Gemstone Guide

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Gemstone Guide

Agate :

Part of the chalcedony quartz group of minerals, most common light gray-blue to beige colour or red to brown layers of colour, however also available dyed green, moss, dark reds, orange and mixed colors, hardness 6.5 - 7, It is the alternative birthstone for May and September

Amber :

An organic fossil resin from amber pine sap, commonly yellow to red brown in color, hardness 2 - 2.5.

Amethyst :

Part of the quartz group of minerals, usually light to dark violet in translucent colours, with a hardness 7. I is the  modern,tradition,  and alternative birthstone for February.

Aquamarine :

Part of the beryl group of minerals, commonly light blue to sea green in translucent colors, with a hardness 7.5 - 8. It is the modern birthstone for March , and the alternative birthstone for October.

Aventurine :

Part of the quartz group of minerals, commonly shimmering greens in colour and sometime orange-brown orange-yellow . It is often called sunstone, hardness 7.

Carnelian :

Part of the chalcedony group of minerals, usually yellow-orange to red brown in translucent colors, hardness 6.5 - 7, It i  the alternative birthstone for July.

Citrine :

Part of the silicon dioxide quartz group of minerals, commonly yellow to golden brown in color, hardness 7.It is the traditional and modern birthstone for November.

Coral :

The skeleton of an organic marine creature's , commonly  pink, salmon, red, white, or black in color hardness, 3 - 4.

Emerald :

Part of the beryl group of minerals commonly light to dark greens in colour, with a hardness 7 - 8. It is the traditional and modern birthstone for May and the alternative birthstone for January.

Falcon’s Eye :

Part of the quartz group of minerals, commonly a luster of blue-green, blue-black to grey-blue in layers, hardness 7. It is sometimes wrongly named as blue tigereye.

Fluorite :

A commonly found sedimentary rock, usually with a rainbow of translucent layers of color, hardness 4. It is great for naturally mimicking other translucent stones , however it does not have the depth of colour and hardness of the more expensive gemstones.

Garnet :

This is commonly medium to dark red or occasionally available in  pink, yellow, and and black, hardness 7 - 7.5. It is the traditional, modern, and alternative birthstone for January.

Goldstone :

This ia actually a man made glass bead with real gold within the glass, commonly made in golden browns but ocasionaly available in blues and other colors.

Hematite :

This is  an iron ore, commonly a shiny metallic grey-black to red brown in colour, hardness 5.5 -6.5.

Howlite :

A borate and evaporite mineral, often used to imitate other stones as it takes to dying very readily. Its natural color is white with black veins or flecks. .

Jade :

This is usually light to dark green in colour and very occasionally violet, pink, yellow, and black. It has hardness 6.5 - 7. Be careful -  ‘mountain’ jade is not jade but dolomite marble which is a less expensive stone. It is the alternative birthstone for March and July.

Jasper :

This is a common sedimentary rock and part of the quartz group of minerals, usually yellow to red brown in color sometimes speckled on a dark  background or with grey-black markings sometime available in blues, greens, and golden colors, hardness 7. It is  the alternative birthstone for October.

Lapis Lazuli : 

This is a relatively rare mineral, commonly light blue, azure blue, and violet-blue with  silver or gold specks in colour, hardness 5 - 6, . It is the alternative birthstone for September and December.

Malachite :

This is a less common sedimentary rock,often a shimmering light to dark green in coloured layers, red malachite is actually banded jasper a less expensive stone, hardness 3.5 - 4.

Moonstone :

This is part of the volcanic feldspar group of minerals, commonly egg shell to whitish blue in semi-translucent colors. It is sometimes  available in opalescent peach or gray, hardness 6 - 6.5, .It is he tradition and modern birthstone for June, and alternative birthstone for September and February

Obsidian :

Part of the volcanic group of minerals, usually golden brown to rich blacks often with white spots in color layers, hardness 5.5.

Peridot :

Part of the volcanic silicate group  of minerals, commonly yellow-green to olive green in translucent colors, hardness 6.5 - 7, It is the modern birthstone for August.

Quartz :

This is the most common and largest mineral group on earth. It is available in a rainbow of translucent colors each with their own specific name; crystal quartz = clear, sky quartz = light blue, rose quartz = light  pink, cherry quartz = bright pink to light red, smoky quartz = light grey, snow quartz = pure white, etc., hardness 7. It is the alternative birthstone for April.  Rose quartz is the alternative birthstone for December, and other colours of quartz are the alternative birthstone for March .

Ruby :

Part of the corundum  group of minerals, commonly  light to dark red in color, hardness 9. It is the traditional and modern birthstone for July and the alternative birthstone for December and July

For examples of beautiful gemstone jewellery click here - //www.modernvintagestyle.co.uk/necklaces
For  further infomation on gemstones click here -   //geology.com/gemstones/