz, blue chalcedony, amethyst, and sapphires. A perfect, almost mystical, pairing is moonstone and the darker, equally opalescent, labradorite. For contrast, try moonstone with onyx, garnet, and clear crystal. |
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Tanzanite Beads |
Tanzanite, named for the country of its origin, is the transparent dark blue to blue-violet gem variety of the mineral zoisite. Because it is only found on one place on earth, it’s considered rarer than diamonds. Tanzanite is known for its strong pleochroism: Depending on the direction of the light, its color changes from amethyst to violet-blue to brown. Most tanzanite is heat-treated so that only the rich blue color--which comes from trace amounts of vanadium—remains. The finest tanzanite is mostly blue with violet accents. Officially “discovered” in 1967, tanzanite is considered one of the newest gemstones, yet because its source is so limited—a narrow piece of land near Kilimanjaro--some geologists estimate that the world’s supply of tanzanite could be depleted within 15 years.
Color: Sapphire-blue, amethyst, violet
Chemical composition: Ca2Al3 (O/OH/SiO4/SiO2) calcium aluminium silicate
Mohs’ hardness: 6 ½-7
Transparency: Transparent
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Uneven, brittle
Crystal system: Orthorhombic, multi-faceted prisms, mostly striated
Cleavage: Perfect
Specific gravity: 3.35
Refractive index: 1.691-1.700
Dispersion: 0.030
Pleochroism: Very strong; violet, blue, brown
Fluorescence: None
Occurrence: East Africa (Tanzania)
Astrology: recently designated a December birthstone
Chakra: 6th (third eye) and 7th (crown)
Tanzanite formed approximately 585 million years ago in the veins or fissures of gneiss and metamorphic rock in the volcanoes that surround Mount Kilimanjaro. The identity of the person who first “discovered” tanzanite remains the subject of heated debate, but the most widely known version of the story begins in July 1967 with a Masai herdsman finding some of the violet-blue crystal in the metamorphic rocks of the Merelani Hills, and bringing it to an amateur prospector named Manuel d’Souza. D’Souza, a tailor from Goan, India, who was living in Arusha at the time, thought the crystal might be sapphire and sent it to Dr. John Saul for identification. Saul, a Nairobi geologist and a gem dealer, had never seen anything like it. He sent it on to a lab in Germany, which identified it as zoisite. Saul then cut the first two tanzanite gem - large oval stones - and sent them to his father in New York, who happened to be the vice president of Saks 5th Avenue. Saks, at that time, was next door to the famed jeweler, Tiffany’s. Henry Platt, Tiffany’s director, immediately became interested, declaring this new variety of zoisite to be “the most beautiful blue stone discovered in over 2,000 years.” Platt, though, realized that the name zoisite sounded a little too similar to the noun suicide, and that marketing the stone would be far easier if it had a more evocative name. It was Platt who renamed the blue zoisite tanzanite and began to sell it in Tiffany’s in 1968. Yet despite Tiffany’s interest, the gem was almost impossible to get. A combination of factors - disputed mining stakes, politics, poor management of the mines, and the murder of d’Souza - resulted in tanzanite’s availability being highly erratic until 1997 when Mike Nunn, a South African entrepreneur, took over the mine. Strangely, tanzanite became popular with the film Titanic, when it was mistakenly identified as the Heart of Ocean “sapphire” that’s hurled into the sea. There were also reports in 2001 that linked tanzanite with al-Queda financing - American jewelers temporarily stopped selling the stone - but these reports were found to be false, and tanzanite is now taking its rightful place as a luminous and precious gem.
Metaphysically, tanzanite is considered a “stone of magic” that can connect the wearer with the spirits of the ancients. It’s also said to helpful in communicating psychic visions and in encounters with beings from other planes.
Often compared to sapphire because of its rich blue, tanzanite is actually quite a bit softer on Mohs’ scale – a 6 ½ vs. sapphire’s 9-- yet it’s surprisingly resistant to scratching. However, the stone is brittle and can chip, so if you use the beads in a bracelet, wear it with care.
Tanzanite beads are spectacular when paired with black opal. They’re also lovely with pearls, rubies, emeralds, rubellite, garnet, and peridot. |
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Fluorite |
Fluorite is a fairly common and affordable stone that naturally occurs in a dazzling range of colors. In some cases - often with purple and green - the colors occur in bands. Fluorite wasn’t traditionally considered gemstone because it’s relatively soft and easily scratched or chipped. Originally called fluorspar, its name comes from the Latin word fleure meaning to flow, because fluorite melts easily; it’s used as flux in the smelting of ores. It commonly fluoresces under ultra-violet light.
Color: Colorless, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, nearly black
Chemical composition: CaF2 calcium fluoride
Mohs’ hardness: 4
Transparency: Transparent, translucent
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Even to conchoidal, brittle
Crystal system: Isometric; cubes, octahedra
Cleavage: Perfect
Specific gravity: 3.18
Refractive index: 1.434
Dispersion: 0.007
Pleochroism: None
Fluorescence: Usually strong; blue-violet
Occurrence: Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, United States
Astrology: Pisces and Capricorn
Chakra: 6th (brow or 3rd eye) for violet fluorite
Fluorites origins trace back 150 to 200 million years ago when hot water containing fluorine and other minerals was forced up from deep inside the Earth. This solution eventually reached calcium-rich limestone bedrock where the fluorite crystals formed. The mineral is found in Alpine clefts and in hydrothermal veins, often around hot springs, in masses of interpenetrating cubes and octahedral crystals; when broken it often forms perfect triangular shapes on the corners of the crystals. Although fluorite wasn’t considered a precious gem, it was known and valued in ancient times. The Ancient Egyptians carved fluorites statues and scarabs, and the Chinese also used it in carvings.
Gemologists now believe that fluorite has been in use throughout human history but wasn’t recognized as a separate mineral. Instead, it was believed that fluorite was simply a softer version of other minerals – i.e. a violet fluorite crystal was just a soft amethyst. In fact, the Romans carved cups of purple-banded fluorite believing that like amethyst, the purple fluorite would keep them from becoming intoxicated. In the 1600s powdered fluorite was believed to ease the symptoms of kidney disease. In 18th-century England, Blue John (a purple banded fluorite) became popular as a material for urns, vases, and even tables. From the time of the Ancient Egyptians, there have been records of “luminous” stones, which were greatly valued by priests and shamans. It’s now believed that these were stones that we now identify as phosphorescent or fluorescent. Frederick W. Kunz, the famous mineralogist, noted that chlorophane, which is a pale violet Siberian fluorite, gave off white light when warmed by the heat of a hand, green light when heated in boiling water, and when set on a burning coal, gave off a light that could be seen from a distance.
Metaphysically, fluorite is considered a stone that aids in discernment and organization, a kind of antidote to chaos. Psychically, it’s said to help you determine whether or not you’re being influenced by outside forces and to cut through any sort of illusion. It’s also believed to help concentration, especially in learning. It is considered one of the great psychic protectors, as well as a stone that cleanses the aura and can help to open the third eye. Green fluorite is known to a healing stone, while purple is said to to be a stone that strengthens intuition.
Fluorite beads are somewhat fragile, and so are recommended for earrings and necklaces. If you use them in bracelets or anklets, wear them carefully because they’re vulnerable to chipping and cracking. The clear and purple banded beads will look lovely when strung with amethyst and clear crystal. For contrast, try stringing fluorite with malachite, sugilite, and/or smoky quartz. |
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