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| Ekanite |
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| Ekanite |
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A rare mineral, Ekanite was discovered
in 1953 in Sri Lanka and was described
as a new type of gemstone. In
1961, it was announced as a new
metamict mineral. Today, gem-quality
Ekanite is occasionally found
at Eheliyageda in Sri Lanka.
Ekanite
is another of several minerals
that occur in a beautiful green
color.
A
beautiful green colored mineral,
Ekanite is a radioactive, but
non-hazardous, mineral composed
of calcium sodium potassium thorium
silicate (ThCa2Si8O20). It ranks
6 - 6.5 on the Moh’s hardness
scale with a Refractive Index
of 1.57 and a Specific Gravity
of 3.3. Crystals of Ekanite are
translucent and vitreous. Apart
from the typical green, it also
occurs in yellow and dark red
colors.
Ekanite
specimens from Sri Lanka sometimes
reveal a weak four-rayed star,
but this phenomena is quite rare.
The star form of Ekanite is considered
one of the rarest gemstones available
on the market today. In 1985 a
beautiful 161.04 carat Ekanite
cabochon displaying a unique eight-rayed
star was found and cut in Sri
Lanka. It is considered to be
a one-of-a-kind specimen.
Ekanite
is also found in Mt St. Hilaire
and Rouville Co., Quebec, Canada
and at several locations in Siberia,
Russia: Yakutia, Aldan Shield
Torgo river basin, Davan and Murun
massif.
Ekanite
is a very rare type that is not
widely known to the general public.
As rarer stones are more highly
prized than more common varieties,
Ekanite specimens can command
quite high prices on the market;
especially those with vivid green
coloring and nice luster.
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| Epidote |
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| Epidote |
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Epidote is also known as Pistacite
among mineral collectors due to
its unique green color (best described
as “pistachio”), which
is quite striking in well-colored
specimens. The name Epidote comes
from the Greek word ‘Epidosis’
meaning “Addition” or
“Increase” which refers
to the fact that some of the mineral's
prism faces in a mass form are longer
than others.
Besides
the green color it is also found
in other shades like: brownish green,
black, yellow or gray. Composed
of Calcium Aluminum Iron Silicate
Hydroxide, [Ca2 (Al, Fe) 3(SiO4)
3(OH)], Epidote ranks 6 to 7 on
the Moh’s Scale of Hardness
with a Specific Gravity of 3.3 to
3.5. Found in vitreous and transparent
or translucent forms, its crystals
can be massive to radiating prismatic
forms.
Epidote
is collected as a rare mineral specimen
and the ones that are cut as gemstones
are highly prized. This is due to
the fact that despite its hardness
and deep color, the crystals are
rarely clear or large enough to
facet and so it is not commonly
cut and polished as a precious stone.
The
Green Monster Mountain in Alaska,
which is privately owned and operated
is one of the most interesting locations
producing splendid crystal specimens
of Epidote that are snapped up by
private collectors and museums alike,
the world over.
Epidote
is one of the birthstones for those
born under the sign of Gemini. It
is also noted for its ability of
enhancing perception and intuition,
supplementing personal power and
increasing spirituality and spiritual
growth.
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| Emerald |
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| Emerald |
Cats
Eye Emerald |
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Made of the base mineral beryl, Emerald
has minute traces of chromium and
vanadium, which gives this stone the
“green fire”. This stone
is so popular down the ages that one
of the standard gemstone cuts is named
after this stone.
Emeralds
have been dated back to more than
3000 years, during the period of
the Ancient Egyptian Empire. Rings,
earrings and bracelets have all
been made, worn and sought since
the ancient times. This “green
fire” has been so highly valued
in the European courts that story
has it that the Spanish went on
a bloody campaign to find the location
of the Emerald mines in South America.
This campaign ended in 1557 with
the discovery of the Muzo and Chivor
mines in present day Colombia.
Emeralds
of fine quality over one carat are
rare to find. And those that are
found may contain inclusions (known
as “jardin” or the garden)
that are visible to the eyes. The
Colombian Emeralds are vivid green
in color, whereas the ones found
in Brazil are known for their varieties,
with colors ranging from light green
to dark green.
As
Emerald has a hardness of 8 on the
Moh’s Scale, they are quite
durable. However it is best if only
professional jewelers clean them
as ultrasonic and steam cleaning
can damage the stone if not carried
out properly.
The
value of Emeralds is highly dependent
on its clarity, brightness and transparency.
Very fine and good quality stone
enables the viewer to see the back
facet when seen from a face up position.
The cut and the number of inclusions
are responsible for the brightness
of this gemstone. The purity of
the green color adds to the beauty
and value of the stone, which will
be diminished due to the presence
of yellow or blue overtones.
Though the Colombian emeralds are
considered to be of the highest
quality, Brazil and Zambia produce
large quantities of fine emeralds.
Very fine emeralds are also produced
in Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
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| Euclase |
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| Euclase |
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An unknown gemstone, Euclase is mainly
favored by mineral collectors. While
its color range is diverse and ranges
from colorless to blue green, blue,
yellow, light green colors, it is
mainly found in sapphire blue and
blue green shades. With a hardness
of 7.5 on the Moh’s Scale and
a specific gravity of 3.09 –
3.11, the crystals are found in transparent
to translucent forms.
It
is found in granitic pegmatites
alongwith other minerals such as
topaz and beryl. And its crystal
form, which can be easily mistaken
for barite or celestite, aids in
identifying this gemstone. Euclase
that is weathered from its source
and transported down stream is also
found in alluvial gold deposits.
Though clear gemstones of Euclase
can be cut and set in jewellery,
it is better known as a collectors’
item, with the crystals being prismatic
with slanted terminating faces.
Strong colored or large sized stones
though very attractive are rare
to find and much sought after by
collectors.
As
Euclase is easily cleaved, gem cutters
must display great care while working
with this stone so as to avoid splitting
an unfinished stone. And it is this
reason that limits its acceptance
as a common gemstone. As Euclase
generally has a splotchy color distribution,
this limits its appeal, though when
a great colored well formed crystal
is found it is highly valued.
Euclase
is mined in Ouro Preto and other
areas within Minas Gerias (Brazil),
Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ural
Mountains (Russia), Germany and
the famous emerald mines of Columbia.
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| Enstatite |
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| Enstatite |
Cats
Eye Enstatite |
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It gets its name from the Greek "Enstates"
which means "An Opponent" referring
to its refractory nature. First discovered
in 1855, various varieties of Enstatite
include: gray, green, dark yellow,
yellow-brown, greenish-brown, brown
and black forms have been found worldwide.
A
famous variety of Enstatite is Chrome-Enstatite,
the emerald-green variety, which is
commonly cut as a gemstone. Its beautiful
green color is caused by traces of
chromium, hence the varietal name.
Usually
composed of Magnesium Silicate (MgSiO3),
Enstatite ranks 5.5 on the Moh's Scale
of Hardness, with a Specific Gravity
of approximately 3.2. Its crystals
are translucent to opaque and either
vitreous or pearly in luster.
Bronzite
(also called Ferroan Enstatite) is
another variety that can be found
on the gemstone market. It occurs
in greenish-black to brown. Bronzite
often contains inclusions of highly
reflective minerals, such as Hematite
and Goethite, which give it a beautiful
bronze-like effect when polished.
Some polished specimens also exhibit
a cat’s eye effect.
Enstatite
occurs in association with volcanic
rocks and meteorites. Its occurrence
has been reported worldwide including:
India; Burma; Tanzania; the Tilly
Foster Mine in Brewster, New York;
Boulder, Colorado; Jackson Co., North
Carolina; Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania
and the Bare Hills in Maryland, USA.
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| Eudialyte |
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| Eudialyte |
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This is a rare mineral well known
for its distinctive colors including:
red-violet, pink, blue, yellow and
an attractive brown. It was discovered
in 1819 in the Julianehaab district
of Greenland. The name Eudialyte is
originated from the Greek ‘Eu’
for “Well” and ‘Dialytos’
for “Decomposable” since
it’s easily dissolvable in acids.
Eudialyte’s attractivness and
distinctive colors have made it popular
among mineral collectors. However,
due to the lack of good crystal form,
it is rarely cut as a gemstone.
Eudialyte
only occurs in alkali environments,
especially sodium-rich ones. Its notable
occurrences include: Mont Saint-Hilaire,
Quebec, Canada; Julianehaab, Greenland;
Madagascar and Magnet Cove, Arkansas,
USA. However, most of the Eudialyte
on the market today comes from the
Kola Peninsula of Russia.
Eudialyte
is actually composed of several minerals:
Sodium, Calcium, Cerium, Iron, Manganese,
Zirconium, Silicon, Hydrogen and Chlorine
[Na4(Ca,Ce,Fe, Mn)2ZrSi6O17(OH, Cl)2].
It ranks 5 to 5.5 on the Moh’s
Scale of Hardness with a Specific
Gravity of 2.9. Crystals of Eudialyte
are vitreous and translucent to transparent.
The
Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia
is a region that has produced over
three hundred different mineral species
and is the type locality for over
a hundred minerals. Eudialyte is an
example of an unusual mineral that
comes from these mineral unique sites.
Not only is it rich in sodium, but
has zirconium, cerium and often traces
of yttrium in its structure.
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