Types of blue stones and their use

Blue color is found in nature quite often - it symbolizes the sea and sky, has attractiveness and depth. It is not surprising that since ancient times, people have tried to acquire talismans and amulets with minerals of this shade. Blue stones are highly valued by both jewelers and craftsmen, who create a variety of crafts and interior items from natural materials. But in order to choose your talisman correctly, you should first study the names and descriptions of precious and semi-precious stones of dark blue and light blue.

There are many minerals, crystals, rocks of blue, turquoise, bright blue. Some of them are used in jewelry - for the manufacture of jewelry and products of varying complexity. Such substances as titanium, boron, iron, cobalt are responsible for the azure color range in nature. All stones are divided into 3 main categories - precious, semi-precious, semi-precious. Each of them has its own characteristics and colors - from dark blue to clear sky-blue or aquamarine, with a touch of green.

There are well-known varieties of indigo shade stones. For example, dark blue corundum, better known as sapphire, or turquoise is a gem of natural origin, especially prized in the East. The rarer variants include Larimar or African tanzanite mined in the Dominican Republic. The list can be continued, but it will be much more interesting to study the features of the most popular blue minerals in more detail.

Gems of blue and blue are not at all uncommon in nature. Some of the most beautiful and immaculate crystals belong to this group. What minerals can be found on the jewelry market?

Stone found only in Brazil. It has been mined since 1972, the name was derived from the name of the mine. Berichas have a beautiful blue-purple hue, and they are very decorative. But the stone has a serious drawback - when it comes into contact with light, it loses its natural brightness.

Blue diamonds, considered to be rather rare, are used by jewelers only in expensive products. Stones of this type are also in demand in various high-tech areas, industrial production. But without cutting the mineral looks not very presentable, and its beauty or purity can be quite difficult to evaluate without the help of specialists.

In nature, there is no blue topaz, but there is a variety of them - London Blue, which has a characteristic blue-gray color with a manifestation of a green hue. There is also a light Sky Blue and Swiss Blue, the average in saturation of the hue. It turns out such an unusual tone by exposing the mineral to radiation. Before the stone goes on sale, it is kept for some time, eliminating the effects of radiation.

A variety of corundum - one of the most durable minerals in the world. Natural stones are quite expensive because they are in the first-class category, and are considered very valuable. The purity and beauty of sapphire reveals especially brightly after cutting. - cabochon, rose, in the form of a pillow. There are deposits of stone in many countries of the world, and only in Antarctica is this mineral not found.

Blue transparent stone - tourmaline, has a high value, looks spectacular in the frame. Its color directly affects the cost - dark minerals are much more expensive. Most of the deposits of tourmaline is located in Brazil. This is where the unofficial name comes from. - Paraiba stone, with neon, bluish-green glow. Other blue tourmalines are called indigolites.

The exotic gem of blue color - spinel, is found on the territory of the countries of Southeast Asia. Translated from Latin, its name sounds like "thorn". And indeed, the acute recognizable form excludes any questions related to such an unusual name of the mineral.

For blue zircons, additional processing of transparent stones is used. The calcined in this way mineral is called starlit and is valued rather highly. Perfectly pure zircons in nature almost never occur. The mineral is found in magmatic rock formations; there are deposits in the Russian Federation, Brazil, on the island of Madagascar.

If the most rare and not very common stones with maximum hardness indicators are attributed to precious stones, then not less beautiful, but more often found minerals are considered semi-precious. Among them, too, there are many interesting jewelry copies suitable for the manufacture of jewelry.

Natural stone, presented in a wide range of shades of blue. Blue chalcedony has a translucent or matte structure. Since ancient times, gem is subjected to additional processing, ennobling it, making it brighter. Sapphirine deposits are found in Eurasia and North America.

The stone, which is often referred to as semi-precious, can still be included in the list of semi-precious. It is highly appreciated by jewelers, and individual copies fully correspond to this status. Gem changes its color throughout life - a greenish stone is considered to have completed its life cycle. Blue says that the mineral is in its heyday, the young breed is whitish and dull.

The semi-precious stone mined in the Dominican Republic and in Italy is actually a kind of pectolite. Larimar originates in the crater of a volcano, has an original iridescent structure. Mining is carried out exclusively by hand, which significantly increases the cost of the stone. The color range is unstable - from sky blue to blue-green, the mineral is thick, translucent on top, there are characteristic white veins.

Ornaments in the ethnic style, household items are created from ornamental stones. Such minerals are often found and do not represent special value, but can be framed in precious metals.

• Lapis lazuli. An ornamental stone, widely used in the creation of household items. The mineral has a blue or gray-blue tint, can be quite brightly colored. The more shine and color, the more valued the stone. Of lazurite often make gift boxes, figurines.
• Blue jasper. Irnite stone or blue jasper is extremely rare. Once this mineral was even classified as sacred. It does not have a solid color. Bright blue stripes cover the base of a gray or cherry hue.
• Blue lapis lazuli. Not a mineral, but rock - blue lapis lazuli is one of the most popular options for semi-precious stones. Its largest field is in Afghanistan, in the north of the country. The beauty of the stone is added by white streaks, for the appearance of which are interspersed with calcite. Pyrite inclusions form golden sparks on the surface.

The use of blue stones today is not limited to the area of ​​jewelry making.Minerals are quite actively used in the medical industry, including in the manufacture of precision instruments and apparatus. Sapphires are used to create modern braces that are in demand in the dental industry. Also blue minerals are suitable for the production of artificial lenses for ophthalmology. In surgery, artificial crystals, synthetic sapphires, from which articular prostheses are made, are most often used.

In the aviation and rocket industry, blue-tinted crystals are used to produce special glasses with enhanced strength. In the nozzles of waterjet machines, you can also see precious sapphires. Among base minerals, blue-Kamensky granite, a rock with an unusual color range, is popular. It is used in ritual business, finishing of facades of buildings.

Wearing blue stones, despite their obvious beauty, not all people can. Azure-colored talismans are suitable for members of the zodiacal circle born under the auspices of the elements of water or air. Minerals of blue color protect a person from spiritual upheavals, help to develop oratorical and vocal abilities. It is believed that such stones should be given to people in need of friendly support and participation, experiencing the "black band" in life.

The choice of stone in the frame, in the form of jewelry involves the use of ornamental, precious minerals or rocks. Get better product in a single range of colors. Inadmissible is the use of a combination of azure, turquoise, blue tones with orange, yellow, black. Also, all the stones in the headset should belong to a single class.

When selecting a stone, it is necessary to take into account the appearance of the future owner. Blue transparent stones are ideal for owners of blue, gray, sapphire eyes. Matte semi-precious minerals are suitable for brown-eyed people. These include turquoise, which can lighten the face, give it freshness. The color type of a person is also important. Blue stones - turquoise and sapphire are suitable for representatives of the spring range. Those who belong to the color type "summer" are suitable for aquamarine, blue topaz.

Ornaments with natural blue stones are always popular. But such an accessory must be kept in order - be properly stored, cleaned of dirt in a timely manner. Natural minerals have a number of features that should be considered in the process of caring for them:

• the best care for a stone is its constant wearing;
• do not touch the turquoise with dirty hands - it can fade;
• do not use alcohol or alkaline solutions when cleaning;
• shocks, pinches, other mechanical effects should be avoided;
• upon contact with hot water, the crystal may become cloudy and fade;
• low temperatures may contribute to the appearance of cracks; high temperatures may contribute to color distortion;
• Gems should be regularly immersed in cool, clear water for wetting.

About sapphire gemstone, see the following video.