Onyx The Black gem

Colors appear more prominent against a background of black. Black is a striking color and black gem stones are more striking than others. The Onyx, in this context is a gem stone valued for its striking color and fine texture.

Onyx is a crystalline form of quartz, which has been crystallized as a result of environmental extremes, such as high temperature and high pressure. Its fine texture makes it ideal material for carving. The pure black variety of onyx is common, but there are other varieties which have bands across them in different shades of black. Sardonyx is a type of onyx in which the bands are in shade of red instead of black.

The word onyx is a Greek word, which means nail or claw. According to legend, Cupid the God of love, cut the fingernails of Venus the Goddess of beauty, with an arrowhead while she was sleeping. He left the clippings scattered on the sand and the nails turned into black stone which is believed to be onyx.

Onyx was very popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans. Onyx is particularly cherished for its positive effect on the wearer of the gemstone.

This gemstone is available in plenty in Mexico. Deposits of onyx are also present in Brazil, Madagascar, India, Algeria and Pakistan.

Onyx Trivia

• It is believed to be a stone which provides guidance to the wearer.
   
• Onyx gemstone is believed to be in tune with the Earth's energies which helps in balancing the Yin and Yang.
   
• It is a stone that protects against negative forces and influences.

Jade The Imperial Gem

Jade has always had a special significance for years, especially where it was held in high esteem. The Chinese valued jade as highly as gold and diamond. The Chinese embodied this gem with virtues of wisdom and justice. Not only China, Jade played an important part even in the European and Japanese cultures. It was often referred to as the 'royal gem'.

Jade gemstone has become synonymous with green. The green color is due to the iron content in the stone. The higher the iron content the greener the color. The value of jade is determined according to its color and the intensity of the color. Translucent emerald-green jadeite is however the most prized variety.

The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks nephrite and jadeite that are made up of different silicate minerals but are similar in appearance. Both minerals are found in a wide range of shades of green.

Burma and Guatemala are the principal sources of gem jadeites today. Today, Guatemala produces jadeite in a variety of colors, ranging from soft translucent lilac, blue, green, yellow, and black. Jade is also found in large deposits in British Columbia

The positive effects of jade are its ability to stimulate creativity and mental agility according to gemstone therapists.

Jade Trivia

• Jade was once used for axe heads, knives and other weapons.
   
• The 2008 Summer Olympic medals have a ring of jade in them — the first non-metallic substance used in an Olympic medal.
   
• As "quetzal" jade, bright green jadeitite from Guatemala was treasured by the Mesoamericans.
   
• A two ton block of jade sits outside the Anchorage Visitor’s Center in downtown Anchorage, Alaska.
   
• This was mined from Kobuk and donated to the city as a showpiece.
   
• There have been times in history when jade was esteemed more highly than gold.
   
• The most prized of the jades, - the Chinese jade or jadeite is extremely rare.

Mystique Moonstone

Moonstones possess a delicate beauty, a luminous glow and a soft shimmer of pale blue that is as enchanting as the moon. It was believed that the moonstone could be recognized in the waxing and waning of the phases of the moon and that is the reason for its name. Another synonym for moonstone is 'selenite', from the Greek 'selene' which means 'moon'.

Moonstones belong to the feldspar group. It belongs to the variety of feldspar known as 'adularia'. The shimmer and light of the stone, as scientifically explained, is due to the light rays that get refracted and scattered, which results in the effect of light that is so distinctive.

This gemstone is surrounded by a fair deal of mystique and magic. It has been revered for centuries in India as a stone that provides emotional harmony and wellbeing.

As gemstone in jewelry, moonstones need to be cut in a specific way to be able to get the desired effect of light. The more intense in color, the higher is the value of the Moonstone. Most commonly the gem is whitish in color. There are other colorful varieties of the stone like blue, pink and yellow.

Sri Lanka is the origin of moonstones. However, they are also found in the USA, Brazil, Australia, Myanmar and Madagascar.

Moonstone Trivia

• These gems were seen in the jewelry worn by the Romans in AD 100
   
• Oriental adornments belonging to the period before AD 100 had moonstones in them.
   
• Famous jewelry houses like Cartier's and Tiffany's used moonstone in their creations.
   
• Moonstone is the official gem of the state of Florida, USA.
   
• Moonstones are available with the colors of the rainbow, reflected in them.

Stunning Sapphires

The classic blue sapphire is a gemstone that has never lost its timeless appeal. The unique hue of the Sapphire has always been a reason for its popularity among gemstones.

Sapphire is one variety of corundum, the other being the red ruby. Sapphire is most commonly worn as jewelry or used as embellishments.

Ideally sapphire stones are cut either round or oval mainly because these types of cuts allow maximum light to enable the blue color to look universal throughout the stone. Of late unusual cuts are becoming popular, due to changes in fashion.

The quality and value of the sapphire depends on the color, clarity, size, cut, as well as the geographic origin. Blue sapphires are evaluated based upon the purity of their primary hue. Sapphires can also exhibit shades of purple, violet and green but these are secondary hues and are not considered as valuable as the original blue.

Although, sapphire has always been associated with the magnificent blue color, they can also occur in shades of orange and brown and can sometimes be colorless.

Sapphire deposits are found in Eastern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, East Africa and in some parts of the United States.

There are fancy varieties of sapphire available of which the 'Padparadsha' or lotus flower, a sapphire of pink color, is becoming increasingly popular.

What ever the color, the blue sapphire will always be admired.

Sapphire Facts

• The 422.99 carats (84.60 g) Logan sapphire in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C. is one of the largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphire in the world.
   
• Sapphires were used as a medicinal effect for intellect. Sapphires were also believed to cure inflammation in the eye
   
• Some of the most famous sapphires in the world are housed at London’s Tower of London.
   
• The 182 carat Star of Bombay, the rare blue star sapphire, is now housed in the National Museum of Natural History, in Washington D.C.

Exotic Gem Topaz

Topaz is a gemstone of beauty and splendor. The topaz, when pure, may be colourless, and when cut appropriately, it has been mistaken for diamond.

Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminum and fluorine that is valued as a gemstone. It is commonly associated with formations in the igneous rocks.

It is believed that the topaz was unknown to the ancients until the middle ages. There was a time when any yellow stone was considered to be topaz. One source believes the name Topaz, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'tapas' that means fire. According to another source, the name comes from the Greek word 'topazos' which means 'seeking something'. The Romans dedicated the topaz to the planet Jupiter.

Topaz came from mines in Upper Egypt during the middle ages. Subsequently they have been available in the Ural Mountains in Russia, parts of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Germany, Norway, Italy, Sweden, and parts of the United States.

The colour in which the topaz is most commonly found is yellow, and other different shades of yellow like, yellow-brown, honey-yellow, straw-yellow. Some are light blue, light red and pink and sometimes they are colourless. The most valuable among them is the 'imperial' topaz in a yellow orange or wine hue. The blue topaz is now increasingly becoming popular.

Topaz Trivia

• Topaz is the state gemstone for the US State of Utah and the Blue topaz is considered the state gemstone of Texas.
   
• The Topaz of Aurungazeb, measured 157.75 carats.
   
• The most famous Topaz or the " El Dorado" is the biggest Topaz available. It is kept in the British Royal Collection. This famous Brazilian Topaz weighs almost 6.2kgs.
   
• The great Braganza diamond of Portugal is probably a topaz.
   
• The finest British topaz is found in the Cairngorm group of mountains in the central Highlands.

The Cinnamon Stone Hessonite

Hessonite or Cinnamon Stone belongs to the garnet group of stones which is chemically, calcium aluminium mineral. It is much lower in density and hardness compared to other stones in the garnet group, hence it is considered inferior. This gem has been named Hessonite, which comes from the Greek word, 'hesson' or inferior.

Hessonite is a variety of grossularite garnet which is a mineral group consisting of three main garnets - Massive Hydro grossularite, Hessonite garnet and Tsavorite garnet.

Hessonite garnet has a characteristic color of honey. The gem is translucent and smooth to touch. It is identified by the inclusions in the stone which appear like scattered bubbles, when viewed under the microscope.

It is used extensively in jewelry and decorative articles and in carvings.

Hessonite comes chiefly from Sri Lanka, the largest producer of this gemstone. Besides Sri Lanka, Hessonite gem deposits have also been found in parts of India, parts of Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada and Tanzania.

In India it is considered precious in terms of its ability to cure afflictions, caused by certain planetary positions.

Interesting Trivia

• Sri Lanka is the largest producer of Hessonite
   
• Garnet is the official state gem of New York, USA.
   
• The rarest of the garnets is the color changing deep blue garnet, which was discovered in the 1990s in Madagascar.

Treasure of the Ocean Corals

Coral and pearl, although drastically different in appearance, are actually closely related to each other. Just like pearls, corals are also products of the water. They are the products of tiny living beings found in the depths of the ocean. Corals are calcareous, skeleton-like deposit of the coral polyp. The polyps, surrounded by a fleshy skin, excrete a carbonic substance from which the corals grow, like trees and branches. Corals grow on rocky sea bottom with low sedimentation, and in dark environments.

Traditionally corals are thought of as red being their typical color. The color of coral however depends on the depth at which it is found. The best-colored corals are found between depths of 100 and 160 feet. Other than red, Corals are found in a wide range of hues from pink, white, yellow, ochre, cream, chocolate, blue and even black, which are becoming increasingly popular.

Coral is among the most ancient of gemstones, used for adornment since pre-historic times. Most coral used in jewelry are found in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Pacific Ocean. The Italian Coral is particularly famous and widely admired. It is basically cut into beads and attached with gold and silver in jewelry. They are also versatile enough to be carved and made into ornamental objects.

Unprocessed, corals are a little dull and do have blotches. They need to be processed and polished to make it shine and blemish free. Corals of high quality are of an even color and free of cracks and blotches. But these are rare.

Coral is used extensively in jewelry today. It is believed that the presence of coral in a piece of jewelry imparts to it a certain vibrancy which is in turn transferred to the wearer of the gem.

Coral Trivia

• It was believed that Poseidon the Greek Sea God resided in a palace made of coral and other gems.
   
• The Romans believed coral could protect children from harm, as well as cure wounds.
   
• Coral jewelry has been found in ancient Egyptian and prehistoric European burials.

Tantalizing Turquoise

Turquoise has always occupied a very special position among gemstones, owing to its color. The shining sky blue of the turquoise never goes unnoticed. It is its unique hue that has made it a gem of alluring value.

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral and it is mostly found in places where there is a high concentration of copper in the soil. The best quality turquoises are of a pure, radiant sky blue, a color which is highly esteemed. They are found in parts of USA, Mexico, Israel, Iran, Afghanistan and China.

This gemstone has been esteemed since ancient times as a holy stone, as it is supposed to offer protection and joie de vivre to the wearer. In modern gemstone therapy, those suffering from depression are recommended to wear a turquoise as the vibrant blue color exudes cheer. The turquoise' cheerful color is said to endow the wearer with more confidence and positive energy.

In the days of yore, turquoises were worn on the turban, along with pearls to give it an ornamental look. It was adorned on daggers, sabers and bridles of horses and was believed that the gem would protect the wearer in times of distress. Turquoise was also used in ornamental carvings and for other artistic purposes.

Though ancient, the turquoise is never out of fashion. They are used extensively in jewelry and as embellishments and accessories

Interesting Facts

There are interesting legends associated with the turquoise.

• Gypsies, were renowned for wearing turquoise to enchant the unsuspecting traveler.
   
• Queens of ancient Egypt wore scarabs of turquoise for good luck.
   
• In Persian as well as in Arabic, the word turquoise means "victorious", and it was believed that the wearer would be victorious in his ventures.
   
• It is the national gemstone of Iran to this day.