Glossary of Terms
Amethyst: the purple variety of quartz
Apatite: a group of phosphate minerals.
Aquamarine: a blue-green variety of beryl and is a sister gemstone of the Emerald.
Aventurine/Goldstone: either of two gem minerals, one a plagioclase feldspar and the other quartz. Both have a sparkling reflection from oriented minute inclusions of mica or hematite. Available in either Blue, Brown or Green.
Coral: the hard, variously colored, calcareous skeleton secreted by certain marine polyps. Italian Coral has a bright red color.
Cultured Pearl: a pearl induced to form by placement of a grain of sand or another irritating object within the shell of a pearl oyster or mussel.
Dichroic Glass: 1.glass containing multiple micro-layers of metal oxides which give the glass dichroic optical properties. Modern dichroic glass is available as a result of materials research carried out by NASA and its contractors, who developed it for use in dichroic filters. However, dichroic glass dates back to at least the 4th century AD.
2. Glass that is one color when seen by reflected light and another color when light shines through it. This is sometimes due to the presence of minute quantities of colloidal gold. Today, some glassmakers achieve a similar effect by applying a dichroic coating to glass that otherwise would not have this property.
Druzy: a stone covered with a large number of minute crystals.
Fiber Optic Beads: this kind of bead has graduated colors in it starting with a lighter colored "eye" centered around the middle of the bead, much like the Tiger Eye stone.
Frit: small chips of glass created by crushing larger sheets of glass
Garnet: a red to dark red gemstone
Howlite: a calcium borosilicate hydroxide (Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5), is a borate mineral found in evaporite deposits.
Jade: an ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:
1. Nephrite consists of a microcrystaline interlocking fibrous matrix of the calcium, magnesium-iron rich amphibole mineral series tremolite (calcium-magnesium)-ferroactinolite (calcium-magnesium-iron). The middle member of this series with an intermediate composition is called actinolite (the silky fibrous mineral form is one form of asbestos). The higher the iron content the greener the colour.
2.Jadeite is a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. The gem form of the mineral is a microcrystaline interlocking crystal matrix.
Jet: a compact black coal, susceptible of a high polish, used for making beads, jewelry, buttons, etc.
Lemon Quartz: the yellow variety of quartz
Millefiori: a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. The term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words "mille" (thousand) and "fiori" (flowers)
Snowflake Obsidian: obsidian is the result of volcanic lava coming in contact with water. Inclusions of small, white, radially clustered crystals of cristobalite in the black glass produce a blotchy or snowflake pattern producing Snowflake Obsidian.
Stained Glass: Glass that has been colored, enameled, painted, or stained, especially by having pigments baked onto its surface or by having various metallic oxides fused into it, as used in church windows, decorative lampshades, etc.
Sterling Silver: an alloy containing not less than 92.5 per cent of silver, the remainder usually being copper.
Tiger's Eye: a golden-brown chatoyant stone used for ornament, formed by the alteration of crocidolite, and consisting essentially of quartz colored by iron oxide.
Turquoise: an opaque mineral, a basic hydrous copper aluminum phosphate often containing a small amount of iron, sky-blue or greenish-blue in color, cut cabochon as a gem.
Quartz: a family of gemstones available in many colors
Apatite: a group of phosphate minerals.
Aquamarine: a blue-green variety of beryl and is a sister gemstone of the Emerald.
Aventurine/Goldstone: either of two gem minerals, one a plagioclase feldspar and the other quartz. Both have a sparkling reflection from oriented minute inclusions of mica or hematite. Available in either Blue, Brown or Green.
Coral: the hard, variously colored, calcareous skeleton secreted by certain marine polyps. Italian Coral has a bright red color.
Cultured Pearl: a pearl induced to form by placement of a grain of sand or another irritating object within the shell of a pearl oyster or mussel.
Dichroic Glass: 1.glass containing multiple micro-layers of metal oxides which give the glass dichroic optical properties. Modern dichroic glass is available as a result of materials research carried out by NASA and its contractors, who developed it for use in dichroic filters. However, dichroic glass dates back to at least the 4th century AD.
2. Glass that is one color when seen by reflected light and another color when light shines through it. This is sometimes due to the presence of minute quantities of colloidal gold. Today, some glassmakers achieve a similar effect by applying a dichroic coating to glass that otherwise would not have this property.
Druzy: a stone covered with a large number of minute crystals.
Fiber Optic Beads: this kind of bead has graduated colors in it starting with a lighter colored "eye" centered around the middle of the bead, much like the Tiger Eye stone.
Frit: small chips of glass created by crushing larger sheets of glass
Garnet: a red to dark red gemstone
Howlite: a calcium borosilicate hydroxide (Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5), is a borate mineral found in evaporite deposits.
Jade: an ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:
1. Nephrite consists of a microcrystaline interlocking fibrous matrix of the calcium, magnesium-iron rich amphibole mineral series tremolite (calcium-magnesium)-ferroactinolite (calcium-magnesium-iron). The middle member of this series with an intermediate composition is called actinolite (the silky fibrous mineral form is one form of asbestos). The higher the iron content the greener the colour.
2.Jadeite is a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. The gem form of the mineral is a microcrystaline interlocking crystal matrix.
Jet: a compact black coal, susceptible of a high polish, used for making beads, jewelry, buttons, etc.
Lemon Quartz: the yellow variety of quartz
Millefiori: a glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. The term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words "mille" (thousand) and "fiori" (flowers)
Snowflake Obsidian: obsidian is the result of volcanic lava coming in contact with water. Inclusions of small, white, radially clustered crystals of cristobalite in the black glass produce a blotchy or snowflake pattern producing Snowflake Obsidian.
Stained Glass: Glass that has been colored, enameled, painted, or stained, especially by having pigments baked onto its surface or by having various metallic oxides fused into it, as used in church windows, decorative lampshades, etc.
Sterling Silver: an alloy containing not less than 92.5 per cent of silver, the remainder usually being copper.
Tiger's Eye: a golden-brown chatoyant stone used for ornament, formed by the alteration of crocidolite, and consisting essentially of quartz colored by iron oxide.
Turquoise: an opaque mineral, a basic hydrous copper aluminum phosphate often containing a small amount of iron, sky-blue or greenish-blue in color, cut cabochon as a gem.
Quartz: a family of gemstones available in many colors