| GARNET - Garnets are found in various shades | | | | Rose Opal or potch opal has a beautiful pink |
| and colours from brown to purple shades. But | | | | colour but opaque. Hydrophane Opal is opaque |
| its dark red variety is valued as a precious | | | | but appears colourless in water.PEARL - Along |
| stone although the mineral is quite common. | | | | with Coral, this extremely popular gemstone |
| Garnet crystals are 12 faced. The stones | | | | used in jewellery, is found in the seas not |
| have been prized in jewellery for over 5000 | | | | the land and is therefore not of the same |
| years. When many garnet crystals are | | | | composition nor characteristics of the earth |
| gathered in a rock cavity they are likened to | | | | born gemstones. Care must be taken to |
| a ripe pomegranate. Cut as brilliants, | | | | preserve the quality of pearls. Pearls are |
| garnets are used as ring stones with large | | | | made of calcium carbonate formed within an |
| ones as pendants, often with cabochon cut and | | | | oyster. The basic irritant is usually a |
| carved. Garnets and star garnets from are | | | | grain of sand which stimulates the oyster to |
| found in Australia.JADE - This is the name | | | | cover it with its own body secretion - |
| given to both nephrite and jadeite which are | | | | eventually forming the well known round and |
| tougher than steel although not particularly | | | | perfect pearl. The lustre of the pearl comes |
| hard. China, New Zealand and Alaska supply | | | | from minute crackles on its surface - finer |
| good Jade. Burma also. Brazil it occurs | | | | than those on opals. Their lustre increases |
| naturally Used since Neolithic times for | | | | in the body warmth of human beings and |
| weapons and tools and later for delicate | | | | therefore the practice of allowing the shop |
| carvings. Aztecs used jade. In ancient | | | | attendants to wear the strings of pearl has a |
| Egypt the stone was called Nemehen. Pure | | | | practical basis. Different pearl qualities |
| Jade is white with impurities causing | | | | depend upon colour and size and range from |
| different colours and most pieces are | | | | the tiniest "seed pearls" to the rare gems of |
| mottled. It is generally translucent or | | | | considerable size Harvesting pearls from the |
| opaque green in colour and is lustrous rather | | | | wild is singularly unrewarding and cultured |
| than brilliant. The most prised of all jades | | | | pearls have been able to meet the demand for |
| is "imperial jade" the transparent emerald | | | | these beautiful natural ornaments. Cultured |
| green coloured by chromium. It has been | | | | pearls have been produced in China for |
| always revered in China as a sacred stone. | | | | several centuries as now in Japan, Australia |
| Its quality as a gemstone is judged by the | | | | and the Pacific.RUBY - Next to diamond, |
| intensity of the green colour and its | | | | rubies (and sapphires) are the most valued of |
| coolness to the touch. Jadeite is the rarer | | | | the gems. Ruby is a variety of corundum, |
| of the jades and Myanmar remains the only | | | | When the corundum includes chromium, it |
| commercial source. Much of the Central | | | | becomes ruby, when it contains titanium and |
| American jadeite originates in Guatemala. | | | | iron instead and therefore is blue - the |
| Soapy jade is the term for the inferior | | | | sapphire. The world's finest come from |
| grades used commonly for carving decorations, | | | | Myanmar, Pakistan and Afghanistan, also |
| lamp stands etc.LAPIS LAZULI - This stone | | | | Burma, Thailand, India and Ceylon .Burmese |
| consists of blue silicate lazurite with | | | | ones are exceptionally beautiful - found near |
| variable amounts of calcite and the brassy | | | | Mogo N.E. of Mandalay. "Pigeon Blood" |
| gold flecks of pyrite which is more abundant | | | | rubies are the highest in the scale of value. |
| in the poorer quality material. Afghanistan | | | | Thai Rubies are often found with spinel and |
| has the best quality that consists mostly of | | | | are darker red than the Burmese Rubies. A |
| lazurite and is deep blue. In ancient times | | | | fine ruby is a magnificent gemstone. Ruby |
| it was also known as "sapphirus". The | | | | has been synthetically produced successfully |
| Egyptians used to ground it into pigment to | | | | since 1904. But the genuine rubies are |
| use in paintings and murals and in eye shadow | | | | valued because of their rarity and therefore |
| and used in manufacture of amulets and | | | | have not dropped in commercial value, in fact |
| symbols, particularly in the representations | | | | have risen. Rubies are also used in Space |
| of the goddess Isis and in the Sacred Eye of | | | | research in connection with communication |
| Horus. Later it was ground for use as | | | | systems to cut out surface sounds of the |
| pigment in religious paintings for the | | | | earth and pick up beams from space.SAPPHIRE - |
| glorious blue of the Madonna's robes. In | | | | Pink Sapphires, Blue sapphires and Yellow |
| China, royal seals and carvings were made of | | | | Sapphires are found in Thailand and East |
| it. It is considered as a sacred stone in | | | | Africa. They are next to diamond in hardness |
| Buddhism. Lapis lazuli is one of the most | | | | and therefore resistant to wear. Australia |
| ancient in items of jewellery - having been | | | | is the largest producer of blue and golden |
| known and used for over 6000 years. It was | | | | sapphires. Non-blue sapphires are White |
| mined in Afghanistan and Siberia near Lake | | | | Sapphires or Golden Sapphires. The largest |
| Baikal, but nowadays produced profusely in | | | | sapphire known was 950 carats from Burma. |
| Chile.MOONSTONE - Moonstone is a Feldspar, | | | | The largest in Australia was 886 carats from |
| comprised of calcium sodium or potassium | | | | Queensland in 1934. There are star sapphires |
| aluminium silicates. Sri Lanka is the most | | | | and star rubies found which contain fine |
| important source of Moonstone. India | | | | fibre crystals giving star effect when cut in |
| produces strongly coloured stones as beige, | | | | en cabochon.TOPAZ - Topaz is an aluminium |
| pink, green, yellow, grey, white and brown. | | | | silicate containing about 20% water and |
| It is considered to be a sacred stone in | | | | fluorine and comes in several colours. |
| India and by tradition, it is always cut en | | | | Yellow quartz is sold today under the name of |
| cabochon. It is an important stone in | | | | topaz and it is one of the most popular |
| Ayurvedic medicine. Beautiful sheens come as | | | | colours, although there are others which are |
| with other stones, with subjected light and | | | | greenish and of reddish tint.. Golden Topaz |
| its particular sheen is called | | | | from Brazil is a golden brown to pink colour. |
| "adularescence" and most prized when the | | | | The main suppliers are Brazil, Germany and |
| sheen is bluish in colour. Throughout the | | | | Russia. Japan also produces topaz. Topaz is |
| world it is associated with the Moon and very | | | | harder than Rock crystal and is known for its |
| popular semi precious stone is used in | | | | huge crystals - a colourless one from Brazil |
| jewellery everywhere. Their fascination lies | | | | was found weighing as much as 600 pounds, |
| in their gentle glowing and elusive sheen and | | | | well formed and clear throughout. The |
| above all the softness of their quality, | | | | largest known topaz was cut in 1977 and |
| compared with the strength and brilliance of | | | | weighed 21,327 carats. Another is known at |
| faceted jewels.OPAL - Opal is one of the few | | | | 36,853 carats. Found in Australia topaz is |
| gem minerals which is non crystalline. Opals | | | | usually light yellow, green and blue also. |
| are referred to in history and in legend. | | | | Hardness 8 and Orthorhombic crystals |
| Pliny is said to have liked it and Orpheus is | | | | brilliant and beautiful stone found in quartz |
| said to have declared that the opal 'fills | | | | rose rocks. Associated with tin ores . |
| the heart of the gods with joy". Shakespeare | | | | Tinted by heating. Sky blue topaz found in |
| refers to ... "this miracle and Queen of | | | | the Scottish Highlands, Brazil and |
| gems". Opal consists of pure silica (silicon | | | | Siberia.TURQUOISE - This stone is composed of |
| combined with oxygen) with traces of numerous | | | | aluminium copper sulphate hydrated phosphate |
| compounds which explains the many differing | | | | of aluminium and copper) and is only medium |
| types. Opals were rare in antiquity. It is | | | | hard. Egyptians are the first people known |
| thought to have become commonly known only | | | | to mine it in Sinai over 6000 years ago. The |
| after the time of Alexander the Great. The | | | | finest is said to be found in Naishapur, |
| only known mines in the earliest times were | | | | Iran, where it has been mined for about 3000 |
| the Carpathian Mountains. The stone is | | | | years. It is found also in Sinar, Turkestan |
| extremely porous with the weight varying in | | | | and Tibet. The colours range from pale blue |
| proportion to the amount of contained water. | | | | to deep green/blue. Water content affects |
| The colours are determined by structure and | | | | the colour of the stone. It responds to |
| the light which causes ever changing effect. | | | | human touch and warmth and in the Middle East |
| Finest opal and opalized wood and fossils are | | | | is used as a reflector of babies' health in |
| found also in Australia at Coober Pedy and | | | | the crib etc. It is relatively soft and has |
| Andamooka. France also supplies some and | | | | a waxy lustre. It is porous and its colour |
| also Idaho... Opals are usually cut as en | | | | may deteriorate if skin oils and cosmetics |
| cabochon. Their varieties include - | | | | are absorbed during wear. It's famous for |
| Hungarian opals are very fine and were once | | | | its change of colour when difficult |
| popular in Europe.Mexican Opals fine | | | | influences are near and for this reason was |
| transparent variety of opal - Black opals are | | | | attached to cradle of babies to reflect the |
| extremely vivid flashes of colour including | | | | child's vitality and to alert them to any |
| red, with dark background and of highest | | | | change in tone and colour. Some believe it |
| value Milky opal or white opals are opaque | | | | becomes moist and changes colour when warning |
| with smaller and less spectacular softer | | | | against Poison. The gem is regarded as a |
| markings and colours. Fire opals or | | | | pledge of true affection and drawing evil |
| Harlequin Opal is the finest quality and | | | | influences. The green variety is found in |
| variety of gemstone Water Opal is clear and | | | | New Mexico and in Australia. |
| colourless with internal play of colour. | | | | |