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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “Black sapphire”
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Gem in the Spotlight: Sapphire
Few gems capture the imagination as does sapphire. Sapphire‘s beauty inspired people to wonder. Ancient cultures had many lore and beliefs about the sapphire. The … the earth rested on a giant sapphire whose reflection gave the sky its color. Ancient priests and sorcerers honored sapphire above all gems, for this stone enabled them to interpret oracles and foretell the future. Symbolizing truth, … partners put great faith in the stone. If its luster dimmed, one knew his or her spouse had been unfaithful. Sapphire refused to shine when worn by the wicked or impure. Known as the celestial gemstone, the sapphire has been treasured for …
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Alternative Metals for Men’s Jewelry
… 6,191 degrees Fahrenheit. Tungsten is rated at about a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness which is the same as Ruby or Sapphire and just below diamond (which is 10). Like these gems, tungsten is very scratch resistant and will not bend out of …come in around 7-8 on the Mohs hardness scale which is about the same as quartz or topaz but softer than tungsten or sapphire. Like most alternative metals, cobalt chrome bands are hypoallergenic and biocompatible. But, in our experience, …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
… out of the shadows and be appreciated in its own right, and we can see why. Its colors rival even the best rubies, sapphires, tourmalines, and other more popular gems. For only the 3rd time in the last one hundred years, the industry is … of all time. Spinel was first made in a lab over 100 years ago when scientists who were trying to synthesize blue sapphire wound up creating spinel by mistake. Since then many processes have been used and perfected to create spinel in even …
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What Are Lab Grown Diamonds?
…. Simulants are gems that look like a real, natural gem but are actually another material. So, a clear or white sapphire can be a diamond simulant because it looks like a diamond. That white sapphire can be natural or, here’s the trick, …natural vs synthetic), but that it is a substitute that looks like another gem. So, we can say that a man-made white sapphire is a “synthetic sapphire” or that it can be used as a “diamond simulant,” but it would be incorrect to say that it …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
…used in jewelry. For reference, here are the Mohs hardness values for some other gemstones you may know: Diamond 10, Sapphire 9, Amethyst 7, and Peridot 6. Turquoise is about as hard as opal, but you would need to consider Pearl or Amber (… for long enough. A white opal can be darkened to have a gray body color, and gray opals can be darkened to have a black body color. A gemologist with right training and equipment will be able to detect this treatment. Opals can also …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Emerald
… of chromium and vanadium in the crystal structure. Emerald’s Mohs hardness rating is 7.5-8 making it softer than sapphire and harder than amethyst and other quartz varieties. The refractive index of emerald ranges from 1.57 to 1.58, making … found. What sets trapiche emeralds apart from other emeralds is their unique growth habit, featuring six black spokes radiating from a hexagonal core. This distinctive pattern is believed to form due to interruptions in the crystal growth…
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The Birthstones
… been a symbol of love, charity and victory. The bible states that wisdom is “more precious than rubies”. Rubies and sapphires are the same mineral, corundum. Ruby is red and any other color is called sapphire. Learn more about Ruby August’s … and durability making it suitable for regular wear and its brilliance is on par with even the most beautiful sapphires and rubies. It has a long and rich history and has even been mistaken for ruby in the crown jewels. Sardonyx is a lesser …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Quartz
… is known for its durability with a Mohs hardness rating of 7 (harder than opal and peridot but softer than topaz or sapphire). This makes it a fairly hard gemstone that is resistant to scratching and chipping. It is also resistant to heat … shades of pink, typically has a smooth, milky or hazy appearance Smoky Quartz Transparent brown Morion Dark-gray or black crystal quartz Rutilated Quartz Typically colorless and can have black or gold needle inclusions Ametrine Purple and…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Alexandrite
Emerald by day, ruby by night, more expensive than diamond and more illustrious than sapphire, emerald, or even ruby, alexandrite has been known around the world as one of the most sought-after gems for the … isn’t the only stone to display color-change phenomena. There are color-change varieties of many gems including sapphire, tourmaline, spinel, garnet, etc. Alexandrite is, however, the most famous for it. It is so famous, in fact, that color-…
