INTERESTING FACTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT GEMSTONES..

• Sapphires come in all colors of the rainbow?

• that you should never clean Iolites with an ultrasonic cleaner?
  

• Amethysts and Citrines are the same mineral, only different colors, and excessive heat can change the color from one to the other?
  
  
• we have Sapphire mines in the United States - most notably in Montana?
  
  
• an Aquamarine and an Emerald are the same mineral?
  
  
• you can dig for diamonds in Arkansas at the Diamond Crater National Park?
  
  
• violet-blue Iolite has the same polarizing capability as a pair of sunglasses, and the Vikings used to carry Iolite with them and look through it to find the sun on a cloudy day?
  
  
• when Sapphires have a pinkish to pinkish-red hue they are called "Pink Sapphire," but when the dominant hue becomes red, they are called "Rubies?"
  
  
• ancient Greeks named Amber from the word "electron" because if rubbed Amber gives off static electricity?
  
  
• fossilized tree sap must be at least 30 million years old to be considered Amber?
  
  
• if you sand Malachite it can give off a poisonous dust?
  
  
• that Obsidian is a natural glass formed during volcanic eruptions?
  
  
• beautiful blue-violet Tanzanites come out of the ground colorless, and must be heated to attain their beautiful depth of color?
  
  
• that Tourmalines and quartz will develop an electrical charge when heated, and tourmaline jewelry will attract dust when displayed under hot lights?
  
  
• there is no such thing as "Jade" - green "Jade" is actually either one of two different minerals, Jadeite and Nephrite, and Jadeite is the more valuable of the two?
  
  
• the second most valuable color of Jadeite is lavender?
  
  
• you can dig and pan for colored gemstones such as emerald, aquamarine, moonstones, garnet, citrine, amethyst, ruby, and sapphire at Gem Mountain, in Spruce Pine, North Carolina?
  
  
• that there is a new man-made brilliant white stone called Moissanite, which can fool a jewelry store Diamond tester?
  
  
• that the big "Ruby" in the royal crown of England is actually a red Spinel?
  
  
• Ivory imitations are carved from corozo nuts, tagua nuts and duom palm nuts?
  
  
• if allowed to sit in moist or humid conditions too long, Hematite jewelry has such a high iron content it will actually rust?
  
  
• black Jet, made popular for use in jewelry by Queen Victoria in the 19th century, is actually a type of fossilized coal formed 180 million years ago from dead trees?
  
  
• it takes one to three years to grow a cultured Pearl?
  
  
• Goldstones are not stones at all - they are actually glass containing copper crystals that give it aventurescence (quick bright flashes of light)?
  
  
• "black Onyx" is actually orange and brown Sardonyx that has been dyed black, and should be cleaned carefully to avoid removing the dye and dulling this porous Quartz?
  
  
• cultured Pearls are made by inserting a small shell bead into an oyster as an irritant, and waiting years for the oyster to cover the bead with its luscious nacre?
  
  
• Amethysts can fade if exposed to too much sun?
  
  
• historically, before science could tell minerals apart, all yellow stones were called "Topaz"?
  
  
• they were synthesizing Rubies in the late 1800's and actually charging more for them than the real thing?
  
  
• Pearls, by law, must be called "cultured Pearls" unless they are completely natural, and most Pearls sold today are cultured (made with help from man)?
  
  
• a "Herkermer Diamond" is actually made of Quartz?
  
  
• "smokey Topaz" is not a Topaz at all - its a misnomer for brown Quartz?
  
  
• radiation causes Diamonds to turn green?
  
  
• some Diamonds are artificially (and safely) irradiated to achieve a green color - but early on, before the process was refined, some green Diamonds were actually made radioactive and are confiscated by the U.S. Government if found today?
  
  
• a new process has been recently developed to achieve a green color in Diamonds using just pressure and heat?
  
  
• in ancient times the term "Sapphire" meant all blue stones, but usually meant Lapis Lazuli - which was considered the most expensive stone in the world?