Hemimorphite

Hemimorphite is the commonly known sorosilicates which forms in oxidized zinc deposits and always occurs in clusters of radiating, acicular crystals. Originally, it was named Calamine, but since calamine is used for some other mineral, the word hemimorphit is widely in use. 'Hemi' means half and 'morph' means shape.

Hemimorphite is in the form of bladed crystal, the botryoidal form is very common. The crystals are generally elongated and flat. When heated, the stone readily becomes frosted. When hot, the coating is yellow but after cooling it turns white. It even fluoresces a bright orange in long-wave ultraviolet and white in short-wave ultraviolet.

Some of the best hemimorphite are found in Leadville, Colorado, Elkhorn and Montana in the United States. It is also found in Mapimi, Durango and Santa, Eulalia, Mexico. Few other nice specimens of the stone are also found in New Mexico and New Jersey.

It is a wide believe of Hemimorphite being a help for one to attain a positive self-image including self-esteem and self-respect. It also assists in the personal growth of a person on all levels. The stone brings joy and creativity. For healing, it is an excellent stone. It relieves pain, cures ulcers, blood diseases and cellular disease or disorder. Sometimes it is also used as protection stone from malice and poisoning. 

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Hematite

A widely-distributed iron ore occurring in crystalline, massive or granular forms. It is opaque and generally dark grey (almost black) in colour. It is cut en cabochon or as beads, though in Germany it is also used for intaglios. It is similar to steel in appearance, but much darker.

Set with gold, it makes a very attractive colour contrast. It may be confused with black pearl, for which it is sometimes used as an imitation, but which has a less metallic sheen.

It is found in Italy, Germany, France, England, Switzerland and Madagascar.

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Heliodor

Heliodor (also spelt as helidor), a beryllium aluminum silicate is a golden yellow or golden green variety of beryl. The golden color is due to the presence of iron in place of aluminum in the structure of the crystal. In the gem world "golden beryl" is its other name. Sometimes it also contain a trace amount of uranium which make it slightly radioactive.

The name has been derived from a Greek word which mean "gift from the sun." It was discovered in Namibia in the year 1910 in a pegmatite. Today, the deposits of heliodor are found in Minas Gerais and Goias in Brazil, the Ukraine in Russia, and Connecticut and Maine. The Russia's deposit is the best with deep gold color where as the stones from Brazil are usually lighter in color.

Heliodor is the astral stone for Gemini and Scorpio and birthstone for the month of November. Its specific gravity is 2.8 and hardness 7.5 on Mohs scale.

According to believes, it improves communication quality and make one compassionate and sympathetic to others. It stabilizes the heartbeat and helps in the treatment of stomach and small intestines disorders. It also treats liver, spleen and pancreas problems.

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Goshenite

Goshenite is the colorless variety of beryl mineral group and is named after the site where it was first discovered, Goshen in Massachusetts. Sometimes it is also known as "white beryl" or "mother of gemstones."

The impurities in Goshenite creates all the popular beryls like emeralds (green beryl), heliodor (yellow beryl), morganite (pink beryl) and aquamarine (blue beryl). This great stone also works as a substitute of diamond by placing a silver or green-colored metal foil behind a cut goshenite gemstone and then placing it in a closed setting making sure that the foil goes undetected. The base elements found in this stone are Beryllium, Aluminum and Silicon.

Goshenite occurs in North and South of America, particularly in Colombia, Northern Europe, East and South Africa, and the Himalayan regions of Asia. The hardness on Mohs scale of the stone is 7.5 - 8 and specific gravity of 2.6 - 2.8.

Believe wise, the stone brings clarity of truth into life after using it. The persons action and thoughts become true to the deepest desires and needs. It brings the physical body into balance with the mental. The stone is also mentioned in ancient texts that it was very popular as a divining tool amongst numerous older traditions in Ireland.

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Garnet

The name given to a group of isomorphous minerals of different composition and colour.

Almandine is of a deep velvety red and the most widely used in jewelry making. In Austria and Czechoslovakia it is faceted and used for highly elaborate jewelry. In India it is cut as beads or en cabochon. The best stones are those that are not too dark.

Glossularite is generally olive green, but there are also yellow, red, brown and violet varieties. It is slightly glassy in appearance and only transparent crystals are used for jewelry.

Pyrope is similar to Almandine, but is lighter in colour and brighter, even though it is translucent. It is often mistaken for ruby. Transparent specimens are faceted or cut en cabochon. It was very popular during the Victorian period.

Rhodolite is half-way between almandine and pyrope, being of a rhododendron red colour, and is the most prized of the garnets. The fire of top-quality rhodolite is indeed magnificent.

Garnet is found in Ceylon, Australia, Madagascar, India, Australia and Brazil.

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Fluorite

Fluorite, a transparent and translucent stone which mean 'to flow' in Latin. The term 'florescent' also has been derived from fluorite. It is an attractive stone with a wide range of colors ranging from pink, purple, magenta, blue, yellow, green, red, brown and white.

The usual availability of fluorite stones are Europe, Mexico, Argentina, USA, Thailand and China. In Europe, it is most abundant in England, France, Austria, and Germany. Ancient Egyptians used the stone to carve statues and scarabs. The deposits are formed under a wide variety of conditions like veins produced by hydrothermal alteration, beds and cavities in sedimentary rocks, hot spring and in pegmatites.

The Chinese used it in carvings for hundreds of years. The Romans used in drinking vessels in order to ward off drunkenness, along with the amethyst.

According to believes, the stone opens pathways in the brain to the higher dimensions of light. It increases alertness and mental activity and also helps in grasping complex and abstract concepts. The stone is also a favorite to therapists and counselors. The power of fluorite brings in objectivity and concise, orderly thoughts, actions and behavior. It encourages truth, understanding and wisdom. 

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Emeralds

Emerald is a beryl, like aquamarine. One is green, the other blue, the difference between them being of a chemical nature. Emerald is a silicate of beryllium and aluminum occurring in nature as crystals of a hexagonal pyramidal shape. The dichroism of the stone is conspicuous, varying from pale green to grass green and dark green according to the chromium content. Hardness is 7.5 on the Mohs scale, and the substance is brittle; so great care is needed during cutting and setting and in preserving the stone.

Emerald was known in ancient times. It was initially mined in the Ural Mountains, Siberia and Egypt. Following Spanish colonization of South America, a number of old Inca mines were discovered, and these have since yielded some of the world's finest specimens. The Muzo, Cosquez, Chivor and Gachaia mines in Colombia are still worked today.

More recently, veins have been found in Brazil, South Africa, Zambia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, but none of these stones can equal the beauty of the Colombian specimens.

A flawless emerald is very rare. Indeed, identification of a stone is greatly facilitated by the presence of inclusions or even slight fractures. Most emeralds on the market today contain inclusions that diminish their transparency. Often the colour is irregular, the stone being darker on one side than on the other.

Emerald is without doubt the most imitated beryl. Synthetic stones are produced in Germany (Zerfass), United States (Chatham) and France (Gilson), and it would be extremely difficult for a layman to distinguish a natural from a synthetic emerald. Even expert jewelers can make mistakes, and the Chelsea colour filter which was originally designed to identify emeralds, has proved its limitations in certain dubious cases. In similar circumstances an entire series of scientific tests is called for. In simple terms, verification of an emerald could prove a very costly operation, so I strongly advise you to seek the assistance of a reliable jeweler with a reputation to defend.

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