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Knowledge

Jewelry, as an art form, finds its brilliance in the harmonious marriage of exquisite metals and captivating gemstones. Gold and silver, two of the most coveted metals, lend their distinct personalities to adornments, shaping the very essence of the pieces they compose. Gold, with its warm, lustrous glow, has long been a symbol of wealth and luxury, gracing jewelry with an opulence that transcends time. Silver, on the other hand, possesses a cool, sleek elegance, offering a timeless allure that complements a range of styles. Diamonds, with their unparalleled sparkle, command attention and signify enduring love and strength. Sapphires, emeralds, and rubies infuse jewelry with vibrant hues, while pearls exude a classic, understated beauty.

Metal . Silver

The silver jewelry and accessories available at Tresor Jewelry are made of beautiful sterling silver. For our collection, we have chosen classic designs created by some of the finest silver craftsmen. This guide will help you learn to identify quality in silver jewelry and accessories.

Sterling Silver

Pure silver, also called fine silver, is relatively soft, very malleable, and easily damaged so it is commonly combined with other metals to produce a more durable product. The most popular of these alloys is sterling silver, which consists of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. Although any metal can make up the 7.5 percent non-silver portion of sterling, centuries of experimentation have shown copper to be its best companion, improving the metal's hardness and durability without affecting its beautiful color. The small amount of copper added to sterling has very little effect on the metal's value. Instead, the price of the silver item is affected by the labor involved in making the item, the skill of the craftsperson, and the intricacy of the design.

Stamps Of Quality

Most high quality silver items are stamped with a "fineness" or "quality" mark. This mark designates the precious metal content of the jewelry, and under federal law, must be accompanied by a maker's mark or registered trademark.

Silver Alloys

Because pure silver is so soft, it should only be used when malleability is required, such as in handcrafted jewelry featuring weaving and other intricate designs. Sterling silver is most often used for jewelry and household accessories because of its combination of beauty and durability. Acceptable quality marks for sterling silver include:

  • sterling
  • sterling silver
  • ster
  • .925

Care

With proper care, your fine quality silver will last a lifetime. To minimize scratches and other damage, store your silver jewelry either in a cloth pouch or in a separate compartment in your jewelry box. Avoid exposing your silver to household chemicals when cleaning with bleach or ammonia, or when swimming in chlorinated water, as these chemicals can damage silver.

Clean Your Silver Regularly

Care should also be taken to prevent silver tarnish build-up, a dulling that naturally occurs when silver reacts with sulfur or hydrogen sulfide in the ambient air. To clean your silver, use polishes formulated specifically to remove tarnish. You can find fine silver polishes, solutions, or cloths appropriate to remove tarnish at most hardware stores or specialty craft stores. Tarnish is most easily removed when it first becomes visible. Although wearing your silver jewelry often is the best way to prevent tarnish from building up, regular cleanings of all your silver items will prevent tarnish and keep your silver bright and sparkling. Look for the fineness mark and the maker's mark on the underside of the silver item you are considering to ensure the quality.

Metal . Gold

Gold has an extraordinary heritage with unique qualities. As an enduring element found naturally in a distinct yellow color, gold is resistant to rust, tarnish, and corrosion. Although gold is very strong, it's also the most malleable of all precious metals.

Purity

Pure gold is too soft for everyday wear, so it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel, and zinc to give it strength and durability. Karatage, denoted by a number followed by "k" indicates purity, or how much of the metal in a piece of jewelry is gold. Karatage is expressed in 24ths, making 24k gold, 100% gold.

We craft our jewelry using both 18k and 14k gold. 18k gold is composed of 75% gold, which is alloyed with other metals to make it strong enough for everyday wear. 14k gold is composed of 58.3% gold and 41.7% of other metals.

Color

The color of gold is determined by two factors:

  • The type of metal alloys included
  • The percentage of each metal alloy

Yellow Gold

Natural gold and color-saturated alloys are what give yellow gold jewelry its rich shine. The alloys most commonly used, are copper with a red hue, and silver featuring a green hue. An expert mixture of copper, silver and pure gold gives this precious metal its signature warmth.

White Gold

A silvery white character is what makes white gold jewelry so appealing. In order to make the gold white, it is combined with metal alloys that are white in nature and plated with an extremely hard element called rhodium. Although strong, rhodium may wear away over time. Replating is a simple process that can be done to restore whiteness to your jewelry.

White Gold With Black Rhodium

Black rhodium is plated to white gold creating a rich black appearance that is extremely hard and strong. As with traditional white rhodium, black rhodium may wear away over time. Replating is a simple process that Bali Designs offers to restore your jewelry's black finish.

Rose Gold

The beautiful pink hue of rose gold jewelry is created by using a copper alloy. Again, the overall percentages of metal alloys is the same for rose gold as it is for yellow or white, there is just a different mixture in what alloys are used.

Vermeil

Rich in golden color, many of our fine jewelry pieces are crafted with vermeil. The industry standard definition of vermeil is sterling silver that is plated with 10k gold with a minimum of 2.5 microns in thickness for longwearing durability. At Bali Designs, we strive to offer a higher quality to our customers. Our vermeil pieces feature 14k to 24k gold.

For More Information...

Gold, element Au, was one of the first known metals. The gold standard defines the world's currency system, whereby money represents a value in gold. 

24 karat = 100% gold
Too soft for fine jewelry

22 karat = 91.7% gold
Too soft for fine jewelry

18 karat = 75.0% gold
Ideal for fine jewelry

14 karat = 58.3% gold
Ideal for fine jewelry

10 karat = 41.7% gold
Not acceptable for jewelry

 Our 18k and 14k gold jewelry is intricately crafted into beautiful pieces for every occasion or style.

Pricing

Gold jewelry prices are dependent upon the purity of the gold used or karat weight, the market value of gold, and the level of craftsmanship and design of each jewelry piece.

Care

Since gold is a natural element, it is affected by harsh chemicals such as chlorine or other cleaning products. We recommend that you remove your jewelry when using chemicals to reduce daily abrasions and prolong the luster. To clean gold jewelry, use a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap with a soft-bristled brush. When not worn, store your gold pieces in soft cloth bags or the original box to protect them from the elements of daily exposure.

Shop our yellow, white, and rose gold jewelry collections.

Gemstones

Gem Stones Education

This guide defines the five essential characteristics of gemstone quality. By understanding these characteristics, you'll be able to shop with confidence. Print this helpful information and take it with you shopping so you can make the best choice on a beautiful piece of gemstone jewelry.

 

Color

The jewelry industry recognizes the highest quality gemstones by purity of their hue, the depth of tone, and the color saturation. The best value is in colors that include "slight" traces of other colors, are not too light or dark, and have a lot of saturated color. Tresor Jewelry offers some of the highest-quality colored gemstones available. Nearly all gemstones today, including Tresor Jewelry stones, have been treated to enhance their color. The most common methods of treatment are heating, nearly always seen with aquamarine, citrine, amethyst, sapphire, ruby and tanzanite, bleaching commonly seen with pearls, and irradiation performed on nearly all blue topaz.

 

Clarity

Almost all gemstones contain inclusions. Even those most highly prized have at least some inclusions. Flawless gemstones are very rare and very expensive. The best value is found in gems that are lightly to moderately included, like those in Tresor Jewelry gemstone jewelry. Emeralds are typically treated with colorless oil, wax or resin to minimize surface-reaching inclusions.

 

Cut

Unlike diamonds, with gemstones there isn't an "ideal" cut geometrically configured for maximum brilliance. But a high-quality gemstone cut is one that presents the most even color, exposes the fewest inclusions, and displays the majority of the gemstone weight when set in jewelry.

Size

The carat weight of a gemstone is not necessarily an accurate gauge for gemstone size. To help you judge the size of a gemstone, Tresor Jewelry lists the diameter of the gemstone when viewed from above - since if the gemstone is set in jewelry; this is the only part of the gemstone that is visible.

 

Enhancements

Nearly all gemstones on the market, including gemstones offered by Tresor Jewelry, have been treated to enhance their appearance. Gemstones that have not been treated but exhibit desirable color and clarity command extravagant prices. Some enhancement treatments are almost universal, are permanent, and require no special care of the gemstone, such as heat treatment to enhance color. Other treatments are common, and may require more or less special care to avoid damage, such as infusion of colorless oil, wax or resin to improve clarity.

Gem Stone Enhancements

Tresor Jewelry's Colored Gemstone Enhancement Policy

Tresor Jewelry offers consumers only the highest quality, authentic gemstones. Our colored gemstones undergo rigorous internal inspections by our trained gemologists to ensure they meet our stringent quality standards.

Due to their rarity and unique visual properties, nearly all colored gemstones sold at fine jewelers, including Tresor Jewelry, are enhanced using various techniques. Many of these techniques have been used for centuries. Colored gemstones that have not been enhanced are very rare and command extravagant prices.

Our white and fancy-color diamonds are not enhanced in any way, other than normal cutting and polishing. Black diamond fashion jewelry contains natural diamonds that have been treated to create the unique black color.

Colored Gemstone Enhancement Processes

There are many methods of enhancing colored gemstones. We describe the most common enhancements below. For more information on colored gemstone enhancements, see the American Gem Trade Association's Gemstone Information Manual.

Heat Treatment

The application of heat to enhance the color and/or clarity of gemstones has been a common practice around the globe for centuries. It is part of the standard polishing and finishing process for many colored gemstones. As such, it is accepted by the jewelry industry and the American Gem Trade Association. The enhanced color and/or clarity of heat-treated gemstones is permanent.

Infusion

The filling of a gem material with an oil, wax, glass, resin or other material, colored or colorless, to improve appearance. This process began centuries ago by gemstone merchants who found that immersing emeralds in oil or waxes made them look clearer to the unaided eye. This practice continues today with many colored gemstones.

Coating

The use of wax, resin or oil applied to the exterior of a porous colored gemstone to protect the natural substance, and to improve sturdiness and appearance.

Bleaching

The application of chemicals or other elements to lighten or enhance color consistency.

Dyeing

The act of adding coloring agents so that they permeate a colored gemstone to enhance or alter color.

Irradiation

The alteration of a gemstone's color through the use of radiation. This is often followed by a heating process. The enhanced color of irradiated gemstones is permanent.

New And Future Technologies

Techniques for enhancing colored gemstones, either detectable or otherwise, are continually being developed. These may be difficult, or in rare cases, impossible to detect, even for the most sophisticated laboratory. Tresor Jewelry will continue to work with industry groups and gemological experts who are committed to the identification and disclosure of new and future techniques in order to maintain our stringent quality standards.

Basic Gemstone Care

While gemstones are durable, they require varying levels of care. For example, some gemstones are especially vulnerable to household chemicals and temperature changes. Cleaning gemstones presents special challenges. While many gemstones should be cared for by following our basic care guidelines below, please refer to our Gemstone and Pearl Care and Enhancement Overview to understand the care requirements for your specific stone. If you still have questions, please contact Tresor Jewelry customer service.

Cleaning

After removing your gemstone jewelry, clean it by following the directions on a non-abrasive jewelry cleaner. Make sure that the jewelry cleaner specifies that it is safe to use with your gemstone. Use a soft cloth to remove any remaining dirt or other residue.

Storing

Store your gemstone jewelry in a lined case or a soft cloth, so the gems do not touch each other or parts of other jewelry. Gemstones are harder than gold, silver, or platinum and can scratch the surfaces of your other fine jewelry if they are not kept separate.

Wear

While it's true that gemstones such as ruby and sapphire are second only to diamond on the hardness scale, it is not a measurement of their indestructibility. It means that these gemstones are able to resist scratching almost as well as a diamond. Abrasive surfaces, harsh chemicals, and sharp blows can damage even the hardest gem. Your gemstone jewelry should be the last thing you put on when getting dressed and the first thing you take off at the end of the night. Store your gemstones carefully and they will be enjoyed for generations.

Type of Stones

Actinolite Cat's Eye

Actinolite is a rare translucent variety of chatoyant actinolite. It is an amphibole silicate that is sometimes mistakenly called 'cat's eye jade'.

Malachite

Malachite is copper carbonate with distinctive green veining. Though not a particularly hard stone, it takes an excellent polish.

Agate 

Agate is a form of chalcedony quartz that forms in concentric layers in a remarkable variety of colors and textures.

Mali Garnet

Mali garnet, is one of the hybrid garnets, a mixture of grossular and andradite garnets. It gets its name from the African country where it was first discovered.

Agate Geode

Agate is a form of chalcedony quartz that forms in concentric layers in a remarkable variety of colors and textures. Geodes are rock cavities or vugs with internal crystal formations.

Maw-Sit-Sit

Maw-sit-sit is an unusual gemstone. It was first discovered in 1963 and named after a village in Northwestern Burma.

Alexandrite

Alexandrite is one of the rarest of all colored gemstones and is famed for its color change from green in daylight to red under incandescent light.

Melanite

Melanite is the black variety of the rare andradite garnet. It is sometimes known as titanian andradite.

Almandine Garnet

Almandine garnet, the most common garnet, is dark-brownish or purplish-red. Garnet is very popular for its excellent hardness and brilliance.

Moldavite

Moldavite is a bottle-green to brown-green gemstone belonging to the tektite group. It is formed from condensed rock vapors after a meteorite impact.

Amazonite

Amazonite is a gemstone variety of green microcline, a feldspar mineral. It is named after the Amazon river in Brazil, although no deposits have been found there.

Moonstone

Moonstone is a unique stone that reflects light in a distinctive shimmering phenomenon known as adularescence.

Amber

Amber, the fossilized, hardened resin of the pine tree, is one of the few gemstones of organic origin. Most amber is found in the Baltic, where it formed about 50 million years ago.

Morganite

The pink form of beryl was named morganite, after the American banker and collector J.P. Morgan. A soft pink to violet, morganite belongs to the same family as emerald.

Amethyst

Amethyst is the most precious gemstone within the quartz group. Amethyst ranges in color from pale lilac to deep reddish-purple.

Moss Opal

Moss opal is a milky white opal with unique inclusions of green hornblende in moss-like patterns.

Ametrine

Ametrine is a form of quartz that occurs in bands of yellow and purple, a combination of the colors of amethyst and citrine.

Mystic Quartz

Mystic quartz is the product of a new high tech enhancement process, whereby a coating is applied to colorless quartz.

Ammolite

Ammolite is a rare gemstone of organic origin that is fairly new to the market, with commercial mining beginning only in 1981.

Mystic Topaz

Colorful mystic topaz is the product of a high tech enhancement process that is stable and permanent.

Andalusite

Andalusite is a strongly pleochroic gem, which means that it can display different colors when viewed from different angles.

Nuummite

Nuummite is an opaque metamorphic rock with an iridescent play of color. Its chief constituent minerals are gedrite and anthophyllite.

Andesine Labradorite

Supplies of andesine-labradorite are quite recent, with the mineral found in a range of colors, including red, yellow, champagne and green.

Obsidian

Obsidian is naturally occurring volcanic glass. It is formed when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools without crystal growth.

Apatite

Apatite, a stone seldom found in jewelry stores, is beloved by collectors for its many different colors and forms.

Onyx

 Onyx is the black form of chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline form of quartz.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine is best known for its breathtaking range of blue colors and belongs to the same family as emerald (beryl). Aquamarine is colored by trace amounts of iron.

Opal

More than any other gem, each opal is unique. No other stone has such rich and varied folklore. Opals are also the most delicate gems commonly worn.

Aventurine

Aventurine is a type of green quartz often used for carvings and cabochons.

Opal Doublet

 An opal doublet consists of a slice of natural opal glued to a black backing, which causes the color to become more vibrant.

Axinite

Axinite is a group of brown to violet-brown or reddish-brown minerals that sometimes occur in gem quality. Axinite is distinctive for its strong vitreous luster.

Orthoclase

Orthoclase is a transparent yellow feldspar resembling citrine quartz or yellow beryl, found primarily in Madagascar.

Azotic Topaz

A new high tech enhancement process using thin film deposition has created this new-look topaz.

Paraiba Tourmaline

Paraiba tourmaline is a rare copper-bearing gem with a vivid neon blue color. First found in Brazil in 1989, similar material has since been found in Africa.

Beryl

 Beryl is one of the most important gem minerals. The most famous beryl is emerald, but other beryl varieties include aquamarine, heliodor and morganite.

Peanut Wood

Peanut wood is a variety of petrified wood, where the shape and structure of the wood is pre- served when the original organic material is replaced by quartz.

Bloodstone

Bloodstone, also known as heliotrope, is a green gemstone dotted with bright red spots of iron oxide.

Pearl

Pearls are products of bivalve mollusks (mainly oysters and mussels). They are built up of nacre, which is mainly calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite crystals.

Boulder Opal

Boulder opal is the second most prized form of opal, after black opal. The name is derived from the fact that boulder opal is found embedded in ironstone boulders.

Peridot

Peridot belongs to the forsterite-fayalite mineral series. It is an idiochromatic gem, meaning its color comes from the basic chemical composition of the mineral itself, rather than impurities.

Calcite

Pure calcium carbonate is colorless, but calcite is often colored by various impurities, including iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc or cobalt.

Pietersite

Pietersite is a breccia aggregate of hawk's eye and tiger's eye, with swirling colors of blue, rusty red, gold and brown.

Carnelian

Carnelian is a brownish red to orange variety of chalcedony quartz, colored by trace amounts of iron. Darker colors (red-brown to brown) are often referred to by the name sard.

Prehnite

Prehnite, a form of calcium aluminum silicate, has a vitreous mother-of-pearl luster. Affordably priced for its size, prehnite makes distinctive and interesting jewelry.

Cassiterite

Cassiterite is one of the densest gem materials known. It also has a very high refractive index, higher than zircon, sphene and demantoid garnet.

Pyrope Garnet

Pyrope garnet is the most famous of the red garnets. Its dark, blood red color often resembles the color of ruby.

Cat's Eye Apatite

Chatoyancy, (the cat's eye effect), is the reflection of light by parallel fibers, needles, or channels, which resemble the slit eye of a cat.

Quartz

Quartz is one of the most common minerals on earth and is well known in the gemstone world in its many forms including amethyst, citrine and ametrine.

Cat's Eye Aquamarine

Aquamarine is best known for its breathtaking range of blue colors and belongs to the same family as emerald. Cat's eye aquamarine is quite rare.

Quartz Cat's Eye

Quartz cat's eye is quartz in which inclusions of rutile create chatoyancy (the cat's eye effect). Usually found in white, green, yellow or brown.

Cat's Eye Diaspore

Diaspore, sometimes marketed under the name zultanite, is a color change gem from Turkey. Cat's eye diaspore is fairly rare.

Rainbow Moonstone

A combination of orthoclase and albite arranged in layers cause the lovely sheen. Despite the name, rainbow moonstone is actually a variety of labradorite with a multicolored adularescence.

Cat's Eye Scapolite

Scapolite is a sodium calcium aluminum silicate with a hardness of 5.5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. It is named after the Greek word for "stick", since its crystals grow in columns.

Rainbow Pyrite

Rainbow pyrite is a recent find from Russia. The material comes in the form of druzy - a layer of miniature pyrite crystals coating a matrix.

Cat's Eye Tourmaline

 Tourmaline with tiny parallel inclusions sometimes displays a strong cat's eye effect when polished.

Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite is usually found in an aggregate form with alternating light and dark stripes in zigzag bands.

Chalcedony

Chalcedony is the fine-grained variety of the silica mineral quartz. It has a waxy luster and appears in a great variety of colors.

Rhodolite Garnet

Rhodolite garnet is the name applied to a mixture of pyrope and almandite. Rhodolite tends to be lighter in color than most other kinds of red garnet.

Charoite

Charoite is a new gem on the market, first appearing in 1978. It is found only in one location in Siberia, Russia. The swirling shapes of lavender and violet are quite unique.

Rhodonite

Rhodonite is a manganese iron magnesium calcium silicate, and a member of the pyroxenoid group of minerals.

Chrome Diopside

Chrome diopside is colored by chromium and displays a rich forest green that has similarities to tsavorite garnet and chrome tourmaline.

Rose Quartz

The unique soft pink color of rose quartz is thought to be derived from tiny traces of titanium. Rose quartz crystals tend to be cloudy, which deepens its color.

Chrome Tourmaline

Chrome tourmaline is a distinct variety of tourmaline colored by chromium. It is sometimes referred to as chrome dravite and is known for its rich forest green color.

Rubellite Tourmaline

 Vivid pink to red tourmaline, often with a violet tinge, is known as rubellite. It is one of the most valuable tourmaline colors.

Chrysoberyl

 Faceted chrysoberyl is a beautiful gem which is not as well known as it deserves. Apart from the very good hardness (8.5 on the Mohs scale), it has excellent luster.

Ruby

 Ruby is the red variety of corundum, the 2nd hardest substance on the Mohs scale, with a rating of 9. It is the combination of hardness and rich color that makes fine ruby so valuable.

Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye

 The most famous and valuable cat's eye gemstone is chrysoberyl cat's eye. It is valued for its excellent hardness (8.5) and sharp cat's eye.

Ruby-in-Fuchsite

 Ruby-in-fuchsite is a natural combination of ruby and fuchsite in the same specimen. It is an interesting and colorful stone, with blue to emerald-green fuchsite and pink, purple or red ruby inclusions.

Chrysocolla

 Chrysocolla is hydrous copper silicate. Often confused with turquoise, chrysocolla is found in unusual multicolor combinations as well as blue or green.

Ruby-Zoisite

 Ruby-zoisite is the natural combination of ruby and zoisite crystals in a single specimen. It is often used for carvings.

Chrysoprase

Chrysoprase is a gemstone variety of chalcedony or cryptocrystalline quartz, colored by trace amounts of nickel. Its color varies from apple-green to deep green.

Rutile Quartz

 Rutile quartz is clear or smoky quartz with inclusions of rutile crystals.

Citrine

Named after the French word for lemon, citrine is yellow, gold or orange-brown transparent quartz.

Rutile Topaz

Rutile topaz is colorless topaz with inclusions that look like rutile crystals. But the inclusions are actually thin channels of limonite staining.

Clinohumite

Clinohumite is a rare mineral and an especially rare gemstone. Only three sources of gem-quality clinohumite material are known; in Tajikistan, Siberia and Tanzania.

Sapphire

Sapphire, with its excellent hardness, second only to diamond, is one of the four traditional precious gemstones.

Color-Change Diaspore

Diaspore, sometimes marketed under the name zultanite, is a color change gem from Turkey, which was recently introduced to the international market.

Scapolite

As a gemstone scapolite is not well known, but it can be a very attractive stone. Its color, which is usually a vibrant yellow, orange, pink or violet, is its best feature.

Color-Change Garnet

Color-change garnet is a mix of spessartite and pyrope garnet. This garnet presents a color change from brownish in daylight to rose pink in incandescent light.

Seraphinite

Seraphinite is a trade name for a particular form of clinochlore. The dark-green color of seraphinite is enhanced by a silvery and feathery shimmer caused by mica inclusions.

Color-Change Sapphire

Some rare sapphires exhibit a color change under varying lighting conditions. Color change sapphires are typically blue in natural light and purple under incandescent light.

Serpentine

Serpentine is a type of green magnesium silicate aggregate. It is used as a decorative stone or for carvings.

Coral

Precious coral is a species of coral that grows in rocky seabottoms. Coral exhibits a range of warm reddish-pink colors ranging from salmon pink to deep-red.

Sillimanite Cat's Eye

Sillimanite is a type of aluminum silicate that is related to both andalusite and kyanite. In fact, these three minerals share the same chemical composition but have different crystal structures.

Danburite

Danburite gets its name from Danbury, Connecticut, where it was first discovered in 1839. It is quite hard, with a rating of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale.

Smithsonite

Smithsonite is one of two zinc-containing minerals discovered by the British mineralogist James Smithson. The zinc silicate was named smithsonite in his honor.

Demantoid Garnet

Demantoid garnet is the rarest and most valuable of the garnets. Found in green to emerald green, demantoid garnet is scarce and is typically only seen in small sizes.

Smoky Quartz

Smoky quartz is fast becoming a designer favorite for its earthy tone and tribal look. It is one of the few gemstones that is gray or brown.

Dendritic Agate

Dendritic agate is a whitish-gray or colorless chalcedony with fern-like inclusions known as dendrites. The inclusions look like plant material, but they are actually iron or manganese.

Snowflake Obsidian

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass. In some stones, the inclusion of white crystals of cristobalite produce a blotchy pattern, known as snowflake obsidian.

Diamond

Diamond, the hardest known natural material, is a transparent carbon crystal. Diamond is famed not only for its superb hardness, but also for its high refractive index and dispersion.

Sodalite

The mineral sodalite gets its name from its sodium content. As a gemstone, sodalite is usually blue, often with a violet tint, and frequently contains white veins of calcite.

Dumortierite Quartz

Dumortierite quartz is an unusual quartz that is intergrown with the mineral dumortierite. The inclusions of dumortierite give it a deep blue color that is unique in the world of quartz.

Spessartite Garnet

The most valuable spessartite garnets display a bright, orange-red. The best specimens come from Namibia.

Emerald

Emerald is the most precious stone in the beryl group. The wonderful green color of emerald is unparalleled in the gem world.

Sphalerite

Sphalerite is a rare collector's gem which has exceptional dispersion (also known as fire). In fact its dispersion rating is three times as high as that for diamond.

Enstatite

Enstatite is a rare gemstone that belongs to the pyroxene group of minerals. It is typically brown-green with a vitreous luster and is a collector's gem.

Sphene

Sphene is a brilliant yellowish-green, green or brown gemstone of high luster, unique color shades and, with brilliant cut, an intense fire.

Fire Agate

Fire agate is a type of opaque, limonite-bearing chalcedony with an iridescence caused by the diffraction of light in its layered structure.

Spinel

Due to its excellent hardness and clarity, spinel is an excellent gemstone for all types of jewelery. Spinel is never treated in any way.

Fire Opal

Fire opal is an unusual variety of opal from Mexico, which can be yellow, orange or orange-red. Some fire opal gemstones are clear enough for facets.

Spodumene

Spodumene is a relatively new mineral to science, with gem varieties discovered only in the last 120 years. Spodumene occurs in white, gray, pink, lilac and green.

Fluorite

Fluorite is a mineral with a veritable plethora of brilliant colors that include purple, blue, green, yellow, colorless, brown, pink and orange.

Star Diopside

Diopside is best known for the vivid green chrome diopside, but the black diopside exhibiting asterism (also known as the star effect) is also important.

Fossil Coral

Fossil coral is a decorative material that is formed when ancient coral is gradually replaced with agate. The proper name for this material is agatized coral.

Star Garnet

Star garnet is a rare and unusual garnet, found only in Idado in the USA and India. It displays a four-rayed star due to aligned inclusions of rutile.

Gaspeite

A recent discovery (1966), gaspeite is a very rare nickel carbonate mineral named after the place in Eastern Canada where it was first described.

Star Lemon Quartz

Star lemon quartz is a lemon-yellow variety of quartz that displays asterism (the star effect).

Goshenite

The colorless precious beryl is known as goshenite. It is named after the small town of Goshen in Western Massachusetts where it was first described.

Star Moonstone

Moonstone is a combination of orthoclase and albite arranged in layers which cause the lovely sheen. Star moonstone exhibits a stunning cat's eye or four-rayed star effect.

Grossularite Garnet

Grossularite (or grossular) garnet is a calcium-aluminium garnet. The name grossular is derived from the botanical name for the gooseberry, grossularia.

Star Rose Quartz

Rose quartz displaying asterism or the star effect is rare. The unique soft pink color of rose quartz is thought to be caused by tiny traces of titanium.

Hackmanite

Hackmanite exhibits an unusual phenomenon known as reversible photochromism, where a mineral changes color when exposed to sunlight.

Star Ruby

Star ruby is a ruby that displays asterism, a six-rayed star that shimmers over the surface of the stone when it is moved.

Hambergite

Hambergite is one of the lesser-known gemstones. It is usually nearly colorless, with the vitreous luster of glass when cut. It is quite a hard material, with a hardness of 7.5.

Star Sapphire

Star sapphire is a sapphire that contains unusual tiny needle-like inclusions. These needles produce a phenomenon called asterism.

Hematite

Hematite is iron oxide that is typically blackish-gray. When highly polished it can sometimes look like silver. Hematite is a remarkably dense material.

Star Sunstone

Sunstone is plagioclase feldspar with a unique glitter from platelets of hematite. Typically it has a red glitter, and more rarely a blue or green glitter. Star sunstones are known but rare.

Hemimorphite

Hemimorphite is usually found in aggregate form with blue and white bands, or mixed with a dark matrix.

Strawberry Quartz

Quartz with red inclusions of lepidocrosite, hematite or goethite is often sold under the name strawberry quartz.

Hessonite Garnet

Hessonite is an orange-brown variety of garnet colored by traces of manganese and iron. It is sometimes known as cinammon stone.

Sugilite

Sugilite is an obscure and quite rare mineral named after the Japanese geologist, Ken-ichi Sugi, who discovered it in 1944.

Hiddenite

Hiddenite is a form of spodumene containing chromium. The green color varies from a yellowish to a bluish-green.

Sunstone

Sunstone is a type of plagioclase feldspar that exhibits a spangled appearance, due to reflections of red hematite.

Howlite

Howlite is an interesting grayish-white mineral that is sometimes referred to as white turquoise because of its distinctive veining.

Tanzanite

Tanzanite is a variety of zoisite. Colors of tanzanite include blue, purple and green. The highly coveted color is deep blue, which has a purple pleochroism.

Idocrase

Idocrase is also known as vesuvianite, since it was originally found on Mt. Vesuvias. The color is normally green, but it can also be brown, yellow, blue or purple.

Tashmarine Diopside

Tashmarine diopside is a brilliant yellow-green diopside from a recent discovery in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Western China.

Imperial Topaz

The most sought after of all natural topaz is called imperial topaz. Its rich golden color with reddish and orange overtones is generally not enhanced by any kind of treatment.

Tiger's Eye

Tiger's eye is a type of opaque macrocrystalline quartz with a fibrous structure. It typically displays chatoyant stripes, because structural fibers are crooked or bent.

Iolite

Pleochroism is very pronounced in iolite and is seen as three different color shades in the same stone; violet, yellow-gray and blue.

Tiger's Eye Matrix

Tiger's eye matrix is the name given to tiger's eye that is cut and finished with some of its host rock intact.

Jadeite

Jadeite is found in most colors, including pure white, pink, brown, red, orange, violet, blue, black and a range of greens.

Topaz

Topaz is an important gem due to its hardness and high refractive index. Topaz comes in many colors and blue topaz is especially popular.

Jasper

Jasper is usually considered a type of chalcedony, however, scientists put it in a group by itself because of its grainy structure.

Tremolite-Hexagonite

Tremolite is a rare gemstone sometimes known as 'hexagonite' or 'tremolite-hexagonite'.

Kornerupine

Kornerupine is a rare transparent to translucent, typically brownish-green collector's gem. It was named after Danish naturalist, artist and explorer, Andreas Nikolaus Kornerup.

Tourmaline

One of the most versatile of gems, tourmaline is found in every color. It can show every tone from pastel to dark, and can display various colors in the same stone.

Kunzite

Kunzite is the pale pink-violet to light-violet species of the mineral spodumene. Kunzite is named in honor of the mineralogist George F. Kunz.

Tsavorite Garnet

This green species of garnet was discovered in 1967 by British geologist Campbell R. Bridges in the bush along the frontier between Kenya and Tanzania.

Kyanite

Kyanite is a layered crystal with a vitreous to almost pearly luster that is usually found in a sapphire-like blue color.

Turquoise

Turquoise, the blue cousin of lapis lazuli, has been known and valued for thousands of years. The early mines in Sinai, Egypt, were already worked out in 2000 B.C.

Labradorite

Labradorite is a member of the plagioclase feldspar group and displays a distinctive schiller in lustrous metallic tints.

Variscite

Variscite is a relatively rare type of phosphate mineral. High quality specimens are used as gemstones and for carvings. Variscite is colored by traces of chromium.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli has been used for thousands of years in jewelry and ornamental objects. The unique deep blue color has never lost its attraction.

Verdite

Verdite is light to dark-green serpentine rock that is often spotted or variegated. Most specimens come from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Larimar

The blue variety of pectolite has become known as Larimar. A very rare mineral, it has only been found in the Dominican Republic, where it was first discovered in 1974.

Zircon

Zircon has great brilliance and intensive fire, due to its high refractive index and strong dispersion.

Lepidolite

Lepidolite is a lilac-gray or rose-colored lithium-bearing mineral of the mica group. It is one of the major sources of the rare alkali metals rubidium and caesium.

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