The beguiling luster of this attractive gemstone—shining like damp moss in autumn sunshine—earned peridot the sobriquet of “green gold.” In earlier times it was readily linked with the sun, of whose bright rays it was said to be the keeper and therefore alleged to be a shield against the threat of eclipse and blindness of [...]
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On all continents, in the sand of the seashore, in fissures in the Alps—everywhere quartz is to be found, the most ubiquitous mineral on our earth. The reason for this is that silicon dioxide penetrated throughout the entire magmatic cycle and participated, as quartz, in all stages of rock and mineral formation. In gem quality, [...]
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As a token of gratitude for the assistance in arms and the victory won near Najera (i 367), he gave the precious stone to the Black Prince. After the Prince’s death the coveted gem was inherited by the tragic Richard II, and doubtless fell into Bolingbroke’s possession when he ascended the throne as Henry IV: [...]
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In her magic garden of crystal blossoms deep in the earth, the Earth Goddess cherished a treasure of choicest excellence, to which she gave an abundance of melting colors, as well as high refraction (1.72) and vivid fire (0.02 1), notable hardness (8) and complete absence of cleavage. From the sum of this generous endowment [...]
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Nevertheless, not all topazes grow from pegmatitic mineral formation, for fluorine-rich solutions also impregnated the country rock at an even later stage and, where hot enough, dissolved the existing minerals. Thus silica and alumina were freed so as to combine with the fluorine to form topaz. Such processes of replacement took place mainly in cracks [...]
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ALL stages of imaginable color possibilities are captured by this gemstone which, in addition to white and black, embraces every hue to be found in the spectrum, not only in pure tones but in all the fine nuances of innumerable shades, transitions, and mixtures. Should a collector set himself the task of amassing all the [...]
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Lazulite, as the exquisite royal blue lapis is also called, differs from all other ornamental stones in that it is not a mineral but a rock which—evolving through pneumatolytic alteration from a contact-metamorphosed limestone—is made up of several minerals in varying amounts. As unique as this chemical composition is its unequalled night-dark blue, which Pliny [...]
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The display by malachite in its captivating symphony of greens is repeated by rhodochrosite (Greek rhodon = rose; chros = flesh color) on an equally grand scale in rose-red alternations. The latter is no less prolific in original designs of convoluted banding; with unflagging inventiveness it imprints its patterns in light and dark pink tones. [...]
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The blue-tinged turquoise can look back upon the same rich and honorable tradition as lapis. While other stones have risen on the horizon of fashion and faded away again, turquoise has retained its favor unharmed over thousands of years. Egypt’s Pharaohs already venerated the captivating beauty of its lustrous blue to greenish-blue color four thousand [...]
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Clear crystals make their impact through the magic of color, vividness of luster, and play of light. The enchantment of opaque ornamental stones is kindled by their colors and ravishing color schemes, as well as by the endless array of patterns resulting from their inexhaustible combinations and permutations. Tortuous bands, apparently fortuitously arranged circles, and [...]
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