Captivating Chrysoberyl

Some gemstone minerals exhibit a luminous band reminiscent of a cat's eye. The fascinating discovery of scientists to this phenomenon of the stone replicating a cat's eye is believed to be due to the very fine inclusions, deposited in the stone. When light is reflected off the stone, a bright strip of light appears on the stone which is similar to the eyes of the cat. This is considered to be an optical reflectance effect or chatoyance, seen in certain gemstones and Chrysoberyl is one of them. The effect is truly magical.


The name 'chrysoberyl' is a Greek word and means 'gold-coloured beryl', though Chrysoberyls are not actually beryls. They are aluminium oxide containing beryllium. They come in shades ranging from honey colour to green.

Genuine Cat's Eye gemstones are identified by their weight, smoothness, brilliance of chatoyance and the straightness of the band of white. It is important that the stone has a fine line running right through it. To prove it to be genuine. It would appear as though the eye opens and closes when the stone is turned. This is what distinguishes a stone of quality from other Chrysoberyls.

Chrysoberyl or cat's eyes are genuine rarities which are found only in gemstone deposits only in a few parts of the world like Brazil, Sri Lanka and East Africa.

Since ancient times, Chrysoberyls have been worn as talisman. These gemstones are believed to possess some positive energy. They are regarded as gemstones which bestow harmony good luck and wealth upon the wearer.

Chrysoberyl gem stones are a remarkable imitation of the cat's eye. The striking similarity of the stones to the cat's eye is what makes the stone so intriguing.

• Some of the finest Chrysoberyls are available in Ceylon, where some magnificent Chrysoberyls have originated, including one weighing 80 carats.
   
• The finest cut chrysoberyl is the one exhibited in the Mineral Gallery of the British Museum (Natural History). Absolutely flawless and weighing 43 carats, it was formerly part of the famous Hope collection.
• Set in gold with rubies a magnificent cat's eye gemstone was included in the crown of the King of Kandy during his rule in the year 1815. This jewel was later a part of the Hope collection.

Enthralling Emeralds

ENTHRALLING EMERALDS

Besides the diamonds, the gemstone that makes an exclusive statement is the Emerald. Emeralds are fascinating gemstones that possess, the most intense and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined.

Technically emeralds are a rare variety of the mineral beryl, which is green because of its chromium content and is valued as a gem.

The vivid green color of emerald epitomizes life and prosperity. According to ancient mythology, green has been considered as the color of Venus- the goddess of beauty and love. The magnificent green of the emerald is a color which conveys harmony and good luck. It is no wonder then that emerald, which promises positive qualities, was used to embellish thrones, swords, rosaries and of course jewels.

India was the largest customer of gems when the Spanish conquistadors introduced them to the world. It is believed that the Emperor Jahangir's collection of the stone amounted to one million carats of Emeralds. A part of the Emperors treasury is now at the Topkapi museum in Turkey and some are embellishments on the Iranian crown, due to the treasury being plundered by Nadir Shah of Persia.

Interesting Facts:

On the emerald map Jaipur is the unofficial emerald capital of the world, today.

The Incas and Aztecs of South America regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone.

The New York Museum of Natural History, houses a cup made of pure emerald which belonged to the Emperor Jehangir

The collection of the Bank of Bogotá includes five valuable emerald crystals with weights of between 220 and 1796 carats

In Istanbul's Topkapi Palace there are jewelry exhibits, each of which is lavishly adorned with emeralds and other gems.

Amazing Ammonite

The fascinating stories revolving around gemstones are many and varied. The Ammonite is one such gem with an absorbing story behind its discovery.

Ammonites are marine animals or mollusks of the prehistoric era which have become extinct. They are similar to squids. But they have left behind unusual gemstones, treasured and valued. The story dates back to seventy five million years ago, when ammonites were in abundance. They were devoured by other animals especially the crocodilian reptile or the Mosasaurs. The shells of these mollusks were the only left over which eventually got crushed and buried. Over the years these shells got buried deeper and deeper into the earth. The fossilization of these shells brought about chemical changes in them that turned them into the beautiful gemstones that we know today - as the stunning, opalescent Ammonite or Argonite.

The gem contains multiple color combinations, which give it a unique rainbow effect. It is found in hues of blue, green, orange, purple, red, and yellow. Because of the unique color combinations, no two ammonite stones are alike.

The spectacular colors that these gemstones possess may hove been due to the crushing of the shells and the addition of other elements along the process that may have been added from the waters of the seas and rivers.

Some of these ammonites have been discovered whole, but they do not acquire the quality of gems. It is the crushed shells that exude a brilliance that only Ammonite possesses. This is quite possibly due to the reactions that occur while crushing.

Ammonite fossils are found in almost all the continents but those found in and around Alberta, Canada display the most vivid colors. It is the gems from these fossils that are treasured as gems.

Whatever the specific conditions, the shells of the extinct mollusks that are rarer than diamonds, have resulted in the gemstones that the world cherishes and values.

Treasures from the Earth

It is interesting to study the origin of gems and their discovery, which makes a fascinating story. Gemstones are actually minerals found in rocks with a certain quality and intrinsic value. When rocks (igneous metamorphic or sedimentary) change due to the intense heat and pressure within the earth, new rocks with minerals are formed which often have gemstones in them.

There are a hundred different types of gems found on the earth's surface. They are classified depending upon their clarity and their chemical characteristics.

Specific types of gems are associated with specific rock types. To be specific, the sources of colored gems are in sedimentary deposits, such as gravel beds, while marbles and some other types of gems are found in metamorphic rocks. They are then cut, polished and fashioned to make jewelry or other adornments. The brilliant colors of the gemstones are due to the metallic ions in the composition of the gems.

However there are certain rocks that are not minerals yet considered to be gemstones, such as lapis-lazuli, Amber or Jet.

Over the years gemstones have been classified as precious and semi precious. Primarily diamond, ruby, sapphires, emerald are considered precious. Over the years pearl, opal and amethyst have been included in the "precious" category, and the others such as Jade, Onyx, Agate, and Turquoise are semi precious. There are of course a hundred other varieties.

There are Organic gems too, formed from plants and animals. Pearls are formed inside the freshwater shell fish when irritants get inside them. Coral is formed from skeletons of marine animals. Amber is made from fossilised tree resin, and Jet is fossilised wood.

Imitation gemstones are also available in plenty now, which look like the original but have neither their chemical nor physical characteristics. There are various processes to check the authenticity of the gems, which help in recognizing their worth. Most commonly - the four C's (color, cut, clarity and carat). This was basically introduced for the customer, to understand the quality of the gems.

Whatever the origins, Gems are prized possessions - and has been for centuries.

A Diamond Tale

There are interesting anecdotes which relate to the discovery of gems and how they were acquired. These tales were gathered from tales retold by the travelers about their travels and travails. One such is recounted below-a tale of the diamond. Diamonds have been an age old statement of power and wealth. They have always been cherished and valued.

In the regions of lofty mountains and deep gorges and valleys, diamonds were found in abundance in them and in the beds of the torrents. When the rains stopped and the streams from the mountain side stopped flowing, attempts were made to retrieve the diamonds from the beds and from the valley below.

The valleys were infested with venomous snakes making it difficult for men attempting to reach for the diamonds. Pieces of flesh with blood on it were thrown in, to attract the snakes. The diamonds get embedded in the flesh, which was eaten by the snake. The eagles above, which happened to catch the sight of the moving snakes below pounced upon them and made them their prey.

Diamonds were found in the collected from the droppings of the eagles. Sometimes they were found in the nests of the eagles and some were found among the carcass of the birds and snakes.

The earliest record of diamond history belongs to 3000 years ago in India, where these stones were first discovered for their property to refract light.

Interestingly, this tale is from the Travels of Marco Polo and the region he talks about in this tale is India.

King of Gems Ruby

Famous Rubies:

• The Louvre in Paris houses the Anne of Brittany Ruby, a 105-carat polished gem.
   
• The crown of Charles IV of Luxembourg held a gem quality ruby that was 250 carats.
   
• The British Museum of Natural History houses the 167-carat Edwardes Ruby which was donated by John Ruskin.
   
• The Smithsonian Museum displays the 137-carat Rosser Reeves Ruby
   
• The American Museum of Natural History has the 100-carat Edith Haggin de Long Ruby.