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Posted on October 18, 2024October 18, 2024 by scottjewelrydesign

What is Sodalite?

Typically blue, durable, and easy to cut, sodalite is highly desired by hobbyists. Even stones that lack transparency make lovely faceted gems.

The gemstone know as sodalite belongs to the sodalite mineral group, which includes haüyne, lazurite, and nosean. All typically blue, these minerals are actually found in lapis lazuli. That is, lapis is a rock made up principally of these materials. However, sodalite and haüyne can also occur separately and even have their own varieties.

Hackmanite, a sulfur-rich variety of sodalite, shows tenebrescence. When first mined, stones from Canada and Greenland can range from pink to violet. In sunlight, however, they fade to grayish white or white. On the other hand, hackmanites from Afghanistan and Myanmar start white but turn pink or violet in sunlight. Darkness will reverse these effects.

Although both sodalite and lapis can have inclusions of calcite, you can distinguish them by sodalite’s lack of pyrite inclusions. [1}

Laboratories have synthesized sodalites, but the natural gems aren’t rare, so no real market for them exists. However, sodalites, either natural or synthetic, can simulate other blue gems, such as lapis lazuli. Since lapis lazuli is a better known material, it’s more likely you’ll encounter sodalites offered as lapis gems, either in error or a deliberate effort to mislead.

Other popular blue gem materials, like azurite, lazulite (no relation to lazurite), and turquoise, typically show different shades of blue than sodalite. However, if the colors seem close, these stones react differently to ultraviolet testing.

Hackmanite

Hackmanite from Dungannon Township, Ontario, Canada will luminesce bright pale pink in shortwave (SW) ultraviolet light. In longwave (LW), it luminesces bright yellow-orange. Stones may turn raspberry red after exposure to SW.

When cut, sodalite may release a hydrogen sulfide (H2S), “rotten egg,” smell due to traces of water and sulfur.

How to Care for Sodalite Jewelry

Sodalites are tough but scratch easily due to their relatively low hardness (5.5-6). Other popular jewelry stones, like quartz and topaz, will scratch them. (So will household dust, over time, with its hardness of 7-7.5). Store any sodalite jewelry separately from other pieces to avoid contact scratches. Use protective settings for ring wear. Necklace and earring use should pose fewer risks. Clean these gems only with a soft brush, mild detergent, and warm water. Consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide for more recommendations.

Sources

[1} International Gem Society
{2} Image by Rafe Whysall from Pixabay
[3] Nature Stock photos by Vecteezy

Posted on October 13, 2024October 13, 2024 by scottjewelrydesign

What is Rhodochrosite?

Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its pure form (rare), it is typically a rose-red colour, but it can also be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies between 3.5 and 4.5. Its specific gravity is between 3.45 and 3.6. The crystal system of rhodochrosite is trigonal, with a structure and cleavage in the carbonate rhombohedral system. The carbonate ions (CO2−3) are arranged in a triangular planar configuration, and the manganese ions (Mn2+) are surrounded by six oxygen ions in an octahedral arrangement. The MnO6 octahedra and CO3 triangles are linked together to form a three-dimensional structure. Crystal twinning is often present. It can be confused with the manganese silicate rhodonite, but is distinctly softer. Rhodochrosite is formed by the oxidation of manganese ore, and is found in South Africa, China, and the Americas. It is one of the national symbols of Argentina and the state of Colorado.

Rhodochrosite forms a complete solid solution series with iron carbonate (siderite). Calcium (as well as magnesium and zinc, to a limited extent) frequently substitutes for manganese in the structure, leading to lighter shades of red and pink, depending on the degree of substitution. This is the reason for the rose color of rhodochrosite. [1}

Many people also wear rhodochrosite crystal jewelry or carry a small piece with them throughout the day to benefit from its healing and grounding properties. No matter how you choose to incorporate rhodochrosite into your life, this crystal is sure to enhance your well-being and spiritual journey.

In My Shop

Argentine Rhodochrosite Earrings

$27.00

These Argentine Rhodochrosite Earrings are composed of Pink Argentine Rhodochrosite Beads, gold plated spacer beads and earring components

2 in stock

SKU: SJDB047

Category: Earrings

Tags: Argentine Rhodochrosite, earings, Gold Plated Bead Earrings, handmade, jewelry

Sources

[1} Wikipedia
FreePix

Posted on October 7, 2024October 7, 2024 by scottjewelrydesign

What is Kyanite?

Kyanite is a typically blue aluminosilicate mineral, found in aluminium-rich metamorphic pegmatites and sedimentary rock. It is the high pressure polymorph of andalusite and sillimanite, and the presence of kyanite in metamorphic rocks generally indicates metamorphism deep in the Earth’s crust. Kyanite is also known as disthene or cyanite.

Kyanite is strongly anisotropic, in that its hardness varies depending on its crystallographic direction. In kyanite, this anisotropism can be considered an identifying characteristic, along with its characteristic blue color. Its name comes from the same origin as that of the color cyan, being derived from the Ancient Greek word κύανος. This is typically rendered into English as kyanos or kuanos and means “dark blue.”

Kyanite is used as a raw material in the manufacture of ceramics and abrasives, and it is an important index mineral used by geologists to trace metamorphic zones. [1]

Since most kyanites are heavily included, don’t clean these gems with mechanical cleaning systems, like steam and ultrasound. Clean them only with a soft brush, mild detergent, and warm water. [2]

In My Shop

Turquoise and Kyanite Necklaces

Sources

[1] Wikipedia
FreePix
[2} International Gem Society

Posted on October 6, 2024October 7, 2024 by scottjewelrydesign

What is Jade?

Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of minerals), or jadeite (a silicate of sodium and aluminum in the pyroxene group of minerals). Nephrite is typically green, although may be yellow, white or black. Jadeite varies from white or near-colorless, through various shades of green (including an emerald green, termed ‘imperial’), to lavender, yellow, orange, brown and black. Rarely it may be blue. Both of these names refer to their use as gemstones, and each has a mineralogically more specific name. Both the amphibole jade (nephrite) and pyroxene jade are mineral aggregates (rocks) rather than mineral species. Nephrite was deprecated by the International Mineralogical Association as a mineral species name in 1978 (replaced by tremolite). The name “nephrite” is mineralogically correct for referring to the rock. Jadeite, is a legitimate mineral species, differing from the pyroxene jade rock. In China, the name jadeite has been replaced with fei cui, the traditional Chinese name for this gem that was in use long before Damour created the name in 1863.

Jade is well known for its ornamental use in East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian art. It is commonly used in Latin America, such as Mexico and Guatemala. The use of jade in Mesoamerica for symbolic and ideological ritual was influenced by its rarity and value among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Olmecs, the Maya, and other ancient civilizations of the Valley of Mexico.

Jade is classified into three main types: Type A, Type B, and Type C. Type A jade refers to natural, untreated jadeite jade, prized for its purity and vibrant colors. It is the most valuable and sought-after type, often characterized by its vivid green hues and high translucency. Type A jade is revered for its symbolism of purity, harmony, and protection in various cultures, especially in East Asia where it holds significant cultural and spiritual importance. Types B and C have been enhanced with resin and colourant respectively.

In Our Shop

Multicolor Persian Jade Necklaces

Sources

Wikipedia
International Gem Society

Posted on October 5, 2024October 7, 2024 by scottjewelrydesign

What is Tourmaline?

Tourmaline is a name applied to a family of related minerals with widely varying properties. Tourmalines make very popular jewelry stones and comes in an amazing range of colors, like pink, blue, green, yellow, colorless, and black. Stones can also include multi-color zones.

Ready availability keeps tourmaline prices reasonable. Small tourmalines (under 5 carats) are fairly easy to obtain at modest cost. Only when you get into large sizes or extremely rare or fine colors do prices go over a few hundred dollars per carat.

Most colors are fairly common, but pure blue, red, orange, yellow, and purple stones are rare. Such stones usually command higher prices. Color-change tourmalines are also exceptionally rare. Neon-blue paraíba tourmalines, raspberry-red rubellites, and emerald-green chrome tourmalines are especially prized.

Brightly colored Ceylonese gem tourmalines were brought to Europe in great quantities by the Dutch East India Company to satisfy a demand for curiosities and gems. Tourmaline was sometimes called the “Ceylonese Magnet” because it could attract and then repel hot ashes due to its pyroelectric properties.

Tourmalines were used by chemists in the 19th century to polarize light by shining rays onto a cut and polished surface of the gem.

Schori

The most common species of tourmaline is schorl, the sodium iron (divalent) endmember of the group. It may account for 95% or more of all tourmaline in nature. The early history of the mineral schorl shows that the name “schorl” was in use prior to 1400 because a village known today as Zschorlau (in Saxony, Germany) was then named “Schorl” (or minor variants of this name), and the village had a nearby tin mine where, in addition to cassiterite, black tourmaline was found. The first description of schorl with the name “schürl” and its occurrence (various tin mines in the Ore Mountains) was written by Johannes Mathesius (1504–1565) in 1562 under the title “Sarepta oder Bergpostill”. Up to about 1600, additional names used in the German language were “Schurel”, “Schörle”, and “Schurl”. Beginning in the 18th century, the name Schörl was mainly used in the German-speaking area. In English, the names shorl and shirl were used in the 18th century. In the 19th century the names common schorl, schörl, schorl and iron tourmaline were the English words used for this mineral.

Dravite

Dravite, also called brown tourmaline, is the sodium magnesium rich tourmaline endmember. Uvite, in comparison, is a calcium magnesium tourmaline. Dravite forms multiple series, with other tourmaline members, including schorl and elbaite.

The name dravite was used for the first time by Gustav Tschermak (1836–1927), Professor of Mineralogy and Petrography at the University of Vienna, in his book Lehrbuch der Mineralogie (published in 1884) for magnesium-rich (and sodium-rich) tourmaline from village Dobrova near Unterdrauburg in the Drava river area, Carinthia, Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today this tourmaline locality (type locality for dravite) at Dobrova (near Dravograd), is a part of the Republic of Slovenia. Tschermak gave this tourmaline the name dravite, for the Drava river area, which is the district along the Drava River (in German: Drau, in Latin: Drave) in Austria and Slovenia.

Dravite varieties include the deep green chromium dravite and the vanadium dravite.

Ebalite

A lithium-tourmaline elbaite was one of three pegmatitic minerals from Utö, Sweden, in which the new alkali element lithium (Li) was determined in 1818 by Johan August Arfwedson for the first time. Elba Island, Italy, was one of the first localities where colored and colorless Li-tourmalines were extensively chemically analysed. In 1850, Karl Friedrich August Rammelsberg described fluorine (F) in tourmaline for the first time. In 1870, he proved that all varieties of tourmaline contain chemically bound water.

Color

Tourmaline has a variety of colors. Iron-rich tourmalines are usually black to bluish-black to deep brown, while magnesium-rich varieties are brown to yellow, and lithium-rich tourmalines are almost any color: blue, green, red, yellow, pink, etc. Rarely, it is colorless. Bi-colored and multicolored crystals are common, reflecting variations of fluid chemistry during crystallization. Crystals may be green at one end and pink at the other, or green on the outside and pink inside; this type is called watermelon tourmaline and is prized in jewelry. An excellent example of watermelon tourmaline jewelry is a brooch piece (1969, gold, watermelon tourmaline, diamonds) by Andrew Grima (British, b. Italy, 1921–2007), in the collection of Kimberly Klosterman and on display at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Some forms of tourmaline are dichroic; they change color when viewed from different directions.

The pink color of tourmalines from many localities is the result of prolonged natural irradiation. During their growth, these tourmaline crystals incorporated Mn2+ and were initially very pale. Due to natural gamma ray exposure from radioactive decay of 40K in their granitic environment, gradual formation of Mn3+ ions occurs, which is responsible for the deepening of the pink to red color.

In Our Shop

Watermelon Tourmaline Earrings

Sources

International Gem Society
Wikipedia