Semiprecious stones: properties, names and subtleties of choice

At all times, the stones attached great importance. They were worn by people with a certain social status - most often, high. Now almost everyone can afford them - the variety of stones, as well as their prices, are vast. But if gems are known to everyone, then very few people can distinguish semiprecious stones. About what they are, what stones they include, and this article will tell about their properties.

Semiprecious stones, at first glance, are practically the same as precious stones, especially for ordinary citizens.

Combining all the previously collected information about them, we can say that semi-precious stones are minerals, the main feature of which is a beautiful appearance.

Representatives of precious stones can be counted on the fingers, and they are all quite well-known, and the list of semi-precious stones is quite wide. In addition, now the boundaries of the separation of precious and semi-precious stones are erased. It is noteworthy that despite the large amount of the latter, the price of some minerals is quite high.

Now quite popular are the statements about the beneficial effect of stones on a person, depending on which zodiac sign he belongs to, and also about the treatment of various diseases by them. Of course, there is no reason to talk about the effectiveness of the influence of any stones in the treatment or establishment of interpersonal relations. But the very real fact is the absence of various allergic reactions of the body to natural semi-precious stones. Decorations of them are also recommended to wear and small children.

Many samples of this group are an important part jewelry amuletsmade from ancient times.

Speaking more seriously, it is worth noting the fact that scientists studying minerals - gemologists - there are three main groups of all stones: precious, semi-precious and ornamental. They all have characteristics such as rarity being in nature degree of transparency and strength.

Now the boundaries of the classification of these three groups are becoming increasingly blurred, as mentioned above.

In any case, one property of all gems is invariable and indisputable - this is their value as a material asset.

Below is a partial list and a brief description of the bright representatives of the group of semi-precious stones.

• One of the representatives of natural semi-precious stones is called agate. It is a subclass of quartz with chalcedony. Depending on the different type of patterns, it received different names: “moss agate” is a stone with plant patterns, and “dendrite” - with a wood pattern. Agate can also have cloudy, landscape, rainbow or fiery patterns.

• Aquamarine has a characteristic bluish-green color. Especially the stone under the rays of the sun shimmers with all the shades of these two colors. If earlier it was used for incrustation of crowns, now it is mainly used for mandrel lenses.

• The next stone is amethyst. As a rule, this mineral is of various burgundy and dark purple hues, however, transparent amethysts are also known.The latter are quite rare.

• Garnet - a mineral that has many colors and shades. It got its name due to the fact that it is pyrope (red garnet) that is easiest to process, and therefore was used in jewelry.

• Jade has a lot in common with jade. Most often this rare stone is green, but you can find pink, purple and even white samples. For centuries it has been used for making amulets and vases in China.

• Have quartz There are a number of unusual characteristics - it is quite easy to get it, it is very common, and also differs in hardness. The quartz classification includes the following stones: smoky quartz, rock crystal, the aforementioned agate, amethyst and chalcedony, as well as rose quartz, carnelian, onyx, cat's eye and a number of other stones.

• Moonstone quite famous and has a characteristic transparent blue color with pearl shimmer. Sometimes there are white and pink stones. Quite a rare phenomenon - stellate pattern.

• Known since ancient times, especially in the East, stone - nephritis. Often encountered, it has a dark emerald green color. Other shades of this stone are red, gray, blue and variations of green. Another name is “the stone of peace”.

• Traditional color mother of pearl is white with various rainbow shades, but it can be of any other color up to black. As a rule, it is extracted from pearl shells and is used not only for inlaying jewelry, but also in the manufacture of buttons, as well as other small parts of clothing and accessories.

• Topaz is a crystal of uniform color. May have many shades - from dark purple to transparent white. Yellow mineral is especially appreciated.

• Sardonyx is a kind of agate, which looks similar to it, but has distinctive dark and light stripes. The tradition of making amulets from sardonyx originates in antiquity and continues today.

• Cornelian has a transparent red or brown color and is a type of chalcedony. Rare specimens come in orange. Differs in its chaotic pattern and blotches in the form of stripes. Ancient healers used as an ingredient for medicinal powders. Now it is mainly used only in the manufacture of jewelry. It is noticed that it is best combined with silver.

• A variation of chalcedony is also chrysoprase. It has a “clean” or transparent green color. The higher the level of transparency, the more expensive it can cost.

• Chrysolite is a stone of volcanic origin. All samples of this stone have a green shade, but with different inclusions. Due to its special structure (high refractive index) it can not only overflow, but also shine under the rays of the sun. It is very brittle.

• Rhinestone. In ancient times it was used to make cups and even dishes. It is a transparent stone. In the light of the sun's rays it becomes almost transparent and reflects the light, glaring brightly.

• Citrinewhich is also called golden topaz, is a type of quartz. It has a characteristic transparent yellow color. Mainly used for making jewelry.

These representatives are not limited to this list.

We should also talk about the classification of these minerals.

• A group of red representatives. Such stones symbolized brightness, power and even rage. Used for inlay decorations of the rulers. To this day are the most expensive. Among the typical representatives of red stones are ruby, garnet and alexandrite.
• Group of purple stones. Since ancient times, an unusual color had ambiguous and contradictory associations, so it is traditionally considered that the group of these minerals does not have any special properties. But still remarkable is their special beauty and the play of colors. The smallest group including amethyst, sapphire, charoite and other stones.
• Group of blue "fossils". Such stones are in the arsenal of almost any jeweler. The most famous representatives of this group are turquoise, lapis lazuli and tanzanite. It is the samples of this group that are most mined in Altai.
• A group of yellow stones. Because of their color they were associated with gold and money. Get their color due to the content in its composition of lithium, gauge and iron. They were considered female stones. Representatives - citrine, amber, carnelian, heliodor and others.
• Group of green semi-precious stones. They were considered stones, whose color acted soothingly. They are abundantly encrusted and now various decorations. Among these stones are jade, jadeite, chrysoprase and malachite. The latter is worth mentioning separately. It is an ornamental stone from which vases, boxes, stands and other various accessories are made. Large deposits of it are in the Urals.
• A group of black stones. Having an unusual and even outrageous color, these stones are appreciated by lovers of bright jewelry. Among such samples are agate, onyx, hematite and the notorious obsidian.
• A group of white nuggets. By their structure are crystals and have a characteristic "glow" and transparency of the structure. Includes moonstone and opal. Many representatives of this group are mined in the Crimea.

Cut - a multi-stage process during which the gem is processed. The result of this process is to give the stone a shape and maximum “sparkle”. Obviously, the gems themselves without definite cuts do not have their high price. On top of that, the cut of the stones simplifies the fastening of the gem in the decoration. The types of basic cut stones in jewelry and not only include the following techniques.

As it becomes apparent, it is applied to diamonds and other minerals with a high level of color dispersion. After cutting, gems take on characteristic forms - diamonds. Many of its faces is called facets. The widest edge, located on top, is called the site. The back side of a diamond is a pavilion, the front is a crown. The belt surrounding the cross section with the largest area is called girdled.

The beam is reflected twice from each side of the back side and comes out through the crown. There are three basic diamond-cutting techniques: a high-light cut (74 facets), a majestic (102 facets), a royal (86 facets).

It is a stepped faceting, in which the stone is given an octagonal shape. The step cut, in turn, is the type of treatment in which facets are placed on top of each other. The platform has the shape of a polygon, and the side facets - a trapezium, triangles.

With this technique, the edges on the side and on the corners are given a triangular shape. After processing, the upper part of the nugget consists of four pyramids, each of which has four faces, and at the base is a trapezium. The bottom is similar to the top, which is based on the same number of triangular faces. In this case, the girdle is separated by one third of the whole stone.

When using this technique, the stone has no lower part, as well as the ground. The crown contains an even number of triangular faces (usually 24 or 42 faces). There are several types of this cut: Dutch, half Dutch, double Dutch, briolette and Antwerp. As a rule, the stone after processing has a rounded shape. But this may not always be the case, there are exceptions. Now used infrequently, but was popular in the late Middle Ages.

It is a simple step processing technique. It has a large and wide area. Usually used for gems intended for inlaying men's signet rings.

With this method of cutting, the lower part of the nugget remains flat, while its upper part is smooth and streamlined. As a rule, such products are round, oval or in the form of an elongated drop. Translucent, opaque or turbid specimens interspersed are usually subjected to such cutting. Cabochons come in different heights — medium, high, and low. This parameter is dictated by the fragility of the material.

It is a technique of relief carving on stones. Bright representatives of this work - cameos. Quite a difficult technique, originating in times before our era. Usually glyptic crafts portrayed antique scenes, and later - portraits.

The finished samples are mini-figures. Usually they were used as pendant key rings for kimono. Now this technique has become widespread, and the products made in it are sold as souvenirs. However, professional masters still exist and sell their work very expensive.

Also worth noting are other cutting techniques. mixed, pear, marquise, pendelokias well as inlay and Florentine mosaic. In the last two techniques, the surfaces are covered with gems in the form of patterns.

There are some properties inherent in semi-precious stones, by which their value is assessed, and, accordingly, a choice is made.

• One of the most important aspects when choosing - sample rarity.
• Stone parameters. The volume and size of minerals can be attributed to this item.
• Characteristic pattern on the sample. Most of the representatives of this group - with a "picture".
• Pattern quality. Openwork or symmetrical patterns are valued much more than chaotic ones.
• The presence of blotches of other stones. This can either increase the price of certain stones or lower it.
• Integrity. Cracks in the nuggets - a thing quite characteristic of them.
• Last, but more often, an important criterion - fashion trends. The popularity of most semi-precious gems is similar to a sinusoid curve with ups and downs.

In conclusion, I would like to note the fact that with the development of various sciences, the market was filled with counterfeit products. Moreover, now there is an opportunity to grow artificial stones in certain conditions.

No synthetic stone will have the same special characteristics as natural.

In the following review you can learn how semi-precious stones are used in the design of furniture, walls, sanitary ware and other decorative elements.