| GEM NAME: |
COLORS: |
HARDNESS: |
TOUGHNESS: |
NOTES |
| HEMATITE |
METALIC BK/GY |
5.5-6.5 |
EXCELENT |
HEAVY, IRON BASED GEM. FORMERLY USED AS MOURNING JEWELRY. |
| HEMATINE |
METALIC BK/GY |
5.5-6.5 |
EXCELENT |
TRADE NAME FOR SYNTHETIC HEMATITE. SLIGHTLY
MAGNETIC. |
| HOWLITE |
SNOW WHITE |
3-3.5 |
POOR |
W/ BLACK &/OR DK/BROWN VEINS. SOFT &
POROUS, DYES EASILY. |
| HOWLITE TURQUOISE OR LAPIS |
|
|
|
DYED
TO SIMULATE TURQUOISE AND LAPIZ. |
| IOLITE |
BL,VL,BRNISH |
7-7.5 |
FAIR |
AKA: CORDIERITE, “WATER SAPPHIRE”. COLOR CHANGE
BY AXIS VIEWED. CLEAVAGE 1-DISTINCT. HEAT MAY FUSE
STONE. ATTACKED BY ACIDS. |
| IVORY |
WHITE, CREAMY |
2-3 |
FAIR |
ORGANIC. HEAT SHRINKS & DISCOLORS. ATTACKED
BY CHEMICALS .AVOID SOLVENTS. YELLOWS WITH AGE. PERFUME,LOTIONS,
ETC .CAUSE DISCOLORATION |
| JADE GROUP |
|
|
|
|
| JADEITE |
GN & ALL COLORS |
6.5-7 |
EXCEPTIONAL |
AVOID HEAT, MAY DEGRADE COLOR. FUSES EASILY.
AVOID ACIDS & STRONG SOLVENTS. DYED: MAY FADE. |
| IMPERIAL JADE EMERALD GREEN |
|
|
|
MOST VALUABLE JADE.. |
| NEPHRITE JADE |
GREEN & ALL |
6-6.5 |
EXCEPTIONAL |
|
| JET |
DEEP/BK, DK/BN |
2.5-4 |
POOR |
GEM COAL.. AVOID HEAT, BURNS EASILY. USED
IN MOURNING JEWELRY. |
| KYANITE |
BL-CL,BL/GN |
4-4.5 / 6-7 |
POOR |
BRITTLE, CLEAVES, VARIABLE HARDNESS & CLEAVAGE.
. |
| LAPIZ
LAZULI |
BL, VL.,GRNISH/BL |
5-6 |
FAIR |
A ROCK INCLUDING: LAZURITE, CALCITE, PYRITE, &
OTHER MINERALS. AVOID HEAT: MAY CAUSE COLOR CHANGE, AVOID CHEMICALS.,
IF DYED, MAY FADE AND AVOID ACID, ACETONE AND OTHER SOLVENTS. |
| LEPIDOLITE |
PK, LILAC,YISH,WT |
2.5-3 |
POOR |
FOUND WITH TOURMALINE INCLUSIONS. |
| MALACHITE |
LT-BK/GN, BANDS |
3.5-4 |
POOR |
SENSITIVE TO HEAT, ACIDS, AMMONIA, HOT WATERS, AND
CHEMICALS.FUSES EASILY BY TORCH. DUST IS POISONOUS. |
| MARBLE |
YW/GN,WT,BN,STRIPES |
3.5-4 |
FAIR |
AKA:MEXICAN ONYX, HONEY ONYX.
AVOID ACID. POROUS-DYES EASILY |
| MOLDAVITE |
GREENS |
5.5 |
GOOD |
A GREEN TEKTITE. NATURAL “IMPACT GLASS”, OR MAYBE
A METEORITE. |
| MOTHER-OF-PEARL |
MANY |
2.5-3.5 |
GOOD |
AVOID HEAT & ACIDS, BLACKENS IN FLAME, DYES
EASILY / CAN FADE. . |
| OBSIDIAN |
BK,GY,BN,GN |
5-5.5 |
GOOD |
A ROCK. NATURAL VOLCANIC GLASS. CAN HAVE
GOLD, SILVER, OR RAINBOW SHEEN. SNOWFLAKE HAS WHITE
SPHERES OF CHRISTOBOLITE . |
| OPAL GROUP |
ALL, W/OPALESCENCE |
5-6.5 |
POOR-FAIR |
HEAT TURNS STONE WHITE OR BROWN & DESTROYS PLAY
OF COLORS. AVOID THERMAL SHOCK. HEAT & STRONG LIGHT
DEHYDRATE STONE CAUSING CRAZING OR FRACTURING. SENSITIVE TO
PRESSURE &KNOCKS, ACIDS & ALKALIES. |
| PRECIOUS OPAL |
|
|
|
OPALESCENCE, RAINBOW LIKE IRRIDESCENCE, & PLAY
OF COLORS. |
| WHITE OPAL |
WHITE W/”FIRE” |
|
|
WHITE BASE WITH PLAY OF COLORS |
| BLACK OPAL |
DK COLOR BASE |
|
|
DK/GREY, DK/BLUE, DK/GREEN, & GREY-BLK BASE
W/ PLAY OF COLORS DEEP BLACK IS VERY RARE. BLACK OPALS ARE RARER
THAN WHITE . |
| OPAL MATRIX |
|
|
|
BANDS OR INCLUSIONS OF OPAL IN MATRIX ROCK |
|
HARLEQUIN OPAL |
TRANSPARENT-TRANSLUCENT W/EFFECTIVE SEGMENTED COLOR
PATTERNS. |
|
|
A MOST DESIRABLE OPAL. |
| JELLY OPAL |
BLUISH-GREY W/LITTLE
PLAY OF COLOR. |
|
|
|
| FIRE OPAL |
ORANGE |
|
|
LITTLE OPALESCENCE. USUALLY MILKY & TURBID.
BEST ARE CLEAR & TRANSPARENT. VERY SENSITIVE TO ANY
STRESS & HEAT. |
| COMMON OPAL |
ALL COLORS |
|
|
USUALLY OPAQUE AND NO PLAY OF COLOR. PERUVIAN PINK
& BLUE |
|
