Mochishop Jewellery and Gemstones Encyclopedia

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Jewellery and Gems: Amber
2007-12-20 14:05:00
Amber is a resin formed from the sap of trees, notably pine. Most of it dates back some 30-90 million years ago. It was the Romans who were astute enough to recognise that, in order to entomb insects, amber must first exist in a liquid, sappy state.Over many million years amber solidifies into the form we recognise as a gem stone. It may have organic inclusions (e.g., insects) or inorganic inclusions which became entombed in the amber when it was still a liquid state during prehistoric times.Brittle and light in weight, Amber has a Mohs hardness of around 2 - 2.5Most amber now comes from the Baltic region (Poland, Russia). Other localities include Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Myanmar, Norway, Romania, Spain and the United States.In smaller quantities Amber has been sourced in the UK, and also the Ukraine. Ukrainian amber has contributed to the restoration of the Amber room of Empress Catharine's palace in St. Petersburg after it was looted in World War II by t...
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Jewellery and Gems: Amber
2007-12-20 14:05:00
Amber is a resin formed from the sap of trees, notably pine. Most of it dates back some 30-90 million years ago. It was the Romans who were astute enough to recognise that, in order to entomb insects, amber must first exist in a liquid, sappy state.Over many million years amber solidifies into the form we recognise as a gem stone. It may have organic inclusions (e.g., insects) or inorganic inclusions which became entombed in the amber when it was still a liquid state during prehistoric times.Brittle and light in weight, Amber has a Mohs hardness of around 2 - 2.5Most amber now comes from the Baltic region (Poland, Russia). Other localities include Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Italy, Myanmar, Norway, Romania, Spain and the United States.In smaller quantities Amber has been sourced in the UK, and also the Ukraine. Ukrainian amber has contributed to the restoration of the Amber room of Empress Catharine's palace in St. Petersburg after it was looted in World War II by t...
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Jewellery and Gems: Amazonite
2007-12-19 22:25:00
The gem stone amazonite is an orthoclase (alkali) feldspar sourced mainly in India. It is also found in Brazil, Canada, Namibia, Russia, Tanzania, and the United States - Colarado to be precise.Amazonite is coloured green to blue-green and sometimes displays adulerescence. The blue-green colouring is attributed to the presence of lead.It is also possible, though atypical, to find amzonintes in yellow, pink, red and grey.White striping also occurs in Amazonite. The more pronounced the white stripes are, the less value the stone has.Amazon is alwaus cut en cabochon. It is not faceted due to the ease with which it fractures.A misnomer applied to amazonite is Amazon jade.
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Jewellery and Gems: Amazonite
2007-12-19 22:25:00
The gem stone amazonite is an orthoclase (alkali) feldspar sourced mainly in India. It is also found in Brazil, Canada, Namibia, Russia, Tanzania, and the United States - Colarado to be precise.Amazonite is coloured green to blue-green and sometimes displays adulerescence. The blue-green colouring is attributed to the presence of lead.It is also possible, though atypical, to find amzonintes in yellow, pink, red and grey.White striping also occurs in Amazonite. The more pronounced the white stripes are, the less value the stone has.Amazon is alwaus cut en cabochon. It is not faceted due to the ease with which it fractures.A misnomer applied to amazonite is Amazon jade.
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Jewellery and Gems: Amazon Jade
2007-12-19 18:45:00
Amazon jade is a misnomer applied to green amazonite due to its possessing a degree of similarity to jade.
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Jewellery and Gems: Amazon Jade
2007-12-19 18:45:00
Amazon jade is a misnomer applied to green amazonite due to its possessing a degree of similarity to jade.
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Jewellery and Gems: Aluminium
2007-12-19 18:35:00
Aluminium (or aluminum as it is called in the United States) is a light bluish-white metal.When it was disovered it was briefly desired more than gold and was used to make jewellery, e.g., for Empress Eugenie. However, in conemporary jewellery uses of aluminium are largely confined to costume jewellery.Though a weak metal, aluminium can be strengthen when alloyed with copper or magnesium.
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Jewellery and Gems: Aluminium
2007-12-19 18:35:00
Aluminium (or aluminum as it is called in the United States) is a light bluish-white metal.When it was disovered it was briefly desired more than gold and was used to make jewellery, e.g., for Empress Eugenie. However, in conemporary jewellery uses of aluminium are largely confined to costume jewellery.Though a weak metal, aluminium can be strengthen when alloyed with copper or magnesium.
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Jewellery and Gems: Almandite
2007-12-19 15:58:00
Almandite is either a synonym of almandine or a misnomer for some types of spinel which resemble almandine in colour.
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Jewellery and Gems: Almandite
2007-12-19 15:58:00
Almandite is either a synonym of almandine or a misnomer for some types of spinel which resemble almandine in colour.
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Jewellery and Gems: Almandine Spinel
2007-12-19 15:51:00
Almandine spinel is a misnomer for certain types of spinel that are similar to almandine in colour (e.g., dark red to violet).
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Jewellery and Gems: Almandine Spinel
2007-12-19 15:51:00
Almandine spinel is a misnomer for certain types of spinel that are similar to almandine in colour (e.g., dark red to violet).
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Jewellery and Gems: Almandine
2007-12-19 15:01:00
Almandine (also known as almandite) is a type of garnet which ranges in colour from dark red to black. It is often cut en-cabochon and hollowed on the underside in order to allow more light to pass through the stone. It is thus known as a carbuncle.Almandine can be brittle and difficult to facet. Inclusions are usually present and sometimes rutile needles. Rutile needles can form to produce weak four- or six-pointed stars (asterism). When almadines display asterism they are known by the name star almandines.Almandine derives its name from Alabanda, a town in Caria (Asia Minor) an ancient gem-cutting centre. It was named as such by the ancient author and naturalist Pliny the Elder.Currently, almandine is commonly mined in Sri Lanka where it is sometimes known by the misnomer Ceylon ruby. Likewise, almandines mined in Australia have suffered a similar misnomer - the Australian ruby.The stone is also abundant in many other locationsAlmandine's Mohs hardness ranges from 7-7.5
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Jewellery and Gems: Almandine
2007-12-19 15:01:00
Almandine (also known as almandite) is a type of garnet which ranges in colour from dark red to black. It is often cut en-cabochon and hollowed on the underside in order to allow more light to pass through the stone. It is thus known as a carbuncle.Almandine can be brittle and difficult to facet. Inclusions are usually present and sometimes rutile needles. Rutile needles can form to produce weak four- or six-pointed stars (asterism). When almadines display asterism they are known by the name star almandines.Almandine derives its name from Alabanda, a town in Caria (Asia Minor) an ancient gem-cutting centre. It was named as such by the ancient author and naturalist Pliny the Elder.Currently, almandine is commonly mined in Sri Lanka where it is sometimes known by the misnomer Ceylon ruby. Likewise, almandines mined in Australia have suffered a similar misnomer - the Australian ruby.The stone is also abundant in many other locationsAlmandine's Mohs hardness ranges from 7-7.5
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Jewellery and Gems: Alma Chain
2007-12-19 14:59:00
An Alma chain is a type of chain with broad links and a ribbed surface.
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Jewellery and Gems: Alma Chain
2007-12-19 14:59:00
An Alma chain is a type of chain with broad links and a ribbed surface.
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Jewellery and Gems: Alloy
2007-12-19 14:20:00
An alloy is a fusion of two or more metals (or metals and non-metals) in order to produce a new metallic substance. Usually the new metallic substances improves upon its component parts, e.g., it is stronger or more durable. In jewellery-making a base metal is often added to a precious metal to make it more workable. For instance, silver is too soft to be used in jewellery so it must be combined with a base metal to strengthen it. For example, there is Sterling 925 silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper) or Britannica silver (95.84% silver, 4.16% copper) which mix copper with silver to strengthen it.
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Jewellery and Gems: Alloy
2007-12-19 14:20:00
An alloy is a fusion of two or more metals (or metals and non-metals) in order to produce a new metallic substance. Usually the new metallic substances improves upon its component parts, e.g., it is stronger or more durable. In jewellery-making a base metal is often added to a precious metal to make it more workable. For instance, silver is too soft to be used in jewellery so it must be combined with a base metal to strengthen it. For example, there is Sterling 925 silver (92.5% silver, 7.5% copper) or Britannica silver (95.84% silver, 4.16% copper) which mix copper with silver to strengthen it.
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Contact Encyclopedia Editor
2007-12-18 14:21:00
Gemcyclopedia is edited and maintained by James Garry.James is happy to receive and answer emails pertaining to Gemcyclopedia or any articles contained therein.
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Contact Encyclopedia Editor
2007-12-18 14:21:00
Gemcyclopedia is edited and maintained by James Garry.James is happy to receive and answer emails pertaining to Gemcyclopedia or any articles contained therein.
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Jewellery and Gems: Alexandrite
2007-12-17 15:24:00
The gem stone Alexandrite belongs to the chrysoberyl family along with chrysolite and cymophane.Alexandrite was discovered in Ekaterinburg, in the Russian Urals, and named in honour of Tsar Alexander II. The (apocryphal) legend is that Alexandrite was discovered exactly on the Tsar's coming-of-age sixteenth birthday in 1834. More credible dates attributed to the discovery of alexandrite are 1830 and 1831.Alexandrite is a transparent gem stone and has a fascinating ability to change colour. That is, under natural daylight it appears blue and under incandescent light it appears reddish-brown. This is due to the colour properties of the respective light sources.Locations of Alexandrite deposites are Brazil, Russia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Tanzania is the origin of a phenomenal 14 carat stone.Alexandrite is an expensive gem stone and is therefore a victim of fakeries and synthetic facsimiles. Some synthetics possess a colour change of green to purple (as opposed to blue to red), which ...
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Test
2007-11-30 17:09:00
Test
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What are cabochons? How are they used in jewellery?
2007-11-20 23:59:00
En Cabochon is a term which describes a particular way of shaping a gemstone without faceting it. Gemstones which have been shaped into cabochons most commonly have a convex top and flat base.Cabochons are conventionally dome-shaped and are known - unsurprisingly - as domes. Cabochons which are taller with a narrow base are referred to as bullet cabochons.As well as having a round base, cabochons may also be square, rectangular, oval or octagonal.Opaque gemstones such as onyx make excellent cabochons when set into a pendant or bangle.Shaping en cabochon is also a good method of shaping gemstones whose Mohs hardness means they are too brittle to be faceted, such as amber.Gemstones with optical effects, such as opal and moonstone, are especially good candidates for cabochoning as this creates an excellent display for such effects.Asteriated stones such as sapphire, when cut en cabochon, display a star-shape. This star-shape would not be visible if any other cut were applied to the...
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Cardinal Gemstones & Semi Precious Gemstones
2007-11-13 14:33:00
Historically, the term Cardinal gemstones was used to refer to five gemstones once considered to be of prime importance: diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire and amethyst. The status of Cardinal was imparted to these five stones due to their rarity and, by default, value.With the exception of amethyst which, due to large deposits since being discovered, the Cardinal stones have maintained their venerated status of most valued and valuable stones.The term "precious" has superseded Cardinal as the adjective for such gemstones. By implication most other gemstones including turquoise, garnet, amber and amethyst are now classified as "semi-precious".The distinction of precious and semi-precious is considered outmoded by some. Robert M. Shipley, the founder of Gemological Institute of America, called it “an indeterminate and misleading classification”.The argument for employing this distinction is that it helps dealers and buyers understand the value of the stones they are selling or buyi...
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Amber - An Ever Popular Gemstone
2007-10-28 21:04:00
In Steven Spielberg's blockbuster Jurassic Park, amber is the theoretical key to the rebirth of the dinosaurs. The stock mad-scientist in Jurassic Park was able to recreated the dinosaurs by extracting their DNA from dinosaur blood found in the proboscis of an amber-preserved mosquito from 170 million years ago.Amber is a resin formed from the sap of trees, notably pine. Most of it dates back some 30-90 million years ago. It was the Romans who were astute enough to recognise that, in order to entomb insects, amber must first exist in a liquid, sappy state.Over many million years amber solidifies into the golden or brown form we recognise as a gemstone.Most amber comes from the Baltic regions and the Dominican Republic. In smaller quantities Amber has been sourced in the UK, and also the Ukraine. Ukrainian amber has contributed to the restoration of the Amber room of Empress Catharine's palace in St. Petersburg after it was looted in World War II by the Nazis.There is a lot of purp...
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Goldstone: A Little-Known Gemstone
2007-09-28 19:53:00
Goldstone is a little-known gemstone that was speculated to have been discovered during the Renaissance by glass-manufacturing monks in Venice when molten copper was accidentally spilled into molten glass. Hence goldstone has an alternative appelation of monk's stone or monkstone.When the molten mixture of glass and copper cools, the copper crystalises which creates the impression of a reddish-brown stone with a golden starry-glitter. The night-time constellation effect of goldstone lends it another of its alternate names: stellaria.The reddish-brown hue of the stone is actually an illusion. The glass itself is transparent and is given the appearance of reddish-brown by the copper crystals.There is some disagreement whether goldstone, due to its being synthetic, should be considered a gemstone. However, in common parlance, goldstone is referred to as a gemstone.Goldstone has a Mohs hardness of 5.5 (comparable to the hardness of turquoise). It is often carved into jewellery and...
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Turquoise: The Universal Gemstone
2007-09-02 22:01:00
Turquoise is derived from the word Turkish – Turquoise was frequently traded in the bazaars in Turkey in the 16th Century although it is a misconception that there was turquoise in Turkey itself.This opaque gemstone is composed of copper and iron, and ranges in colour from moss-green to duck-egg blue depending on the relative quantities of copper and iron. The bluer the turquoise the greater the ratio of copper to iron; the greener the turquoise the greater the ratio of iron to copper.Turquoise has played a big part in the culture and costumes of many great civilizations, both New and Old World, some extant some extinct: The Aztecs, Ancient Egyptians, Tibetans, and Native Americans, to name a few.Clearly there is something universally enchanting about turquoise that has made it consistently desirable across time and space.Some of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery are made from combinations of turquoise with red-coral. Not only is this a visually-pleasing marriage of gemstones...
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All About Magnetic Wraps
2007-07-27 12:34:00
Magnetic jewellery is a novel, popular form of jewellery that makes use of magnetised components. Magnetic wraps are a particular form of magnetic jewellery. Due to special magnetic beads in the wraps, you are able to ravel and unravel them as you please. You can shape them into bracelets, anklets, necklaces or, as a decoration for the midriff. Figure 2.1, a lime green magnetic wrap available from http://www.mochishop.com The magnetised components are made from the gemstone hematite, a sleek, metallic-black futuristic-looking gemstone. The hematite has been magnetised in such a way that all the hematite components fasten allowing the wrap to be free of clasps and other traditional fastenings. As well as being colourful attractive pieces of jewellery with a special, novel design, magnetic jewellery is also notable for its therapeutic properties. A number of scientific research projects have validated the therapeutic benefits of magnetic bracelets. For example, researchers from Penins...
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Why Do We Need Jewelry?
2007-07-26 13:18:00
The use of gold and gems in jewelry can be traced back Millennia, to ancient cultures such as Egyptian and Mesopotamian. Jewelry has since then been an ever-present part of human civilization. Adorning oneself with jewelry has been consistent across space and time, across religions, cultures, class and gender. Civilizations as disparate as the Aztecs and the Tibetans are both renowned for their appreciation of turquoise, for example.Figure 1.1: An Aztec mask made from turquoiseIn modern-day London or New York, a single diamond may be coveted for its rarity or an elasticized ring paved with tens of rhinestones maybe desired because of its onomatopoeic bling. Undeniably humans have a need for jewelry, but what precisely is this need?If we consult Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs we a pyramid broken down into five ranks, from base to peak: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization.Figure 1.2, left: Tradition Tibetan regalia, including hair accessories with turquois...