Beryllium Treatment
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: August 3, 2009
Beryllium also known as Be treatment, bulk or lattice diffusion is a relatively new way for treating gemstones intended to intensify the colour of a stone. This is a form of heat treatment with the addition of beryllium to the heating process which results in a new colour. Unlike other methods this one allows the entire gemstone colouration, thus the stone can be recut in the future. Beryllium treatment is mainly applied to sapphire. Almost all sapphires of yellow and orange colour have been treated this way unless there is a written proof of its origin. Moreover, even a desirable colour of blue can produced today.
Sapphires heated with beryllium are extremely difficult to detect and require expensive chemical analysis. Although this technique is widely accepted as a legitimate type of gemstones treatment, sellers are expected to disclose it. Otherwise, buyers should not hesitate to ask for a written guarantee so as to find out whether the colour is natural or artificial.
Dreams about Gems
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: July 30, 2009
People have always speculated on the content and purpose of dreams trying to interpret their meaning. Precious stones, among other things, are also ascribed various meanings which help people look into the future, predict, and so avoid potentially dangerous situations.
Jewels are a symbol of pleasure, riches and spiritual protection. To see or wear jewels in your dreams is considered to be a good predictive sign for your love and business affairs, signifies your own sense of self-worth and self-value. If one finds jewels in their dream, it is a sign of rapid advancement and an indication of good fortune. To look at a gemstone in your dream may mean that you are tempted by material wealth. Thinking about buying a gemstone may signify a loss of something you got used to, while a gem as a gift may indicate that your wealth will increase.
Moreover, various gemstones carry various meanings in dreams. Let’s run over the most popular gems and learn what each of them can signify.
|
Amethyst |
healing |
|
Cat ‘s-Eye |
treason |
|
Coral |
recovery |
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Diamonds |
victory; hardness of nature; vanity and conceit |
|
Emerald |
expectations; harmony with life |
|
Jasper |
relationships renewal |
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Lapis Lazuli |
true love |
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Opal |
great possessions; fantasies; psychic impressions |
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Pearl |
loyal friends; value; beauty |
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Ruby |
unexpected guests |
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Sapphire |
escape from danger; peace of mind |
|
Turquoise |
well-being |
Gemstones Colours
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: July 27, 2009
Coloured gemstones apart from their amazing beauty carry some meaning which results in the tradition of wearing gemstones. Generally their characteristics are related to colours. Each colour is associated with certain personal qualities and may tell you a lot of interesting about its owner.
Red gemstones symbolize life and vitality, passion and love. When red gems were worn by women it was a sign of vanity and pride, on the contrary red gemstones worn by men indicates nobleness and grace. Red gemstones were also worn as protection from fire and lightning, were believed to cure bleeding, rashes, inflammations, miscarriages and sexual dysfunctions. Red gemstones include ruby, garnet, tourmaline, spinel, alexandrite, carnelian.
Green gemstones possess a colour of nature, life, fertility and wisdom. Wearing green gemstones promotes conception and receptivity to the wisdom of nature. Moreover, green gems draw the energy of trees and plants thus producing a healing effect: strengthen eyes, control kidney and bladder functions, and prevent digestion problems and headaches. There is a rich variety of green gems including: emerald, tourmaline, tsavorite garnet, demantoid garnet, peridot, jade, sapphire, alexandrite, aventurine, bloodstone, chrysoprase, grossular garnet, malachite, zoisite, moldavite, fluorite, idocrase, chromegreen diapsite, green quart, etc.
Yellow gemstones symbolize mind, intellect, high intelligence, wisdom and generosity. Wearing yellow gemstones is believed to increase intuition and improve decision making skills. They include sapphire, citrine, chrysoberyl, imperial topaz, zircon, heliodor (beryl), amber, tourmaline, garnet, amber, onyx, diamond, fluorite, labradorite, etc.
Black gemstones are considered a symbol of inner sense, gravity, resilience, fidelity, constant love and perseverance. They are usually worn by a married woman rather than a young girl. Black gemstones comprise black diamonds, black quartz, black sapphires, onyx, black diopsite, black star garnet, black opal, obsidian, jet, hematite, Spinel, etc.
A white gemstone is a symbol of purity, good fortune and protection. White gems possess healing qualities and are usually worn by people to protect physical and mental body. White gemstones are moonstones, white chalcedony, white opal, white sapphire, white quartz, coral, diamond, ivory, pearl, topaz.
Heat Treatment
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: July 21, 2009
Even despite the fact that most gemstones are incredibly beautiful by nature, there are still tricks which help to improve colour and clarity. Among the methods of treatment applied to gemstones the accepted trade methods are those which change the colour of the gemstone permanently. Speaking about coloured gemstones, most of them are treated and this is an absolutely legitimate practice on condition that buyers is provided with detailed information and is fully aware of what they are buying.
With this post I’m going to look into the most widely accepted in the trade today methods, the knowledge of which will help you to feel safe and take clever decisions when buying a gemstone. Let’s start with the heat treatment and learn what exactly it is and in what way it influence gems.
Heat treatment is a type of enhancement which produces the magical effect turning a colourless gemstone into something amazing. This technique is a natural continuation of the process occurring in the earth when the stone was formed. High heat (approximately 1600 Centigrade) makes natural inclusions, chemical elements, and other impurities to reform and change the colour of the stone forever. Without this technique there would be hardly enough affordable gemstones.
Gemstones that are commonly heated include amethyst, citrine, ametrine, aquamarine, tourmaline, topaz, light green tourmaline, ruby, sapphire, tanzanite, and blue zircon. If to apply heat treatment to amethyst, for instance, it will change the colour from pale to yellow, thus will be sold as citrine, tanzanite will become of a more desirable blue shade and ruby of better colour of red.
Meanwhile, it is still possible to detect heat treatment using a microscope since modifications of natural inclusions such as the destruction of gas or fluid inclusions or the dissolving of mineral inclusions are indicators of the method.
Gemstones Power
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: July 21, 2009
Whereas gemstones have always aroused man’s interest and used to demonstrate social status, wealth and power, it is not their only purpose. Over centuries gemstones have been wrapped in mystery and assigned spiritual forces able to protect people from bad luck. Superstitions about precious stones exist even today. People wear amulets and talismans in hope of protection against evil and misery.
In the past, gems were used in medicine. It was enough to place a gemstone next to a sick part of the body to produce a healing effect. In other cases, a gemstone was pulverized and eaten. This practice, by the way, has survived until now. In Japan pulverized pearls are added to medicine. However, in most cases today precious stones are regarded as the best capital investment that can survive inflation.
Nevertheless, very often gemstones are related to astrology and the signs of zodiac. Gemstones are associated with planets in accordance with their colours. Planets are considered to emit certain energy and transmit it through gemstones of a correspondent colour. Each planet has a certain degree of influence on people depending on their birthdays and the signs of zodiac:
| Aries | Ruby |
| Taurus | Sapphire |
| Gemini | Aquamarine |
| Cancer | Moonstone and pearl |
| Leo | Topaz |
| Virgo | Green or white jade |
| Libra | Opal |
| Scorpio | Bloodstone |
| Sagittarius | Turquoise |
| Capricorn | Diamond and onyx |
| Aquarius | Mixed azurite, malachite |
| Pisces | Emerald and amethyst |
Girls’ Best Friends
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: July 14, 2009
From Ancient times diamonds have been considered as stones that came from Gods and assigned supernatural powers. Among all the beauty created by Nature diamonds have mostly attracted and charmed people by their extraordinary lustre and brilliance. However, apart from being a worthwhile and valuable investment diamonds can boast by a heap of interesting facts and curiosities that can be a real revelation to the majority of people.
Do you know that:
• The name diamond derives from the Greek word “adamas” meaning “unconquerable and indestructible” and applied by the Greeks to any hard stone.
• The earliest written reference to diamonds occurs in Roman literature of the 1st century AD and the first record of a diamond given to a woman as an engagement ring dates back to the 15th century when the Archduke of Austria gave a diamond to Mary of Burgundy to ask for hand in marriage.
• On average, diamonds are some 3.4 billion years old which is two-thirds the age of the Earth. Still there are some youngsters which are about 100 million years old.
• The diamond is the hardest natural substance found on the Earth.
• The diamond is virtually fireproof and can withstand extremely high temperatures. The diamond can be burnt only at a temperature of 1292 degrees Fahrenheit.
• India was the only known source of diamonds right up to the 18th century, when diamonds were also discovered in Brazil and South Africa.
• Only 20 % of mined diamonds are gem-quality diamonds while the rest 80% are committed to industrial use, cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing in particular.
• To produce a one-carat diamond, 250 tons of earth will be mined.
• In one-thousand polished diamonds, only one will weigh more than one carat.
• Most diamonds were formed as deep as 100 – 400 miles beneath the earth’s surface under remarkable conditions – tremendous pressure and temperatures of 2000 – 3000 degrees Fahrenheit and carried to the surface by the kimberlite magmas.
• The largest diamond ever found, 3,106 carats in its rough state, was discovered in 1905 in the Premier mine of South Africa and called after Thomas Cullinan, the president of the mining company.
• Diamond can be in a variety of colours including blue, pink, yellow and brown. In the purest state diamonds are entirely colourless.
• The world’s only diamond mine open to public is the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.
• Australia produces 66% of the world’s diamonds nowadays.
Take Care of Your Gemstones
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: July 13, 2009
By their beauty gemstones can be compared only to women. They are just as charming and tempting. Moreover, they are just as capricious and requiring gentle care. If you want your gems to look vibrant, preserve colour and lustrous, you can not but care for them. Right following some basic rules and cleaning techniques you will ensure that your gems remain as on the first day of purchase for generations.
• Store your gemstone jewellery separately from each other to avoid scratching and dullness of the stone and other jewellery, since gems vary in durability and are harder than gold, silver or platinum. Keeping your jewellery in paper or soft cloth bags and cases will help preserve them damage-free.
• Be sure that your gemstone jewellery are kept at a constant temperature and out of sunlight, as gems can crack because of temperature shifts or fade and lose their colour in the sun.
• Even the hardest gems like diamond, ruby and sapphire are vulnerable to abrasive surfaces, harsh chemicals and sharp blows. Do not wear your jewellery when housecleaning or doing sports, swimming or showering, making up or doing your hair.
• After removing your gemstone jewellery, it is necessary to clean them. The majority of gemstones can be cleaned exceptionally with warm soapy water and a soft brush. However, you can also use steam (onyx) or ultrasonic cleaners (amethyst, citrine, garnet, onyx, smoky quartz) in some cases if these techniques are not harmful to a stone.
• Before wearing the jewellery, check for loose gemstones. Pearl or bead necklaces need to be restring every year or two depending on how often you wear them.
Ruby
Posted by: jewelleryboxes on: July 9, 2009
- In: Birthstones
- 1 Comment
July has come. And it’s high time for those who celebrate their birthdays this month to learn more about their birthstone Ruby.
The ruby, a red variety of the mineral corundum (all other color varieties of corundum are referred to as sapphire), is one of the most expensive gems. The ruby is the second hardest mineral only to diamond on the Mohs scale. Its name originates from the Latin word “rubber” meaning red. Depending on the chromium and iron content of the stone, ruby can be of different colors varying from a rose to a deep carmine. The distribution of color is often uneven due to foreign elements present in the gem that impart the color. One of the prominent characteristics of the gemstone is that the color is as beautiful by day as by artificial light
Apart from being the rarest and the most valuable of all gems, it is also believed to possess healing powers and protect its owners from misfortune and bad health, especially if worn on the left side of the body. In the Antiquity and Middle Ages the Ruby was considered to possess magical power to change the color so as to warn if its owner was in danger. As an ancient verse says:
“The gleaming ruby should adorn,
All those who in July are born,
For thus they’ll be exempt and free,
From lover’s doubts and anxiety.”
The main deposits of the ruby are in Burmah, Siam, Ceylon, Afghnistan, Thibet, Australia, and North Carolina, United States.
