Welcome to The Mad Logophile. Here, we explore words; their origins, evolution, usage. Words are alive. Words are born, they change and, sometimes, they die. They are our principal tool for communicating with one another. There are over one million words in the English language yet only an estimated 171,476 words are in common current use. As a logophile, I enjoy discovering new words, using them and learning about their origins. Please join in.
Tonight I want to share part of my world with you. I have been working with beads and making jewelry for about 15 years. Jewelry has a poetry all its own, with words we may know - or think we know - and ones we know nothing of. Let me share my other avocation with you tonight...
In the late 1800s, British archaeologist Archibald Campbell Carlyle said of primitive man "the first spiritual want of a barbarous man is decoration." Before writing, before music, humans decorated themselves. Stones, shells, bones, wood and teeth were the first beads strung on sinew and fiber. Jewelry made from mollusk shells has been found in South Africa that dates back to the Middle Stone Age, some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago. Jewelry became a symbol of wealth and status as well as taking on spiritual significance. Certain stones were believed to protect or heal.
When mankind began to learn how to work metal, they created tools first, then jewelry. But not until they learned to harden it was it used widely. The Bronze Age ushered in the art of making alloys about 35,000 years ago and revolutionized both tool and jewelry making. Along the way, new techniques were added to the manufacture of jewelry. Many styles came and went, many more gems were discovered and jewelry became a popular way of setting oneself apart. To this day, it has continued to make our lives more colorful and enjoyable.
We are all familiar with the different kinds of jewelry; necklaces, rings, bracelets, etc. But there are some lesser known terms and types:
A bangle is a rigid bracelet. They often have a hinge to facilitate putting them on, but can be solid metal.
A kind of necklace, a lariat has no clasp and is worn looped around the neck with open ends that may be tied into a loose knot or fastened with a ring or a brooch.
There are pins and pendants and then there are pin/pendants. These can be worn as a pin and then, with an adaptation (usually a bail) they can be worn on a chain.
There are several different kinds of crowns. A circlet is a simple circle of metal with no ornamentation. A coronet is a metal ring with ornaments but never arches. A diadem is an ornamental headband usually open at the back. A tiara can be a crown that tapers to a point, much like a cone. The Papal Tiara is this kind. The other, more common (and modern) kind of tiara is a partial circle often richly decorated with jewels.
An armlet (aka brassard) is worn on the bicep. They are commonly used as part of a uniform, to which rank badges and other insignia can be attached. As a jewelry item, it is usually a metal bracelet that fits on the upper arm and can be decorated or not.
A chatelaine is a decorative belt hook or clasp from which several chains hang. The chains hold useful items such as scissors, keys, thimbles, etc. Nowadays it can refer to a chained belt.
There are many methods of making the parts used in jewelry. Here are some of the most widely-used:
Metal must be heated in order to make it malleable. This process is called annealing. Jewelers (like me) sometimes purchase metals that have already been annealed which may be referred to as soft or half hard (alright, quit your smirking!). Different metals become annealed at different temperatures: the color determines when the metal has reached its annealed state.
Metal surfaces are shiny in their annealed state. If a matte surface or brushed finish is desired, the surface is gone over with a wire brush or other tool to add fine lines.
Those intricate patterns in some jewelry pieces are obtained by casting. The design is usually carved in wax which is used to make a mold. This is then covered by a plaster known as investment and allowed to dry. The mold is then heated to melt the wax away, leaving a hollow mold.
Adding a decorative color to metal with metallic oxide mixed with powdered glass is to enamel. The oxide/glass mixture is fused to the metal under very high temperatures. The resulting colors and transparencies will depend on the color of the oxide/glass mixture and the temperature under which it is fired.
Cloisonné (klow-zen-ay) is an enamel process. The design is marked with fine metal strips and the areas are filled with different colored enamels and subjected to high temperatures to fuse the enamel to the surface. It is believed that cloisonné originated in China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
Making dichroic glass involves adding ultra-thin pieces of various metals to the glass. The result is a holograph-like appearance. The most common metals used are gold, aluminum, chromium, silicon, zirconium or the metal alloy titanium.
Diffusion is adding color to an already-cut stone. This is accomplished by heating the stone in the presence of iron oxide, chrome oxide or similar compounds. It can only be done to a cut stone as any further cutting would undo the process.
A technique used both in jewelry and woodworking, inlay is embedding one material in another material. The surface of both is always level. If not it is known as intaglio or cameo. Intaglio is carving a design into the material so that it is below the surface. Cameo is a relief carving, the design being raised.
Keum Boo is a Korean technique where 24k gold foil is fused to sterling silver.
The art of cutting gemstones is lapidary. Someone who does this is a lapidist or lapidarist. Both words come from the Latin for stone.
A Japanese technique, mokume-gane ("wood-grain metal") produces an effect that resembles a wood grain. Many layers of material are bonded together in a stack. This is heated so that it bonds. Patterns are then created through carving, forging and shaping.
Another kind of enamel work, plique-a-jour results in a stained-glass effect. It is similar to cloisonné in that it employs thin metal strips. But it is more like wire filigree. This is then filled with transparent enamel and fired.
Creating a textured surface through the use of a flame, reticulation requires a deft touch and lots of patience. The metal is heated to just below the melting point and is then moved around with various tools. If the metal gets too hot, it will create a hole or ball rather than hills and valleys. This is a very advanced technique (meaning I'd never have a chance ;)).
Findings are the bits and pieces that jewelers use to put those beautiful things together. They are usually made of metal and are quite specific as to their use.
Different kinds of jewelry have form-specific findings: ear hooks for earrings, clasps for necklaces & bracelets, and so forth. But if there is one finding that could be called the duct tape of jewelry-making, it would be the jump ring. It's so simple - it's a circle made of wire. It comes in different sizes and thicknesses. It can also comes in ovals, rectangles, triangles or even free form. They are made from all kinds of metal, plastic, bone, stone... anything that can be made into an open form and (most often) opened/closed. A jump ring connects things. That's pretty much all it does but it is indispensable in jewelry-making. Most have a tiny gap so that they can be opened and closed, which there is a knack to doing. Some come soldered closed for certain uses. Look at your jewelry and you'll see that anything that's connected - a clasp to a string of beads, a drop to an ear hook, a dangle to a chain - will be connected with a jump ring. You just can't make jewelry without them.
Necklaces, unless they are long enough to go over the head (or are a lariat) are closed with a clasp. There are several different kinds of clasps, the most common of which is the spring clasp - a clasp which is opened with a spring-loaded catch and connected to a jump ring or soldered ring. The lobster clasp is similar but looks like a lobster claw. Toggle clasps consist of a bar and soldered ring which usually match. The bar is inserted into the ring and then turned perpendicularly to hold the necklace closed. A hook-and-eye clasp is pretty self-explanatory, as is the similar fish-hook. A slide clasp (aka slide lock) is composed of two short bars which fit together when one is slid parallel into the other. The box clasp has a slot on one side and a spring-loaded tab on the other; slide the tab into the slot and it expands to hold tight. A bayonet clasp is similar except that one tube fits into the other head-on. Barrel clasps consist of two short tubes with threads which screw together; a swivel clasp is a barrel clasp that moves freely on a pivot at the base of each component. A S-hook is an s-shaped piece that connects to a ring. The newest clasp is magnetic and consists of 2 magnets usually in a barrel shape but they can be round or square as well. Multi-strand clasps can be any of these styles but with up to 6 different ring ends for the bead strands. Some clasps can be set with a stone or have a filigree ornamentation.
A bail is a way to hang a stone or other element on a chain as a pendant or earring. Most work like a pincer, with two prongs that are inserted into either side of a bead's top hole and are known as pinch bails. Some have a hidden loop on the back for stringing. A half-drilled stone (one that doesn't go completely through the body of the bead) has a screw-in or ice-pick bail which is used with glue for security. There are bails for donut-shaped beads, for converting brooches to pendants and bails with glue pads for flat stones.
Bead caps are exactly what they sound like - caps for beads. They come in as many materials as beads do and in various sizes and shapes. Popular bead caps are filigreed, enameled and worked (meaning metalwork). Some bead caps are meant to make a figure with the bead as the body, like a snowman head and bottom used with a white bead in the middle.
Drops are just that - they drop from a necklace, bracelet or earrings. They can be metal, gemstones, enamel... any material, really. Drops set with stones are particularly elegant. Some drops have additional rings at one end for more drops to make a chandelier. Links are similar to drops but have the same number of rings on each end. They are used to link lengths of chain or bead sections into one unit.
Earring findings are very specific to their use. Earstuds are metal (sometimes plastic) studs on a firm wire which is held behind the ear with an earnut. Posts come in half or full ball and can have a loop for adding a dangle. Ear wires, aka French hooks or fishhooks are wires bent into a hook shape meant to be threaded through piercings. The decorations are attached at the bottom, where a loop is formed. For a dangle earring, beads are strung onto either a headpin, which ends in a flat disc, or an eyepin, which ends in a loop. Earthreads are thin chains which are threaded through a piercing. They usually have a loop at one end for adding a bead or other component. A leverback is a hinged component that can be used on non-pierced ears. Clip-ons are an older version and can be hinged or screwed down. Hoops can have loops for ornamentation or not as preferred. Chandelier loops have several loops.
Other findings include pin backs, which are used to make pins and brooches. They can be bar-shaped, sticks or post (similar to an earring post). Spacer bars are used in making necklaces and bracelets made up of more than one string. They keep the strings evenly spaced. Split rings are spiral rings. They are often used for heavy strings for more security and for keychains. A bead cage is a spiral wire formed into a cage and holds beads or other components. A bead frame holds a bead in the center of an opening.
Now, we move on to the beads and stones which make up the palette of the jewelry artist.
Before we do, though, I need to familiarize you with the Mohs Scale of Hardness. The hardness value indicates the material's resistance to scratching. It grades minerals on a comparative scale from 1 (mica) to 10 (diamond). In the Mohs scale, a mineral of a given hardness rating will scratch other minerals of the same rating and lower. The Mohs scale of mineral hardness was devised by the German mineralogist Frederich Mohs (1773-1839) in 1812.
There are several shapes and number of facets that are standard for faceted stones. The simplest is round which is...well, round. It has 57 facets. This is also known as a brilliant cut. A baguette cut is a rectangular shape with 20 facets. The antique cushion or pillow cut, is a rounded square shape and has approximately 64 facets. The briolette is a pear-shaped cut and its facet count depends on the size as it is completely faceted, unlike other cuts that leave an open surface. The emerald is a rectangular or square step (tapered) cut with diagonal corners. It has 50 facets. The heart cut has approximately 59 facets. A marquise cut is almond shaped with pointed ends and has 57 facets. An oval cut is an elliptical shape when viewed from the top. It has approximately 69 facets. The princess cut is a square with 76 facets. A radiant is a rectangular cut which combines the shape of an emerald cut and sparkle of a brilliant. It has approximately 70 facets. The trillion cut is triangular in shape with 44 facets. Opaque stones are usually cut into a round or a cabochon. The cabochon is an oval with a rounded top. It has no facets.
Now we come to my favorite part - gemstones! I've always loved stones and have been collecting them since I was a girl. Over the years I've settled on favorites but I love all of them.
Agate is formed of layers of quartz with various minerals creating different colors. Agate occurs as rounded nodules or veins. It is a usually a common stone though certain types can be harder to find. Sometimes, tiny quartz crystals form within the stone, adding to its beauty and uniqueness. These crystals are called drusy.
The very expensive Alexandrite has the unique ability to change color depending on the light. It does this by absorbing certain elements of the color spectrum. In daylight, it appears greenish-blue and in artificial light it is cherry red. Alexandrite was named after Czar Nicholas II (reigned 1855 to 1881) and is extremely rare. Most Alexandrite for sale today is artificially created.
Amazonite is named for the river as it was discovered near there in Brazil. It is a blue-green stone, usually with black or white inclusions. It can range from very light aqua to deep teal. It sometimes displays a schiller (a lustrous reflection similar to iridescence) of light which is caused by inclusions.
Not exactly a mineral but a mineraloid, Amber is a popular jewelry item. Between the Carboniferous and Pleistocene geological periods (360-1 million years ago), sticky resin oozed from ancient pine trees, trapping small insects, plant material, feathers and other small objects. Over time, through a process of heat and pressure it fossilized to become amber. Its value depends on the rarity and condition of an entrapped object. Amber can range in color from red to brown-gold to light yellow, even green. To see if a piece is real amber, drop it into a saline solution: if it floats, it's real amber.
Amethyst is a purple quartz and is the most valuable member of the quartz family. It is always purple but can range from dark purple to lilac and can be clear of drusy. Most amethyst you buy as jewelry nowadays has been heat treated to deepen the color. This does not harm the stone and will not fade over time. The presence of manganese in clear quartz produces amethyst, while the amount of iron contained in the specimen accounts for the depth of purple. Ametrine is a bicolor variety of quartz containing both amethyst and citrine colors. The Anahi Mine in Bolivia is the only confirmed source for natural ametrine.
A popular stone as both a faceted gem and cabachon is Aquamarine. It is a form of beryl and can range from pale blue to deep blue, clear or opaque. The most prized color is a deep-blue aqua. The name comes from Latin words meaning water and sea. Aquamarine is another stone which is commonly heat treated to deepen the color.
Aventurine is a translucent to opaque variety of quartz. It contains small inclusions which give the stone a sparkling effect known as aventurescence. Inclusions of mica will give a silver sheen, while inclusions of hematite give a reddish or grayish sparkle. It can range in color from green to peach to yellow. Like jade, which it resemble, it is used not only in jewelry but in the carving of figurines, vases and bowls. The name aventurine comes from the Italian a ventura, meaning "by chance".
There are several gems in the Beryl family. Emeralds, aquamarine (as noted above), bixbite (red), morganite (pink) and helidor (yellow). Pure colorless beryl is known as goshenite.
Chalcedony is a big family which includes several popular stones. It is a crypotocrystalline form of quart, meaning the crystal are so tiny that you need a microscope to see them. The stone actually known as chalcedony in the jewelry trade is light blue translucent variety. Other stones in this group are agate, jasper, petrified wood, bloodstone, petrified dinosaur bone, fire agate, tiger's eye, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, onyx, sardonyx, and carnelian. These cover the spectrum of colors, including combinations as found in agates, sardonyx and jaspers. Chalcedony is derived from the name of the ancient Greek town Chalkedon in Asia Minor.
One of my favorite stones, Charoite is found in only one place: in the Murun mountains of Russia, in the Charo River (from which the name Charoite is derived). The color ranges from bright lavender to dark purple with swirling patterns of black and white inclusions. Charoite is so unusual looking with its strands of fibrous material and waxy feel that it is often mistaken for a synthetic. Not only is it used extensively in jewelry but it appears as an ornamental stone carved into boxes, bookends, vases, figurines, etc.
Citrine may seem easy to identify, but due to heat treatment, is actually hard to find. Real citrine is pale yellow to pale orange with no red tinge. The stone that is most commonly sold as citrine is actually treated amethyst and is dark orange-brown to reddish-brown. It is often mistaken for the more expensive yellow topaz and may be sold as topaz by dishonest gemstone vendors. Citrine crystals can form with amethyst or smoky quartz to create ametrine.
One of the most popular stones since ancient times, the Emerald is a form of beryl. The name is derived from the French esmeraude which means "green gemstone." Top quality emeralds are a deep grass green with a slightly bluish tinge, while lesser quality stones are lighter sometimes with a yellowish cast. Because emeralds usually contain cracks, fissures, and inclusions, they are "oiled": immersed in oil, which reduces the visibility of the inclusions and improves the clarity. Oiling is so common today that it is not considered necessary to disclose that a stone was so treated. Just assume it was. Despite appearances, Emeralds are brittle and care should be taken when wearing or cleaning them. Never immerse them in an ultrasonic cleaner or steam clean them.
Garnets come in every color but blue. Most are named for their color (prepare for a few tongue twisters): Pyrope garnets include rhodolite, which is purple-red and hessonite which is the orange, cinnamon, or pinkish variety. Green, or grossularite, varieties include tsavorite, uvarovite and demantoid. Spessartite garnets range from yellow-orange through red to reddish brown to dark black/brown. Some garnets even display an alexandrite-like color change. Garnets are formed under high temperature and/or pressure, thus geologists often use garnets to gauge the temperature and pressure present during their own formation.
The name of Hematite is derived from the Greek word for blood, haimatites. Hematite, which is a form of iron oxide, is a steely-gray mineral that is harder than iron but much more brittle. When scratched, it "bleeds" red, hence the name. The drusy form, known as rainbow hematite, looks like an oil sheen and is so fragile that it is usually made into a doublet - two slabs of stone, glued together - with quartz to increase durability. Hematite was the source of red ochre, a pigment used in ancient cave paintings. It is not only common on Earth, but Mars is made up mostly of iron oxide where it is responsible for the planet's distinctive red color.
Jade is the word applied to both jadeite and nephrite. They are so similar in appearance so that a distinction between them often was not made. Because of its more intense color and translucency, jadeite is thought to be the true jade. The most valuable form of jade is imperial jade which comes from Myanmar and is an emerald green color. Jade appears in a range of greens from light to dark, creamy, grayish, and even white or mottled green and white. The rarer colors are yellow, pink, purple, and black. Because of the smooth, even texture of jade, it has long been used for carving and cabochons for jewelry.
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is the master of disguise in the stone world. It comes in every color and combination and often contains organic material or mineral oxides which give it interesting patterns, bands and colors. Jasper is found worldwide, especially in my bead and rock collections because it's one of my favorite stones. The form known as picture jasper is a special favorite (see the top center of the picture at right). This jasper is petrified mud that dripped into gas pockets in molten lava, which superheated and then solidified, forming the unusual banded patterns which resemble landscapes. Jasper was a favorite gem in ancient times and is found in Greek, Hebrew, Assyrian and Latin literature.
Jet is referred to as black jewel, but it is of organic origin: it is a variation of one particular type of coal called lignite. Jet, like amber, holds a static electric charge if rubbed. Jet's color can range from subtle tan to dark brown and black, but by far the most common is the black color. It can often display a woody structure, which shows its derivation from conifers.
If you look at Labradorite straight-on, it appears as a dull gray stone. But turn it in your hands and the iridescence (often called labradorescence) it displays will take your breath away. Another of my favorites, its named for Labrador in Canada where the first samples of it were found. But the best is found in Finland and is also called sprectrolite. When you turn it, you'll get vivid flashes of bright aqua, golden yellow, peacock blue, reddish orange, greens and/or red. There is also a yellow form, which resembles citrine known as Golden Labradorite. It is found in the same formations but is much rarer.
A favorite since ancient time, Lapis Lazuli is not just one mineral, but several: lazurite, calcite (white), sodalite (blue) and pyrite (fools' gold). Its value decreases with the presence of white patches (calcite), while small veins of pyrite are prized. The best Lapis comes from Afghanistan, where it has been mined for over 5000 years. The Egyptians loved Lapis and used it as eyeshadow and carved it into vases and figurines. It was even used medicinally, being ground up and mixed with milk to use as a poultice to relieve ulcers and boils.
Because of its distinctive patterns, Malachite may be the most recognizable stone in the world. The layers and swirled greens make it unique and give it a one-of-a-kind quality unlike any other stone. Copper gives it that beautiful green color. It is very popular and is used not only in jewelry but is carved into figurines, vases, urns, etc. Malachite is often found with other copper-based stones such as azurite, cuprite, or chrysocolla. When I visited Windsor Castle last summer, I saw the most beautiful piece of malachite carving I have ever seen: in one of the huge, beautiful sitting rooms, there was a massive malachite urn. It was as tall as me, about 6 feet in diameter and expertly carved so as to showcase a concentric circle of green rings on the front. It was a gift to Queen Victoria by Nicholas I. I tried to find a picture, but no joy. You'll have to go see it for yourselves.
Almost 90% of the world's Opal comes from Australia, where precious opal forms in veins and patches within ironstone boulders. There are many kinds of Opal, all of which display what is known as opalescence, shining and sparkling in a dance of color. The name comes from the Greek term opallios, which translates as "color change". The varieties include Boulder opal (the one we associate with the name), Black Opal, White Opal, Milk Opal, Opal Matrix, and Fire Opal. Opal variations are practically unlimited and in their own special way they all display that unique play of colors. If Opals are lacking this, they are simply called Common Opal. Until the 1960s, we really didn't know what caused the opalescence until a team of Australian scientists looked at Opal with an electron microscope. They discovered small spheres of silica gel which caused interference and refraction. This is responsible for the fantastic play of colors. The compactly-structured spheres act as prisms making light passing through the gemstone display all the colors of the rainbow. Opal is very fragile and should never be steam cleaned or sonically cleaned.
Moonstone is another of my favorites. It is a form of feldspar (almost two thirds of all the rocks on Earth are feldspars) and displays schiller but in moonstone it is called adularescence. Moonstone can range from colorless to blue, peach, green, pink, yellow, brown or gray with a silvery sheen. Rainbow moonstone is milky white with a rainbow colored sheen. The Romans believed that the stone was formed from the light of the moon. It is considered a sacred stone in India, from where the most prized specimens are found. These stones are not only cut as cabochons, but also as cameos or intaglio.
An organic gem, Pearls are formed inside mollusks such as oysters and mussels. When a speck of sand or other irritant finds its way into a mollusk's shell, a material called nacre is exuded around the object to protect the creature's soft internal surface. As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is formed. Light reflected from these layers produces an iridescent luster. This process can take up to seven or eight years. There are many types of pearls, the most expensive are natural ones, made without human interference. Cultured Pearls are created by introducing an irritant into the mollusk. Barouque pearls are oddly-shaped, blister pearls are formed directly on the shell and Freshwater pearls resemble a grain of rice. Pearls can range in color from white to softly tinted pink or brown to black. My first job was as an ama (pearl diver) in Circus, Circus. I learned there to open an oyster, extract the pearl and appraise its value.
There is some debate as to how to pronounce Peridot; the dictionary lists both pear-ah-doe and peri-dot so both are accepted. There is no debate, however, as to the beauty of this gem. Peridot is an igneous rock, often formed with volcano activity, and is a form of olivine. This is one of the few gems that come in one color only, the rich green being derived from iron magnesium silicate. Peridot has been mined for thousands of years, and is mentioned in the Bible under the name of Chrysolite. Legend says that peridot was one of the favorite gemstones of Cleopatra and that some of the "emeralds" worn by her were actually peridot.
The pink color of Rhodochrosite is caused by the element manganese. It is formed when manganese is dissolved by ground water, combines with a carbonate material and then drips off the ceiling of caves and crevices. Most of it is found in the form of stalactites and stalagmites in Argentinean caves. Rhodochrosite means rosy stone and it is a beautiful pink color with white layers. Rhodonite, another pink stone, is often confused for Rhodochrosite but the former has black inclusions which the latter does not display. Rhodochrosite is often used for carving as well as being used in jewelry. This is another of my favorite stones.
Discovered in 1944, Sugilite is a relatively new addition to the gemstone palette. This rich, purple stone is found Japan, Canada, India and, the largest find, South Africa. Sugilite is named for the Japanese geologist who discovered the first specimens, Ken-ichi Sugi. It is opaque with a waxy luster and ranges in color from a pale grayish lavender to a deep dark purple. Sugilite can contain black inclusions and/or yellowish-brown splotches. The bright purple stones with little or no inclusions is considered to be gem grade and because it is quite rare it brings a high price.
Another new arrival to the gem scene is Tanzanite. Discovered in Tanzania in 1967, by passing Masai shepherds who noticed some sparkling crystals lying in the sun and picked them up. It is only found in East Africa, in the shadow of Kilimanjaro (so far). Tanzanite is often blue when first mined, and is routinely heat treated to draw out its beautiful bluish-purple color. Tanzanite, while it appears quite like a diamond, is brittle so it should always be worn carefully and never placed in an ultrasonic bath or brought into contact with acids. The deep blue of the tanzanite runs from ultramarine blue to light violet-blue. The most coveted color is blue with a delicate hint of purple. I really love this stone and have several personal pieces set with it.
Tiger eye is a member of the of the chalcedony group. It is a chatoyant gemstone. Chatoyancy exhibits a changeable luster as light is reflected within the thin parallel bands, due to the fibrous structure of the material. Tiger eye is a yellow-gold brown. Other colors exist and are known as Hawk's Eye (blue) and Ox Eye (red). All exhibit chatoyancy. It has long been popular as jewelry. Roman soldiers wore it, engraved with symbols, to protect them during battle. The name came from its chatoyancy which, to the ancients, resembled the eye of the big cat.
The name Topaz comes from the Sanskrit word for fire. It comes in a wide range of colors including red, orange, peach, pink, gold, yellow, brown and clear. Naturally pale to medium blue topaz is enhanced by irradiation to produce a more intense blue color. Sometimes it is known as Imperial Topaz because of its popularity with Russian Cazrinas in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most famous Topaz is found in the Portuguese crown jewels: the colorless 1680 carat stone is known as the Braganza Diamond, and was originally thought to be a diamond.
Tourmaline is mined all over the world and has a dazzling variety of colors. In fact, the name comes from the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) word tura mali which translates as "the stone of mixed colors." These many colors include black, dark brown, yellow, medium brown, blue to neon blue, lime to dark forest green, red and reddish purple, yellow, pink, and colorless. One of the most lovely colors is actually two colors, a green shell fading to a pink center, and is known as watermelon tourmaline. The most expensive tourmalines are the blue indicolite, green verdelite and pink rubellite. Schorl is the name given to black tourmalines which are the most common.
One of the most popular stones down through the ages is Turquoise. It's been used as a valuable ornament for ages and a favorite of the Egyptians thousands of years ago. The color can range from very deep turquoise to pale green. The color was named for the gem, whose name came from the Turks who brought it into Europe. For centuries, the most valuable turquoise came from Iran (Persia) but today specimens mined in the southwestern United States compete with it. The name "Persian Turquoise" now generally refers to any turquoise that does not have black or brown veining commonly found in turquoise mined in the United States. The most valuable Turquoise in the US is from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona. Other stones are sometimes masqueraded as Turquoise, usually dyed howlite or chrysocolla. Turquoise is often dyed and stabilized with resins to produce a harder stone which will retain color and polish. Reconstituted turquoise is made from small chips to which dyes and plastic resin is added.
There are so many more stones I'd like to share but space and time constrains me. There are several websites that have terrific information and pictures. Here are a couple of good ones:
http://www.geminfo.com/
http://www.justgemstones.com/
For birthstone information, try here: http://www.angarastones.com/
Your turn! What are your favorite gemstones?