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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “London blue topaz”
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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
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Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
…like with all precious stones, it should be treated and stored with care. Its Mohs hardness of 8 puts it on par with Topaz. It’s softer than diamond or sapphire but harder than quartz, tourmaline, and peridot. With proper care there’s no … 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 …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Morganite
… gemstone for jewelry. For the gem nerds out there, here are a few of the gemological properties of Morganite. Its durability is rated as excellent. Its hardness is 7.5 – 8.0 on the Mohs hardness scale which is comparable to emerald, topaz, and spinel. Its refractive index is 1.560 – 1.600, and its specific gravity is 2.67 – 2.90. These characteristics help identify Morganite as beryl and distinguish it from other pink gemstones. Morganite is commonly heat treated to …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Alexandrite
… most wavelengths of light very well, only transmitting green and red light. This means that depending on the light source the stone will reflect more of the accent colors of light. Since fluorescent light has a stronger greenish-blue component, the stone appears greener. Under candlelight, which has a much stronger red/orange component, the stone will appear redder. Alexandrite has a refractive index of 1.746-1.755 with an average birefringence of .010. It has a …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Amethyst
… deposits in other countries such as Russia, the United States, and Canada. Amethyst is known for its durability with a Mohs hardness rating of 7. For reference, amethyst is roughly as hard as tourmaline, softer than sapphire and topaz, and harder than opal and tanzanite. This makes it a durable gemstone that is resistant to scratching and chipping. It is also resistant to heat and chemicals which means that it can withstand daily wear and tear. Amethyst has the same …
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Alternative Metals for Men’s Jewelry
… frame of reference, cobalt rings 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 … pieces with more nickel Cobalt Looks like white gold or platinum, hypoallergenic Cut in 2 places 7-8, quartz or topaz Scratches more easily than others Carbon Fiber Light weight, modern look Cut NA Can feel “too light” Ceramic Unique …
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The Magic of Polarized Light
…, darken skies, and cuts out glare to help improve photo quality. Some filters can even be rotated on the lens to selectively see through the surface of water or only capture the reflection. Modern 3D movies: Unlike old school red and blue 3D movies, modern 3D uses two images along with a pair of glasses that have polarizing filters for lenses. This tricks your brain into thinking you are seeing a three-dimensional object using our perception of depth. Liquid crystal …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Jade
…polish. Nephrite is commonly found in a darker olive green color but can also be very light green, orangey-red, black, and yellowish green. Jadeite can come in many different colors including pink, purple (often called lavender jade), blue, black, white, and the most valuable/desirable color: a vibrant green. The finest of all green jadeite colors is a saturated emerald green that is almost transparent, and it is called “Imperial Jade.” Jade is one of the top selling …
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How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?
…gases and introduced into the diamond as it forms. With HPHT diamonds, it is very difficult to create truly colorless gems. This is because even the smallest presence of nitrogen or boron during the process can result in a yellow or blue color respectively. Both HPHT and CVD diamonds tend to exhibit strong and unusual fluorescence characteristics when compared to natural diamonds. This fact, while not generally detrimental to the appearance of the diamonds, is quite …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Quartz
… colors Bloodstone Green jasper dotted with bright red spots Carnelian Reddish orange chalcedony Gemology of Quartz 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 and chemicals, which means that it can withstand daily wear and tear very well. All quartz has the same …
