There are millions of minerals that exist on the earth, but
few of them are prized as gems and used for adornment. Many of them aren’t in
colors that are usually highly prized for jewelry. Or they’re not able to be
cut and polished to be made wearable as jewelry.
Often it’s a matter of changing taste and times. In Imperial
Russia and in the Victorian era, the mineral malachite and other opaque
minerals were highly valued as gemstones jewelry. It is often a by-product of
copper mining, and is distinguished by a brilliant green color, with dark
concentric circles of color swirling through it. It’s not as highly valued
because it’s easily available and not as expensive as an emerald or ruby. But
there is an entire room devoted to malachite in the Russian museum, the
Hermitage, as testament to its desirability among the most privileged class of
people.
There have been discoveries that indicate that malachite was
mined in Egypt as early as 4,000 B.C. It’s a soft gem, and easily carved and
shaped. It polishes to a beautiful, rich sheen. But still is not highly prized
in the U.S. as a gemstone.
Very often some minerals simply shouldn’t be used as
gemstones, but because of their beauty, people wear them as such anyway. A
moonstone is one such gem. It’s relatively soft, with a rating of 6 on Moh’s
scale of mineral hardness, compared to a diamond’s hardness rating of 10. It’s
a type of mineral called orthoclase, but when it exhibits a translucent, milky
quality, it’s then called moonstone.
Other minerals exist, but are simply not prized for
gemstones. Among the more common minerals, quartz stands out as one that can be
used for jewelry, as well as decorative items.
0 comments:
Post a Comment