Gemology Hub | Gemstone & Mineral Identification Guides

Honey bee Jasper is a deceptive name of calcite (calcium cabonate) with considerations of arsenic and manganese oxides with banding and layering which is looks like a honey bee that why it called honey bee Jasper.   The inclusions caused by sulfur (yellow), calcium & Aragonite (white), Orpiment & Realgar (orange), and Pyrite (black). bumblebee Jasper (Calcite) This mineral was only discovered in the 1990’s   west Java Province, Papandayan Volcano, Indonesia. Since then, this mineral has yet to be discovered anywhere else on Earth and geologists don’t expect to find another deposit of it anytime soon. This is an extremely rare occurrence in nature that simply doesn’t happen and it should be cherished, respected, and valued for the true uniqueness it holds.

T he dichroscope is a pocket-sized tool that can aid in the identification of gemstones. This tool is used to inspect pleochroism ( leochroism is the change of color in colored anisotropic double refractive  gemstones when viewed from different directions) in gemstones and to quickly separate some common stones from each other (such as ruby versus red garnet). Basic There are two types of dichroscopes on the market: calcite dichroscopes polarizing dichroscopes In anisotropic gemstones, different colors are absorbed in different directions ("directional selective absorption") which causes the pleochroism that is observed with the dichroscope. Calcite dichroscope The calcite dichroscope is the preferred type of dichroscope used in gemology. It works because the calcite rhomb (Iceland spar) separates the polarized slow and fast ray emerging from the gemstone. If you look at the viewing end of the dichroscope, two small windows are seen. A gemst...

Pearl (Indian: Moti; Italian: Perla) is classified into two basic category – Natural and Cultured. The term synthetic must not be used with respect to pearls. Materials which simulate or look like pearls, but do not have either the composition or structure, are known as imitation pearls. Natural Pearl Saltwater Pearl Persian Gulf Australia Japan Straits of Manaar (Region between India & Sri Lanka) South Sea Islands Freshwater Pearl Mississippi ( U.S.A. ) China Cultured Pearl Saltwater Pearl Japan Australia Philippines South Sea Islands Freshwater Pearl Lake Biwa (Japan) China Imitation Pearl  are products, completely or partially man-made, imitating the appearance, colour and effect of  natural  or  cultured pearls  without possessing the physical and chemical properties, even when using natural substances. Information on Pearls Pearls are produce by molluscs which are  saltwater oysters  and  freshwater mussels . The  oyster  consis...

Natural Pearls are organic gemstone formed inside a pearl oyster due to the concentric deposition of nacreous layers around any foreign body which has entered the animal accidentally, without the aid of any human agency. How are natural pearls formed? It is the result of an accident. A fish searching for food passes near an oyster and finding nothing moves off elsewhere by using its tail. This movement causes a cloud of sand, from which several grains lodge in the oyster. The oyster can get rid of most of these, except those which bury themselves in its flesh. These, along with a few epithelial cells will be changed into pearls. In a pearl, only  aragonite  is formed, in concentric layers. The aragonite crystals have their optic axes at right angles to their main surfaces, so that all the  optic axes  in a pearl are  radial . This is important not only in the creation of the pearl’s lustre and orient but in determining the differences between a natural and a cul...

Cultured pearls  are nacreous formations secreted in the interior of productive molluscs. The secretion is started by human intervention and the rest of the process is performed by the molluscs themselves. Cultured pearls were first licensed in  A.D. 1907. The names of Mise, Nishikawa and Mikimoto are almost always linked with the history of cultured pearl production. Pearl culturing these days is a highly organized, commercial enterprise which is very quality conscious. How are cultured pearls made? Pearl culturing  requires the following criteria to be fulfilled to obtain a good yield and quality. Pearl Farm : Factors to be considered are: Temperature of the water should be fairly constant, with little fluctuations. The salinity and the mineral salts must be considered. The type of sea-bed, whether rocky or sandy, and its accessibility. The presence of mild currents is important as they provide the food and oxygen to the oysters. The farming region should be protected f...

  Crystal Structure The crystal structure of a gem material determines how the gemstone absorbs light. Crystal shape may also influence the shape of a finished gemstone: most gemstones are cut to maximize the yield from the rough stone. Familiarization with crystal systems will give you more insight about why gemstones each have unique properties. Most gem materials are formed when a mineral crystallizes deep in the earth. The shape of the crystal is a function of the mineral's chemical formula and the way the atoms are bonded together and arranged in a precise pattern. Generally transparent gemstones have been cut from a crystal. There are seven basic crystal systems: Cubic Tetragonal Orthorhombic Monoclinic Triclinic Hexagonal Trigonal   Isometric System (Cubic System) The isometric system is comprised of three equal length axes that are all at right angles to each other. This system is also called the cubic system. Think of a cube of sugar. Gemstones that crystallize in...