November 19, 2010
Topaz… Fire!
Whether it’s a fine cognac, champagne, the luscious pink-orange of a peach, the golden, reddish orange glow of a sunset, the pink radiance of dawn or any of the gold and orange hues in between, the gemstone Topaz comes in a wide variety of colors including colorless and blue. The name “topaz” derives from the ancient Sanskrit word tapas, meaning fire. Like tourmaline, topaz comes in a variety of colors with the rarest being natural pale pink to a sherry red. The intense fiery-golden imperial variety of topaz is among the most valuable variation of Topaz, especially in medium to large sizes. All of these colors are known as precious topaz. Blue topaz, a popular affordable gem due to its abundance, has an enhanced color—topaz with a natural blue color is very rare. (Blue topaz is not a November birthstone however and more information about blue topaz is coming soon.)
Topaz has often been confused with many other yellow/golden/brown species of gemstones, from golden sapphire to citrine. Almost all imperial topaz is mined in Brazil and Brazilian miners were using the catch all term topazio to describe almost any gem that is basically or strongly yellow. To distinguish more highly prized precious topaz from quarts, the dealers used the phrase topazio imperiale which is why precious topaz is often called “imperial topaz” in the United States. (In the US, imperial refers to topaz with rich reddish orange, sherry red or vivid deep or salmon pink colors).
The name for Imperial Topaz originated in nineteenth century Russian because the Ural Mountains were the leading source. When pink topaz was first discovered in Russia, ownership was restricted to the Czar and his family and those to who he gave it as a gift. Because it was used only by the imperial family and their courts, it became called imperial topaz.
The pale or colorless topaz used in the process is mined in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and China. The gems are usually cut before they are treated. Colorless topaz is routinely heated and irradiated to produce blue, red or green colors. Topaz in yellow and orange is occasionally irradiated to intensify color while brown topaz is not commonly enhanced.
Almost all imperial topaz is mined in Brazil. Other shades, including yellow, peach, orange, and brown precious topaz are called precious topaz. Precious topaz is found in Brazil and Sri Lanka. Rare pastel pink topaz is found in Pakistan and Russia.
Folklore and Myth:
And according to the American Gem Trade Association, topaz was thought to fuel matters of the heart, increase intuition, sharpen wit and inspire courage. The Egyptians said that topaz was colored with the golden glow of the mighty sun god Ra. And in Arabic, the word topaz means “the subject of the search”. The Romans associated topaz with Jupiter, who also is the god of the sun. Legend says that it dispels all enchantment and helps to improve eyesight. The Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make the wearer invisible. Topaz was also said to change color in the presence of poisoned food or drink and curative powers waxed and waned with the phases of the moon. It was said to cure insomnia, asthma and hemorrhages. In medieval times nobility and ruling classes were given engraved topaz as a token of loyalty and friendship.
Care for Topaz:
Topaz is a very hard gemstone, with a Mohs hardness of 8, but it cleaves and a sudden impact can cause a break. Like a diamond, Topaz can be split with a single blow. As a result it should be protected from hard knocks. Clean with mild dish soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone where dust can collect. To clean topaz, use warm water, a soft damp cloth and a soft brush.
October 29, 2010
November… Stones with a Sunny Disposition
Citrine
Revered as a gift of the sun by the ancients
This light yellow stone gets its name from the color—light yellow like sunshine; or, as its name suggests, lemons. Citrine is often mistaken to be yellow topaz; however, it is in fact in the quartz family. The chemical makeup is SiO2, or Silicon Dioxide that forms in triangular crystals. It gets its color from trace amounts of iron. On the Mohs hardness scale, citrines are ranked at a 7. This means that they are softer than diamonds or sapphires, but about the same hardness as emeralds. They do not fall victim to rough treatment very easily.
Citrines and other yellow stones became popular when the bourgeoisie began to grow in strength, bringing more and more jewelry into demand. As citrines are elegant, and reasonably inexpensive, they were sought after.
Other Varieties of Citrines:
Madeira Variety of Citrine
The Madeira variety of citrine is a more reddish color, and considered to be of higher value. Many of the citrines currently on the market are actually Amethysts and Smoky Quartz that have been heat treated, as the colors of these stones change when subjected to high temperatures. This process is considered a natural process in the market, and it cannot be detected. Citrines are often found along with amethyst and smoky quartz deposits. Occasionally, an amethyst crystal and a citrine will occur together in the same gem, creating what is known as an Ametrine.
Eye of Horus: Smithsonian National Gem Collection. Photograph by Ken Larsen. This combination of amethyst’s purple and the yellow of citrine also illustrates creative, state-of-the-art cutting techniques with this one-of-a-kind gemstone.
Folklore and Myths about Citrine:
Revered as a gift of the sun by the ancients, citrine was believed to inspire optimism and good spirit and symbolizes warmth and affection. Citrine is said to promote mental clarity, and courage. When carried, it is said to help the heart, kidneys, liver, and digestive system. It is also said to protect the wearer from the plague, snake bites, and evil thoughts. It is believed that citrine dispels sadness and anger, and night fears (probably because of its sunny color) and protects the wearer from sudden death. Wearing citrine is said to make men handsome and intelligent, and to make sterile women fertile, although it is not recommended to rely on its magic powers. It was once said that you can put your hand into scalding hot water after a yellow quartz was thrown into it without being harmed, and this was (and still is) not true.
Care for Citrine Jewelry:
Citrines, like other gems, can be damaged by harsh blows and rough chemicals—both of which should be avoided. Putting a citrine in a sonic cleaner is generally safe, but a steamer is risky. Use a mild solution of dishwashing soap and warm water, for ten to twenty minutes. Remove the jewelry from the solution and scrub gently with a soft toothbrush, and dry with a soft brush. If necessary, use a toothpick carefully to remove buildup from hard to reach places on the piece of jewelry.
October 13, 2010
Tourmaline: a dazzling array of colors… it can shock you (literally)
October has two birth stone options… Pink Tourmaline and Opal
Tourmaline-
Tourmaline’s name means multi-colored, and rightfully so. These October birthstones come in every color of the rainbow, and even bi and tri-colored, where two or more colors appear together in the same gemstone. No two tourmalines are exactly alike. Tourmalines are believed to be a compassion fostering stone, also bringing composure and enlightenment, to those who wear it.
A deposit of tourmaline was found on Mt. Mica in Maine by two men who just happened to see a green crystal at the base of an uprooted tree, who didn’t know what it was. None of the locals could identify it, so it was sent to Yale University, where it was identified as tourmaline. Tourmaline was the first gem to be mined in such abundance in post-native North America. Mt. Mica tourmalines are particularly noted for their distinct green color resembling Granny Smith Apples.
Tourmaline’s many Varieties:
– Maine Tourmaline- Granny Smith green
– Watermelon Tourmaline- a bi-color stone containing green and pink tourmaline side by side.
– Rubelite- intense red color that stays the same color in both artificial and natural light.
– Paraíba Tourmaline- wasn’t discovered until 1987, commonly a bright blue to blue-green tourmaline
Tourmaline offers an enticing rainbow of options for your jewelry wardrobe. Cranberry red, hot magenta, bubblegum pink, peach and orange, canary yellow, mint, grass and forest green, ocean blue, violet, and even bicolor pink and green stones: tourmaline is all these and more.
Tourmaline
Folklore/Myths & Facts:
According to ancient Egyptians, tourmaline, on its way up from the center of the earth passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it acquired all the colors.
The Empress Dowager Tz’u Hsi, the last empress of China, loved pink tourmaline above all other gemstones. She imported tons of tourmaline from Southern California in the early twentieth century, creating a gem rush in San Diego during the period.
It is believed that tourmaline protects its wearer from many dangers, such as falling.
Scientists are as interested in tourmalines as designers are. It’s peculiar that tourmaline can become electrically charged when rapidly heated and cooled. Even more peculiar is that when electrically charged, they will demonstrate pyro-electricity (i.e. having opposite charges at either end of the stone). This property has also made tourmaline the latest miracle ingredient in moisturizers: manufacturers claim the gem helps pull pollutants from your skin.
The Dutch were the first to bring tourmaline to Europe. Well aware of its heat conductivity, they would use a heated piece of tourmaline to heat their meerschaum pipes.
How to Care for Tourmaline:
Tourmaline is durable and suitable for everyday wear. Clean with mild dish soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone where dust can collect.
Opals, Play of Color
Opals:
The name means to see a change of color; opals have an unusual optical effect of shifting spectral hues described as play of color. The birthstone for October, opal is revered as a symbol of hope, fidelity and purity and reveals the colorful attributes of those who wear it.
Opals are a chameleon of stones, encompassing the essence of every gemstone in one and date back to prehistoric times.
Opals are described according to their transparency and body color. While experts divide gem opals into many different categories, the main types (according to the American Gem Trade Association) are:
- White opal – translucent to semi-translucent with play-of-color against a white or light gray body color.
- Black opal – translucent to opaque with play-of-color against a black or other dark body color.
- Fire Opal – transparent to translucent with brown, yellow, orange, or red body color. This material, which often does not show play-of-color, is also known as “Mexican opal,” “gold opal,” or “sun opal.”
Play-of-color occurs because opal is made up of sub-microscopic spheres stacked in a grid-like pattern, like layers of ping-pong balls in a box. This structure breaks up light into spectral colors. The colors you see depend on the sizes of the spheres. Opal is a non-crystallized silica, which is a mineral found near the earth’s surface in areas where ancient geothermal hot springs once existed. As the hot springs dried up, layers of the silica, combined with water, were deposited into the cracks and cavities of the bedrock, forming Opal.
Opal Peacock Brooch on display at the Smithsonian
Because opal contains varying amounts of water, it is a soft stone and if exposed to changes in heat and pressure, the appearance can change. When water evaporates out of an opal, the stone can appear to be slightly smaller and the stress
Opal is a soft stone, easily altered in appearance by changes in heat and pressure. This mineral contains varying amounts of water within it that determine the appearance of the gemstone. When water evaporates out of an opal, the stone appears slightly smaller and the stress of the evaporation creates cracks on it.
Folklore:
Prized for its unique ability to refract and reflect specific wavelengths of light, the Opal was also called “Cupid Paederos” by the Romans, meaning a child beautiful as love.
Arabic legends say it falls from the heavens in flashes of lightning. The ancient Greeks believed opals gave their owners the gift of prophecy and guarded them from disease. Europeans have long considered the gem a symbol of hope, purity, and truth.
Some people think it’s unlucky for anyone born in another month to wear an opal, but that particular superstition comes from a novel written in the 1800s (Anne of Geierstein by Sir Walter Scott) and not from ancient belief or experience. In fact, throughout most of history, opal has been regarded as the luckiest and most magical of all gems because it can show all colors. Once, it was thought to have the power to preserve the life and color of blond hair.
September 1, 2010
Sapphires, taste the rainbow
While the name sapphire comes from the Latin word for blue, sapphirus, this precious stone comes in a whole spectrum of colors including violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink and even gray, brown, black and colorless. Red variations of the sapphire mineral (corundum) is exclusively ruby. Next to diamond, Sapphire is the second hardest known natural substance (next to diamond), with a hardness of 9 on the mohs scale, it is ideal for all types of jewelry, especially rings.
Formed billions of years ago, deep below the earth’s crust and in the mantle, conditions of high temperature and pressure formed corundum, the sapphire mineral (rubies are red corundum). Sapphires are a very desirable gem due to its color, hardness, durability and its luster. The most valuable color of sapphire is known as Kashmir sapphire and is a cornflower blue. Corundum with asterism (inclusions of tiny, slender, parallel Rutile needles) in the stone are called star sapphires because of the six (sometimes 12) point star that appears on the stone.
Sapphires come from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tanzania and Australia; other sources include Montana, Cambodia, Nigeria, Kenya and China. The most famous sources for sapphires however are the Kashmir region of India and Burma (Myanmar).
There have been many famous sapphires in history including on the crown jewels of England and most famously, the Star of India which is 536 carats. About three hundred years ago in Sri Lanka, the star sapphire (which is almost flawless and had stars on both sides) was discovered and later donated to the American Museum of Natural History by JP Morgan where it was later stolen.
The story of its theft adds intrigue to the stone’s fame. Thieves discovered that the valuable gems in the Museum of Natural History were very poorly guarded, and they unlocked a bathroom window during the museum hours. When they returned after the institution was closed for the night, sure enough, the window was still open, and they climbed right in. The Star of India was the only gem that had an alarm, and as luck would have it, the battery on the alarm was dead. The thieves made off with the gems and were later recovered in a locker in a bus station Miami.
Folklore about Sapphires
The ancient Persians believed that the Earth was imbedded into a gigantic blue Sapphire stone. For the Buddhists, a Sapphire represented friendship and loyalty. For others, Sapphire is the stone of prosperity, preventing terror and poverty in men. During the 18th century, Sapphire was used to test female loyalty, changing its color if its wearer was unfaithful.
The movie the Titanic featured a fictional sapphire necklace which was based on the famous Hope Diamond. Princess Diana’s engagement ring had a sapphire center stone and Queen Elizabeth has a sapphire engagement ring as well. Other celebrities wearing sapphires include: Joan Crawford, Penelope Cruz, Debra Messing, and Jean Harlow.
Heart of the Ocean
Cleaning a sapphire: use soapy water or commercial solvent and a brush.
July 28, 2010
The Poor Man’s Emerald
Peridot, often referred to as the “poor man’s emerald”, is a gem that is formed in volcanoes and has been cherished since the time of the ancient Egyptians. It is the colored birth stone for August and is ideal for summer wardrobes as the color ranges from shades of yellowish green to olive and brownish green.
Peridot has been used in fashion and ritual for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians utilized Peridot stones in religious rituals and used it to adorn Cleopatra’s and other Pharaoh’s treasures. To them it was the gemstone of the sun and was thought to reveal insights and embellish dreams as well as protect against the evil eye.
Ancient Romans called it the “emerald of the evening” as it does not change color even in artificial light. Ottoman Sultans had a large array of Peridot in their vaults and it adorns many treasures in European cathedrals, medieval churches and prized possessions. As a testament of his undying love, Napoleon gave a Peridot ring to Josephine. Legend also has it that pirates favored Peridot as a form of protection and setting it in gold would defend the wearer from terrors in the night.
Peridot’s popularity faded for a while until the 1990s when a rich deposit of the finest Peridots the world had seen was found in Pakistan, rekindling the world’s interest in the gemstone. Since their discovery, gemstone cutters have become increasingly creative in cutting Peridots (a fragile stone which can be quite complicated to work with) with elaborate facets and designs.
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