Gemstone From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search "Jewels" redirects here. For other uses, see Jewels (disambiguation).

"Precious Stone" redirects here. For the James Bond character, see Hurricane Gold. For other uses, see Gemstone (disambiguation). A gemstone or gem (also called a precious or semi-precious stone, a fine gem, or jewel) is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments.[1][2] However certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli), or organic materials that are not minerals (such as amber or jet), are also used for jewelry, and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone. Apart from jewelry, from earliest antiquity until the 19th century engraved gems and hardstone carvings such as cups were major luxury art forms; the carvings of Carl Faberg were the last significant works in this tradition.

Emerald From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Emerald (disambiguation). Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium.[2] Beryl has a hardness of 7.58 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness.[2] Most emeralds are highly included, so their toughness (resistance to breakage) is classified as generally poor

Emeralds, like all colored gemstones, are graded using four basic parametersthe four Cs of Connoisseurship: Color, Cut, Clarity and Crystal. The last C, crystal, is simply a synonym for transparency, or what gemologists call diaphaneity. Before the 20th century, jewelers used the term water, as in "a gem of the finest water,"[3] to express the combination of two qualities: color and crystal. Normally, in the grading of colored gemstones, color is by far the most important criterion. However, in the grading of emeralds, crystal is considered a close second. Both are necessary conditions. A fine emerald must possess not only a pure verdant green

hue as described below, but also a high degree of transparency to be considered a top gem.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the mineral. For the gemstone, see Diamond (gemstone). For other uses, including the shape , see Diamond (disambiguation).

In mineralogy, diamond (from the ancient Greek admas "unbreakable") is a metastable allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions. Diamond is renowned as a material with superlative physical qualities, most of which originate from the strong covalent bonding between its atoms. In particular, diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any bulk material. Those properties

determine the major industrial application of diamond in cutting and polishing tools and the scientific applications in diamond knives and diamond anvil cells.

Sapphire From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Sapphire (disambiguation).

Sapphire (Greek: ; sappheiros, 'blue stone',[1] which probably referred instead at the time to lapis lazuli) is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide (-Al2O3). Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, copper, or magnesium can give corundum blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, or a greenish color. Chromium impurities in corundum yield a red tint, and the resultant gemstone is called a ruby. Commonly, sapphires are worn in jewelry. Sapphires may be found naturally, by searching through certain sediments (due to their resistance to being eroded compared to softer stones) or rock formations. They also may be manufactured for

industrial or decorative purposes in large crystal boules. Because of the remarkable hardness of sapphires, 9 on the Mohs scale (and of aluminium oxide in general), sapphires are used in some non-ornamental applications, including infrared optical components, such as in scientific instruments; high-durability windows; wristwatch crystals and movement bearings; and very thin electronic wafers, which are used as the insulating substrates of very special-purpose solid-state electronics (most of which are integrated circuits).

Turquoise From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Turquoise (disambiguation).

Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)84H2O. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue. In recent times, turquoise, like most other opaque gems, has been devalued by the introduction of treatments, imitations, and synthetics onto the market.

Topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F,OH)2. Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, and its crystals are mostly prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces.

Aquamarine may refer to:

Aquamarine (color), a color, a shade between green and blue and clear Aquamarine, a gemstone-quality blue beryl

Aquamarine may also refer to:

Aquamarine Power a wave energy company developing Oyster wave energy converter

Aqua Marine, a private housing estate in Hong Kong Aquamarine (novel), a 2001 novel by Alice Hoffman Aquamarine (film), a 2006 film starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts and Joanna Levesque; based on the book by Alice Hoffman

Aquamarine (window decorator), a window decorator for Beryl compatible with KWin

USS Aquamarine (PYc-7), a patrol vessel of the United States Navy, named for the stone

Opal Opal is an amorphous form of silica , a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water, but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl and basalt. Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, which produces 97% of the world's supply.[4] This includes the production of the state of South Australia, which amounts to around 80% of the world's supply.[5] Opal's internal structure makes it diffract light; depending on the conditions in which it formed it can take on many colors. Opal ranges from clear through white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black. Of these hues, the reds against black are the most rare, whereas white and greens are the most common. It varies in optical density from opaque to semitransparent. For gemstone use, its natural color is often enhanced by placing thin layers of opal on a darker underlying stone, like basalt.

Pearl A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusc. Just like the shell of a clam, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other shapes of pearls (baroque pearls) occur. The finest quality natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries, and because of this, the word pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, fine, admirable, and valuable. The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but they are extremely rare. These wild pearls are referred to as natural pearls. Cultured or farmed pearls from pearl oysters and freshwater mussels make up the majority of those that are currently sold. Imitation pearls are also widely sold in inexpensive jewelry, but the quality of their iridescence is usually very poor, and often, artificial pearls are easily distinguished from genuine pearls. Pearls have been harvested and cultivated primarily for use in jewelry, but in the past they were also stitched onto lavish clothing. Pearls have also been crushed and used in cosmetics, medicines, and in paint formulations.

Gwalior Fort
Gwalior Fort (Hindi: Gwalior Qila) in Gwalior, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, stands on an isolated rock, overlooking the Gwalior town, and contains a number of historic buildings. It was the residence of the royal Maratha family 'Scindia' who were the rulers of Gwalior State, entitled to a 21 gun salute. It is one of the biggest forts in India and a postage stamp has been issued by the Indian Postal Service to commemorate the importance of this fort. From historical records, it is established that it was built in the 8th century. The fortress and the city have been integral to the history of the kingdoms of North India. It is said that the Mughal Emperor Babur (14831531) described it as, "The pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind". The fort, also given the epithet "Gibraltar of India', provides a panoramic view of the old Gwalior town, which is to its east.[1][2] The forts history relates to two parts namely, the main fort and the Gurjari Mahal and the Man Mandir palace. The first part was built during the early Tomar rule, while the second part, the Gurjari Mahal (now a Museum) and the palace, was constructed by Raja Man Singh Tomar in the 15th century for his favourite queen, Mrignayani.[1] Gwalior Fort also occupies a unique place in the human civilization as the place which has the first ever recorded use of zero. Also referred as 'Shunya' in sanskrit, this site is of mathematical interest because of what is written on a tablet recording the establishment of a small 9th century Hindu temple on the eastern side of the plateau. By accident, it records the oldest "0" in India for which a definite date can be assigned.[3]

Early History

The history of the fort is linked to the former kingdom of Gwalior, ruled by several Rajput kings. The earliest dating of the fort is quoted to a publication of the Government of India on Gwalior, which traces it to an inscription of 525 AD in a Sun temple, which is said to have been built by the Hun (Huna) emperor Mihirakula (Sveta Huna ruler in 510 AD during the reign of Huns in India).[6] The Chaturbhuj temple is a Vishnu) temple on the way to the fort, dated to 875 AD, which has close identity with the Teli-Ka-Mandir, which is also dated to the 8th century. This temple is notable for the earliest known recording of the number zero