Article:
Stone Identification
Once again, I would like to touch on the importance
of being able to identify a particular stone for a customer. A knowledge
of stones, even a rudimentary one, goes a long way in making the sale.
Customers have
more confidence when buying from someone with intimate knowledge
of the products they sell. Being able to accurately classify the
stone in a ring or pendant at a customer's request breeds trust
and adds a level of interest that helps sell the piece.
It is the story
behind the piece that most often makes the sale. Knowing the stone,
having access to spiritual/healing properties and being able to
talk a bit about its origin and production method all create an
interest and add value for the customer.
The list below
is a partial index, and focuses on the types of stones most often
found in our jewelry. A great book on stones and mineral identification
is Gemstones of the World by Walter Schumann.
Agate:
Agates are found as ball or geode type nodules. Often they have
a concentric banding of various colors. Depending on how the stone
is cut, the bands may form rings or bands. Agate comes in all colors,
and is usually opaque or semi-translucent. The rough surface of
druzy is actually the center part of the agate nodule with the rest
of the stone cut away.
Amber:
Fossilized, hardened resin of an ancient pine tree dating back about
50 million years. Found mostly in in the Baltic, younger ambers
are found in the Dominican Republic. Yellows and browns are the
predominant colors.
Amethyst:
Type of quartz, found mostly in Brazil. Purple, transparent, color
varies quite a bit from light to dark. Most people view dark amy
as more desirable.
Aventurine:
Greenish semi-tranparent stone, similar in color to Jade. Also a
member of the quartz family. Sometimes has a glittery appearance,
but when used in beads it rarely shows.
Carnelian:
Member of the Chalcedony species. Reddish brown in color. Translucent
to opaque, with color ranging from light to very dark brown. Most
carnelian is today is agate that is dyed then heat treated.
Chalcedony:
Bluish-gray-white milky translucent colored stone. Chalcedony is
a species name that includes agates, jaspers, carnelian, bloodstone,
chrysoprase, onyx and petrified wood. Stone varies in color from
pale gray to deep almost purple blue.
Chrysoprase:
Green to apple green type of chalcedony. Stone is opaque, often
with black veins resembling ferns or other plant-like materials.
Citrine:
Also a type of quartz. Natural citrine is rare, most are heat treated
amethysts. Lemony yellow color, transparent, hard stone.
Coral:
Branching, skeleton-like material created by small marine organisms.
Most often found in red, but also comes in pink, white, black or
blue. Soft organic material that must be treated with care to avoid
damaging with solvents or hard surfaces.
Garnet:
Transparent stone that varies from pink to red to brown. Most people
prefer the blood red version.
Hematite:
Black to grayish metallic stone that is very dense. Said to have
healing properties, especially in the magnetic version.
Jade:
The most common and popular color is green, but jade comes in all
colors. "New" jade is a whitish color of the mineral.
Jasper:
Another member of the chalcedony species, it comes in all colors
and is opaque even in thin slabs. Jasper is mostly striped or spotted
and there are hundreds of varieties. Generally the jasper we get
is brownish in varying shades and patterns.
Labradorite:
Member of the feldspar species. Dark gray to black with colorful
iridescence that ranges from yellow to purple.
Lapis
Lazuli: Dark blue with inclusions of iron pyrite or black
flecks. Opaque, this mineral comes from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
When properly polished, has a brilliant shine, otherwise has a waxy
finish.
Malachite:
Green, banded stones with parallel lines or concentric rings. Completely
opaque, stone is soft and can be easily scratched.
Moonstone:
Colorless, white or yellowy with a pale sheen. "Regular" moonstone
has an opalescent quality that follows the eye of the observer with
movement. We mostly get "Rainbow Moonstone," also know as spectrolite.
It has a whitish base color with a "fire" inside that varies from
yellow to blue.
Pearl:
Formed by saltwater oysters or by freshwater mussels. Formed as
a result of an introduced irritant that is coated by the shellfish
with an organic product called nacre that is meant to alleviate
the irritation within the animal. Pearls occur naturally in white,
pink, silver, cream, golden, green, blue and black. Currently, China
is a major producer of freshwater pearls that come in every color
of the rainbow (dyed).
Peridot:
Yellow green stone, transparent. Peridot is considered a higher
valued semi-precious stone and is highly prized among stone lovers.
It is the birthstone of August, the month my wife was born in.
Rhodocrosite:
Rose-red to yellowish, usually with lighter colored stripes. Most
stones we see are bubble gum pink to raspberry red. Coming from
Argentina, this stone has only been commercially produced since
about 1940. Most often opaque, transparent crystals are highly prized.
Rhodonite:
Similar in composition to rhodocrosite, this mineral usually appears
more red and has black dendritic (plant-like) inclusions.
Rose
Quartz: Rosy pink color, usually translucent with a crackled,
almost milky quality to it. Rhodocrosite: Rose red with yellow or
pinkish colored stripes. Completely opaque, often with a bubble
gum color pink.
Smoky
Quartz: Transparent stone with a black to smoky gray tint.
As the name suggests, this is a member of the quartz species. Sometimes
called (incorrectly) smoky topaz.
Tiger
Eye: Another member of the quartz species. Silky, banded
brown appearance with an opalescence that changes with viewing angle.
In India, they subdivide this stone by primary color, like "Red
Tiger," "Black Tiger," etc.
Tourmaline:
Actually a species unto itself. Tourmaline is highly prized and
usually expensive. It grows in points like quartz, often with a
dark outer ring and lighter center color. The stone comes in all
colors, an is semi-transparent.
Turquoise:
Sky blue to apple green to brown in color, often with inclusions
that are dark gray or black in color. American turquoise tends to
be more blue in color, while Asian turquoise is green or brown in
color.
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