Gemstones

By:Chris Cannon

Mohs Scale

• The Mohs scale of hardness is a way to measure the hardness of a mineral.

• Diamond is the hardest mineral on the scale.

• Talc is the softest mineral on the scale.

Fire Opal

• Fire opals are yellow, orange, and red.

• Unlike regular opal, fire opal sparkles.

• Fire opal is made in volcanoes when water seeps into silica-rich lava filling seems and hollows.

• Fire opal is very bright.

Sapphire

• Sapphires can be pink, yellow, blue, peach, and violet.

• Sapphire comes from the Greek word for blue.

• Ancient Persians believed that the blue sky was the reflection of a giant sapphire.

• A red sapphire would be a ruby.• Sapphires are second hardest on the Mohs

scale.

Topaz

• Topazes can be amber-gold, peach, warm brown, gold,orange, pale pink, sherry red, and blue.

• Pale pink topaz is very rare.

• A topaz is the centerpiece for the Portuguese Crown.

• Topaz is third hardest on the Mohs scale.

Amethyst

• Amethyst comes from the Greek word that means “not drunken.”

• Amethysts come in all shades of purple.• Amethyst is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia,

African countries, and - a very small amount - in Arizona.

• Artificial amethyst can be made in labs in Russia, China, and other places.

• Amethyst is the fourth hardest on the Mohs scale.

Emerald

• Emeralds are always green.• In Egypt mummies were buried with emeralds

in their neck to symbolize eternal youth.• Islamic texts describe the garden of paradise

as covered with emeralds.• Shah Jahan -built the Taj Mahal - loved

emeralds.• Incan people had an emerald goddess.• Emeralds are almost always found with a

“birthmark” (indentation.)