Crystal and stones » red

Ruby

precious stones — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:43:58 +0000

In the dichroscope the ruby shows two images, one square of a violet red, the second square being a truer and a paler red. It may be subjected to strong heat, when it changes its colour to a sooty or dirty slate, this varying with the locality in which the stone is found, and the [...]

Red and rose gemstones

precious stones — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:11:03 +0000

Red and rose gemstones

Hardness. Specific Gravity.

Carnelian (a variety of Chalcedony) 6-1/2 2.598-2.610 Diamond 10 3.502-3.564 Deep Red Garnet 7-1/4 3.40-4.50 Jasper 7 2.668 Opal (the “Fire Opal”) 5-1/2-6-1/2 2.21 Ruby 9 4.073-4.080 Rhodonite 5-1/2-6-1/2 3.413-3.617 Sapphire 9 4.049-4.060 Spinel Ruby 8 3.614-3.654 Topaz 8 3.500-3.520 Tourmaline 7-1/4 3.024 Zircon 7-1/2 4.70-4.88

Pleochroism and colour of minerals

precious stones — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:13:11 +0000

Color is one of the most wonderful effects in nature. It is an attribute of light and is not a part of the object which appears to be coloured; though all objects, by their chemical or physical composition, determine the number and variety of vibrations passed on or returned to the eye, thus fixing their [...]