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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “tourmaline”
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tourmaline
Tourmaline is one of the most beautiful gems that you’ve probably never heard of. Less popular than the likes of ruby or … of gem collectors and connoisseurs who appreciate its unique properties and stunning array of colors. In fact, tourmaline is found in almost any color you can imagine, and people have most likely used and appreciated it for hundreds of years. …, before the advent of modern gemology, most tourmaline was believed to be ruby, sapphire, or emerald. Gemology of Tourmaline Gemologically speaking, tourmaline is its own mineral and not a species or member of a different family (unlike …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
… 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 modifying the … easily it can be created in a lab, synthetic spinel has been used to imitate many other gemstones (ruby, sapphire, tourmaline, zircon, etc.). In fact, the ubiquity of synthetic spinel may be part of the reason why most people have been slow to…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Ruby
… of Sanskrit. Rubies get their name from the Latin word “ruber,” which means red. This is also where rubellite tourmaline (the red variety of tourmaline) gets its name. Pliny the Elder mentioned rubies in his work Natural History, including …
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The Birthstones
… sunset. Sapphire symbolized truth, sincerity and tradition. Learn more about Sapphire October’s Birthstone: Opal (Tourmaline) The opal has been described as containing the wonders of the sky’s sparkling rainbows, fireworks, lightning, and the …, and extreme temperature changes. To maintain the brilliance of opal, it should be wiped clean with a soft cloth. Tourmaline is also used as a birthstone for October. Learn more about Opal and Tourmaline November’s Birthstones: Topaz and …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Alexandrite
… in jewelry such as earrings or pendants that are less prone to impacts than rings, for example. Alexandrite 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-change itself is often called “The Alexandrite Effect.” Stunning color change on a natural alexandrite. Alexandrite History and …
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The Magic of Polarized Light
…due to their unique chemical structure, actually polarize light themselves. These gems are doubly refractive (DR) and they will split incoming light in multiple directions. Some common examples of doubly refractive gems are sapphire, tourmaline, and moissanite. These are contrasted with singly refractive (SR) gems like diamond that only bend light in one direction. Gemologists use the term birefringence to refer to how doubly refractive a particular gem is. By far the most …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Amethyst
…, but it can also be found in smaller 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…
