For Seller

By: Bijan Aziz

Colorful choices in colored Gemstones

Transparent varieties

- Amethyst
Amethyst, a transparent purple variety of quartz, is one of the most popular of the colored stones. Once believed to bring peace of mind to the wearer, it was also thought to prevent the wearer from getting drunk, and if the circle of the sun or moon was engraved thereon, amethyst was believed to prevent death from poison.

Available in shades from light to dark purple, this February birthstone is relatively hard, fairly brilliant, and overall a good, versatile, wearable gemstone, available in plentiful supply even in very large sizes (although large sizes with deep color are now becoming Scarce). Amethyst is probably one of the most beautiful gemstones available at a moderate price; buyers should be careful, however, because "fine" amethyst is being produced synthetically today. Most synthetic can be identified by a skill gemologist.

Amethyst may fade from heat and strong sunshine. Guard your amethyst from these conditions and it should retain its color indefinitely. However, complaints have been heard of newly purchased amethyst jewelry fading over just a few months, from deep purple to light lavender. This should not happen, and may result from and unacceptable color treatment. If your gemstone fades this quickly, return it your jeweler.

- Citrine,
Citrine often called quartz topaz, citrine topaz, or topaz, all of which are misleading. The correct name for this gemstone is citrine. Citrine is yellow, amber to amber brown. This is the most commonly seen "topaz" in jewelry marketplace and is, unfortunately, too often confused with precious topaz because of the careless use of the name. While a pleasing stone in term of color and fairly durable, citrine is slightly softer and has less brilliance than precious topaz. It also lacks the subtle color shading, the pinker yellow or pinkish amber shades, which lend to precious topaz a distinctive color difference. Much citrine is made by heat treating purple amethyst.

Citrine is much less expensive than precious topaz. It should never be represented as topaz, which technically is "precious" or "imperial" topaz. Unfortunately, it often is. For example, "topaz" birthstone jewelry is almost always citrine (or a worthless synthetic). So the question to ask the seller is, "Is this citrine or precious topaz?" get the answer in writing if you are told, "precious topaz."

Citrine is plentiful in all sizes, and can be made into striking jewelry, especially in very large sizes, for a relatively small investment, while precious topaz of fine quality is scarce in sizes over seven carats, and very expensive.

- Praseolite
A pale green transparent variety produced by heating amethyst.

- Rock crystal
Rock crystal, water clear, used in old jewelry for rondelles, a type of small bead resembling a doughnut. faceted crystal beads were also common in older jewelry. Today, however, crystal usually refers to glass.

- Rose quartz
Rose Quartz, light to deep pink. This stone has been very popular for many years for use in carved pieces; beads, statues, ashtrays, fine lamps bases, and pins and brooches. Rarely clear, this stone is usually seen in cabochon cuts, rounded beads, or carvings rather than in faceted style. Once very inexpensive, it is becoming more costly, particularly in the finer deep pink shades. But the color of rose quartz is especially pleasing and offers an excellent choice for use in fashion accessory jewelry.
You must be somewhat cautious with rose quartz, however, because it tends to crack more easily than most other varieties of quartz if struck or exposed to a blow. The inclusions or internal fractures that are also responsible for the absence of clarity in this gemstone cause it to be slightly brittle.

- Smoky quartz
Smoky quartz, a pale to rich smoky brown variety, sometimes mistaken for or misrepresented as smoky topaz or topaz. Also very plentiful and becoming popular for use in very large sizes for beautiful brooches, large dinner rings, and so forth.

Translucent to opaque varieties

- Agate and chalcedony
All colors and varieties of markings are seen in this wonderful ornamental gem. Among them you’ll find, to mention a few: banded agate; moss agate, a fascinating white or milky agate that looks as though it actually has black, brown, or green moss growing within; eye agate, which has an eyeball effects; or plume agate, which looks like it’s filled with beautiful feather plumes. The colors and "scenes" in agate are infinite. While agate is usually an inexpensive stone, some varieties or special stones with very unusual scenes or markings can be quite expensive.

- Carnelian. sard, and sardonyx
Carnelian. sard, and sardonyx are reddish, orange, apricot, and brown varieties of chalcedony and are often in cameo or other carving work. Black onyx is a dyed chalcedony; chrysoprase is green chalcedony. often dyed green.

The unusual colors and markings of agate made it very highly regarded by the ancients and revered throughout history, even to the present day. It was believed to make wearers "agreeable and persuasive and give them God’s favor." Other virtues claimed for agate wearers include giving the wearer victory and strength and also protection from tempests and lightning, guarding its wearer from all dangers, enabling him to overcome all terrestrial obstacles, and imparting to him a bold heart.

Wearing agate ornaments was also seen as a cure for insomnia and could ensure good dreams. In middle of the 1800s and continuing to the present in some parts of the world, amulets made from eye agate (brown or black agate with white ring in the center) were so popular that agate cutters in Germany had time for cutting little else. The "eye" was believed to take on the watchfulness of one’s guardian spirit and protect the wearer from the evil eye by neutralizing its power. At one time these amulets commanded an incredible price.

Whatever their real power, these are fascinating gemstones, some quite mesmerizing in their unusual beauty. They are often seen in antique jewelry as well as in contemporary pieces. One must be careful, however, to exercise some caution in wear to protect from knocks, as some varieties are more fragile than others. Also, agate is frequently dyed, so it is important to ask whether the color is natural, and to be sure that it is not another less valuable stone, dyed to look like a special variety of agate.

- Aventurine
Aventurine, a lovely pale to medium green semi-translucent stone tiny sparkling flecks of mica within. This gemstone make very lovely cabochon or bead jewelry at a very affordable price. It is occasionally misrepresented as jade; although the mica flecks are sometimes so small that they cannot be seen easily, they provide an immediate and reliable indicator that the material is aventurine quartz. Be aware, however, that there are some fairly good glass imitations in the marketplace.

- Bloodstone
Bloodstone believed by the ancient Greeks to have fallen from heaven, this gemstone has held a prominent place throughout history, and even into modern times, as a great curative. It was (and still is in some parts of the world) believed capable of stopping every type of bleeding, clearing bloodshot eyes, acting as an antidote for snakebite, and relieving urinary troubles. Today there are people who wear blood stone amulets to prevent sunstroke and headache, and to provide protection against the evil eye.
The birthstone for March, bloodstone is a more or less opaque, dark green variety of quartz with specks of red jasper (a variety of quartz) spattering red throughout the dark green field. Particularly popular for men’s rings (perhaps they need more protection from illness?) bloodstone is most desirable when the green isn’t so dark as to approach black and the red flecks are roundish and pronounced. It is moderately durable and is fairly readily available and inexpensive.

- Cat’s eye
Cat’s eye, a pale yellowish green gemstone that when cut in cabochon style produces a streak of light down the center that crates an eye effect. This phenomenon is a result of the presence of fiber-like inclusions. This stone’s center line is weaker, its color paler, and its cost much less than the true cat’s eye from chrysoberyl family. But it is nonetheless an attractive stone that makes attractive, affordable jewelry.

- Chrysocolla
The true chrysocolla is a very soft copper mineral, too soft for jewelry use. However, quartz that has been naturally impregnated or stained with chrysocolla has good hardness and the same brilliant blue green, highly translucent, and its price is starting to reflect increased demand.

- Chrysoprase and Carnelian
A bright light to dark green, highly translucent stone, often of very even color. Sometimes misrepresented or confused for jade.

Chrysoprase has long been the subject of marvelous stories. In the 1800s, it was believed that a thief sentenced to be hanged or beheaded would immediately escape if he placed a chrysoprase in is mouth. Of course, it might be hard to obtain the stone unless he just happened to carry one around! And Alexander the great was believed to have worn a "parse" in his girdle during battle, to ensure victory.

Chrysoprase is an inexpensive, highly translucent, bright, light to dark green variety of quartz. While its color is often very uniform and can be very lovely in jewelry, for many years these gems have been dyed to enhance their color, where necessary. Chrysoprase is another gemstone that is usually cut in cabochon style. It has become very popular for jewelry as a fashion accessory. Do not confuse it with jade, however. It is sometimes called "Australian Jade" and is sometimes misrepresented as real jade.
If you are the timid sort, carnelian is the stone for you. "The wearing of carnelian is recommended to those who have a weak voice or are timid in speech, for the warm colored stone will give them the courage they lack so that they will speak both boldly and well," a turn of the century gemologist and historian.

This gemstone is especially revered by Moslems, because Muhammad himself wore a silver ring set with a carnelian engraved for use as a seal.
Napoleon I, while on a campaign in Egypt, picked up with his own hands (apparently from the battlefield) an unusual octagonal carnelian, upon which engraved the legend, "The slave Abraham relying Upon The Merciful[God}." He wore it with him always and bequeathed it to his nephew.
Carnelian, one of the accepted birthstones for august, is a reddish orange variety of quartz. A moderately hard, translucent to opaque stone, its warm uniform color and fair durability have made it a favorite. It is often found in antique jewelry and lends itself to engraving or carving (especially in cameos). It is still a relatively inexpensive gemstone with great warmth and beauty and offers an excellent choice for jewelry to be worn as an accessory with today’s fashion colors.

- Jasper
Jasper, opaque red, yellow, green, and brown (or sometimes gray).Usually strong marked in terms of the contrast between the green and other colors in an almost blotch-like or vein-like patterns, although there are more than fifty types of jasper of various colors and patterns.

Jasper was believed in ancient cultures to bring rain and also to protect its wearer from the bites of poisonous creatures. It was believed to have as diverse a power as the colors and veins in which it came, so there were many uses and magical powers associated with it.

Jasper offers interesting color contrast and variety, and is being used increasingly in today’s fashion accessory jewelry.

- petrified wood
Sections of trees or limbs that have been replaced by quartz type silica and transformed into mineral after centuries of immersion in silica-rich water under extreme pressure. Usually red, reddish brown, or brown. Not often seen in jewelry.

- Tiger-eye
Tiger-eye, a golden, yellowish reddish, and sometimes bluish variety of quartz that produces a bright shimmering line (or lines) of light, which when cut in a cabochon will produce an eye. The eye will move when the stone is turned from side to side. It is inexpensive, but very popular for fashion accessory jewelry and men’s cuff links and rings.

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Bijan Aziz is the owner and Web Master for The Jewelry Hut.

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