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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Druzy Titanium

Druzy Titanium or Druzy plated with Titanium is a regular Druzy. The colors of Druzy Titanium are very hot and intensely bright. It shifts from a bright hot purple to that of a neon deep blue with some shade of red. The colors of Druzy Titanium differ with the change in the viewing angles.

Druzy Titanium is used artistically in jewelry making. The favorites are necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and pendants. It has an outstanding luster and is believed to have originated in the US. The usual available color of Druzy Titanium is of golden shade.

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Druzy Quartz

Druzy Quartz (also spelt as Drusy or Druse) is a thin layer of quartz crystals covering the surface of a host stone. One good example of Druzy is the crystals filled inside the cavity of a geode. It is well known that amethyst or citrine get the source of their color from this quartz crystal but usually Druzy Quartz takes the host stone's color which is seen through it as in chrysocolla or uvarovite garnet.

The term "Druzy" refers to the tiny crystal which is formed within of on another stone in a large number. When the ground water that carries dissolved silica is forced to to get filled into a porous area of rock, rapid cooling occurs and it causes the formation of minute crystals. As in Druzy Chrysocolla, the rock is composed of agatized chysocolla with crusts of small sparkling quartz crystals in tiny cavities.

Druzy Quarts is said to aid in balancing and increasing energy. Since ages it has been used to diagnose disease and is believed to enhance natural extrasensory perception abilities.

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Diopside

Diopside stone is a calcium magnesium silicate mineral of the group pyroxene. It is available in a chromium-rich gem variety and is called as chrome diopside in bright color. The stone is relatively soft. It is also common to many high-temperature assemblages of the calcium-silicate units.

Diopside is vitreous or greasy from transparent to translucent. It is doubly refractive. The finer specimens fit for gem purposes. When it is cut brilliantly, it makes a very attractive stone and resembles green tourmaline.

Diopside is used for the mental body. It encourages the intellect, helps to grow one in academic, and it also encourages creativity, particularly in pursuits of writing. This is the perfect stone for fresh authors as it enables them to get the thoughts in black and white and in a timely fashion. Some even say that it is a good stone when learning mathematics or other intellectual pursuits. Physically, diopside is used for psychological disorders.

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Diamonds

Diamonds have always exercised a special magnetism on the human race, the female of the species in particular. Their story, which I would describe as both romantic and social, is known the world over. Hardly surprising then that the diamond is the most popular gemstone of all.

Its chemical composition is simple: pure crystallized carbon referable to the cubic order of crystallography. It is formed in volcanic craters and dispersed by volcanic eruption or flooding.

There are two main varieties of diamond: mis-shapen crystals which have certain industrial applications and gem diamonds used in jewelry making.

Diamonds for industrial applications are coloured, opaque or impure. They are widely employed for drilling tools and precision instruments. Gem diamonds are pure and colourless, though the rare coloured transparent specimens are highly valued by the experts.

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Desert Glass

Desert Glass is a naturally formed glass composed of nearly pure silica. It was discovered in 1932 when Egyptian Desert Survey expedition led by P.A. Clayton was sent to study southwest unexplored regions from Cairo. The expedition discovered, scattered on the desert, transparent to translucent pieces of pale yellow-green vitreous substance. Since then it also came to be known as Libyan Desert glass.

It is great stone for spiritual work and for the group healing. It aligns the energy centers and removes blocks. The Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun used to have a scarab craved from Desert Glass on his breast plate.

Libyan Desert Glass is the most unusual natural glasses ever seen or described. It is completely made of silica and is dispersed over a large area of the Great Sand Sea in the Egypt.

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Coral

Coral is not a mineral but a hard calcareous substance consisting of the continuous skeleton secreted by many tribes of marine coelenterate polyps for their support and habitation. It is found growing plant-like on the sea-bottom. With pollution on the rise everywhere it is becoming increasingly rare, to the extent that even the most prized, the Mediterranean coral, is threatened with extinction.

Coral was very popular until a few years ago, but has now become too expensive for most pockets. Its increasing rarity does. however, make it a good long-term investment. You would be wise to buy Italian coral rather than specimens from the Far East, which have often been adulterated.

The best corals are generally considered to be those of a deep rose red colour, though some jewelers would tend to disagree. Understandably so, when it is almost impossible to find more than one or two necklaces of this shade in a hundred ! As regards white and pink varieties, choose without hesitation the colour known as "angel's skin".

Weight-wise, coral is worth more on today's market than gold, which is why it is such a sound investment provided, and I stress this, it is of the best quality. The finest specimens come from Sardinia and Tunisia; larger, less fine ones from Japan and China.

Coral is cut en cabochon or used for beads and sometimes small carvings. Beware of imitations, such as coloured shell or bone.

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