The Beauty Of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli, one of the oldest gems known to man. It is actually not a gemstone, or a mineral, but a combination of minerals making it a really beautiful rock. Lapis can be this lovely dark blue, as shown, or a lighter blue. It is always opaque and not translucent. It can be carved into various ornamental carvings, such as the beautiful elephant shown, or the lovely cabachon perfect for jewelry making. The darker blue is more valuable, and as far as value stones without any other minerals seen in it, have a higher value. The gold flecks, or pyrite, seen in the stone shown are valued by many customers, and actually sought after. It's healing powers are to help aid in sore throats, mental clarity, and to help calm the mood. The largest and oldest mine is found in Afghanistan. It is very often confused with Sodalite. A true beauty, Lapis Lazuli.

Blue Tourmaline And My New Refractometer

Well I got my refractometer for my birthday, and I love it. I do have to say it still does not clarify for me 100 percent what the stones are but does help me narrow it way down. This one I set in this lovely ring setting, after realizing it is a blue tourmaline. I am certain it is tourmaline. Under the gem refractometer the refractive index number was 1.62, and it is doubly refractive which eliminates topaz which is trichroic not dichroic. It does have typical inclusions of tourmaline, and a small chip on the edge of the stone. Because of that this beauty will stay in my personal collection. It could possibly also be an Apatite which has a RI of 1.632 but it absolutely stayed at 1.62 with no range even with the polarizer lens on. So I am leaning towards tourmaline. I have all but eliminated blue zircon because the RI of zircon starts at 1.80. This is all very new to me, and it is a lot to learn, remember, and can be very confusing as well. So far I have only been able to identify positively about 15 stones, four I looked at need more testing, and I have so many more I can not even tell you how many.

Blue Topaz and Blue Sapphire Ring

This sterling silver, size 5 1/4 ring features a large round Blue Topaz gemstone, with four of the loveliest blueberry blue sapphires on either side. The center stone is a whopping 9mm round, that is pretty big. This could actually be a blue zircon, but I am thinking blue topaz because of the size. It is a real, natural gemstone. Blue Topaz, and Blue Zircon are the birthstones for the month of December. If you are interested in this piece, it is for sale in my Etsy store. I offer combined shipping, and a free layaway service, so check all my beautiful pieces. Christmas is coming you know.

Gem Mining in North Carolina

Did you know you could mine for your own gems in North Carolina? Yep it is true. I have never been, but I intend to get there someday. My sister, and her husband live in NC, and I am going to try to coerce my husband into stopping by the mine, when we go to visit them next fall. I may have to do a day trip, with just me, and my kids sometime, and leave the hubby home LOL. Watch this cool video about gem mining in NC.

White Buffalo Turquoise Magnesite Pendant

This lovely gemstone is Magnesite, also known as the White Buffalo Turquoise. It is not actually from the Turquoise family, but due to the matrix like veins it has been referred to as white turquoise for many years. The Native Americans believe this gemstone to have mythical powers, and is a cherished part of their culture. Last year for Christmas I made my mother a pendant, and matching earrings for her birthday. You may remember them if you follow this blog. This gemstone is actually quite fragile, with about a 4 on the Mohs hardness scale, and care should be taken when wearing or cleaning it. Due to this being a pendant, it is pretty safe, rings, and braceletes would not be recommended. This pendant was made using copper colored craft wire, and it shows the front and back of the pendant. It is reversible and can be worn either way, with the design slightly different on either side. This lovely pendant is available for sale in my Etsy store, for 14.99, or can be purchased through this blog if you do not have Etsy. Please contact me at darien04@gmail.com for details, or click on my Etsy mini on this blog.

How Is Your Apatite?

Apatite, a greek word for apateo, or to confuse. Apatite is a rare, and gergeous gemstone, sometimes confused with the ever lovely paraiba tourmaline, a very exotic and expensive gemstone. Apatite, is a lovely swimming pool blue color, or sometimes a green color. The blue variety is the most sought after, and commands the highest price. It is known to be included, and clean stones are difficult to come by. It is very sensitive to household chemicals, so everyday wear is not recommended. It is also a softer gemstone, with a hardness of 5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. It is probably not a good idea to set in rings, or bracelets, such as I did, earrings or a pendant is more safe. I love this gemstone, it is definately on my list of favorites. If you dont own an Apatite, it is definately worth your while to have one. The pendant is a quartz crystal bead, wire wrapped to a jewelry finding, with 3 Apatite briolette drops. This lovely pendant is available for sale, and will be listed in my Etsy store, missy69. The ring, is a sterling silver ring, set with a 7mm round Apatite gemstone, with rows of cz accents. The ring is part of my personal collection.