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Composition   Quartz is a rigid crystal consisting of silicon and oxygen. Quartz is the second most common mineral in the known to man, after feldspar. Quartz made within a trigonal crystal framework. The perfect crystal form is a hexagonal prism, with six-sided pyramids at both ends.     History   The Irish term for quartz is grianchlock, (sunstone) which indicates the gems radiance. Quartz was often used in Prehistoric Ireland, as well as several other nations, mainly for stone tools.   In ancient Rome, Pliny believed quartz to be a type of ice that was permanently hardened. Warren Marrison engineered the first quartz...

Composition   A diamond is crafted out of pure carbon atoms that are arranged in a crystal structure. Carbon differs in the shape it takes, based on the sort of chemical bond that binds the atoms. Pure carbon occurs in two  forms: diamond and graphite. Diamonds are the hardest natural element on both the Vickers and Mohs scales. Nitrogen is the most prevalent impurity present in gem-quality diamonds. Its inclusion results in a yellowish-brown color. Boron performs the major function in creating  blue hues. Over 130 million carats (26 million kgs) of diamonds are extracted worldwide annually, accounting for about $9 billion in sales....

Composition   Emerald is a gemstone and a type of beryl that is green owing to limited concentrations of the element chromium or the element vanadium. Like other beryl stones, emerald is comparatively hard at 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale. Most emeralds have inclusions making their toughness (resistance to breakage) graded as weak. The term "emerald" is derived from the Old French, "esmeraude" which in turn is a derivative of Latin smaragdus meaning " green stone" Emerald is known as the typical birthstone for May.     History   Emerald has been valued and treasured for over 6,000 years, with extensive trading...

Composition   Opal is a hydrated amorphous type of silica, with a water content ranging typically between 6 and 10 percent. Due to its amorphous qualities opal is categorized as a mineraloid, in comparison to its crystalline silica equivalents which are crystals. Opals have a microcrystalline skeleton that is made from invisible silica spheres. The organized silica spheres inside the opal microstructure cause the external colors by diffracting and/or interacting with light moving through the nanostructure of the opal. Black opal is the most uncommon, while white, gray, and green are more common.   History   The word Opal is derived from a Latin...

Composition   Eudialyte is a material from the cyclosilicate class and is a minimal source of zirconium.  Eudialyte has been identified in Russia, Greenland, Norway, Arkansas and Canada.   History   This unusual mineral was first described in 1819, and was given the name eu dialytos (well decomposible)  because of its dissolving properties in acid. It is also labeled as Eudialyte, Almandine, and Spar and varies from pink to deep purple with black, gray or white inclusions.     Healing properties   Eudialyte is known as asubstance that encourages personal power in the owner. Eudialyte is believed to assist in seeing one's...