Des postes

Composition Ammolite is a mineral that is located in the eastern slope of the Canadian Rockies. The gemstone is often composed of the fossilized shells of ammonites, which also contain aragonite. It is one of the few biogenic gems alongside Amber and Pearl. These iridescent specimens have a dazzling variety of colors, mainly shades of green and red but many of the colors in the spectrum are probable. Unlike other gemstones, where colors originate from refraction, ammolites colors come from light bouncing from layers. The thicker the layers, the more reds and greens are created; conversely, the thinner the layers, the more...

Composition Amethyst is a violet type of quartz and before the 18th century it was the most precious gemstone (along with diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald). However, since the discovery of vast reserves in Brazil, it has lost much of its importance. Amethyst is a gem stone which ranges in color from a light lavender to a dark purple. Amethyst also occurs in association with other crystals often producing other amazing gems such as ametrine. History Amethyst has been lauded for its sparkling elegance and mythical properties of rejuvenation.  Amethyst has been synonymous with February since the time of the Romans,...

Composition Amber is a blend of hydrocarbons made from tree resins. To become Amber, the fossil resins had to undergo a second hardening phase of polymerization, where molecules were bound to each other to shape larger molecules, a process which took anywhere from tens of thousand of years to millions of years, before becoming insoluble. Most Amber is about 30 to 90 million years old but some Amber is significantly less than a million years old, and the oldest Amber discovered to date is 320 million years old. Many extinct animal species and different forms of plant matter are documented...

Composition Amazonite, also known as Amazon Jade, is a type of microcline, a feldspar mineral that occurs in short prismatic crystals or in large masses. In the past, the colour of amazonite was a mystery. Some people believed the colour of the substance was attributed to copper because of the blue and green color of copper compounds. A 1985 analysis showed that the blue-green hue originated from the presence of lead and water. Amazonite is an uncommon mineral. Formerly, this compound was collected primarily from southwest of Chelyabinsk, Russia, where it occurs in granitic rocks. Now Amazonite has also been...

Composition Agate is a common rock structure composed primarily of chalcedony and quartz. Agates are mainly developed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. There are hundreds if not thousands of forms of agate with a broad variety of colors; even a colorless form called the “Earth Rainbow.” History Agates name derives from the Achetes River in Sicily, where Agates were first discovered .The ornamental use of agate goes back to Ancient Greece in various jewelry and in the seal stones of Greek warriors. Agate is one of the most common materials used in the art of hardstone carving, and has been...