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Birthstone of November
Citrine and topaz both serve as birthstones for the month of November. Topaz was one of the original modern birthstones selected by the National Association of Jewelers in 1912. Citrine was added to the modern birthstones list in 1952. Citrine and topaz are both available in the yellow to orange color range, but citrine generally has a…
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The Citrine Color Range
Citrine’s color ranges from yellow, to orangey yellow, to yellowish orange, to brownish orange. The name citrine is used for any transparent quartz in that color range – regardless of its saturation. Stones with a faint color and stones with a rich color are all called “citrine”. The quality of a stone’s color has an…
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What Is Citrine?
Citrine is a transparent variety of quartz with a yellow to orange color. Its attractive color, high clarity, low price, and durability make it the most frequently purchased yellow to orange gem. Citrine is also a modern birthstone for the month of November. Its designation as a birthstone contributes to its popularity and drives a large number of sales. Faceted…
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Uses of Goshenite
Goshenite has four properties that made it attractive to some of Europe’s early lens makers: 1) it is colorless, 2) it has exceptional clarity, 3) it is found in large crystals, and, 4) it has exceptional hardness. With a Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8, goshenite was the material used in the earliest scratch-resistant lenses.…
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Geographic Occurrence of Goshenite
Important sources of goshenite include the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil; the Ural Mountains of Russia; areas near Dassu, Pakistan; and, areas near Ampangabe, Madagascar. In the United States, goshenite has been found in many locations. Important sources are the pegmatites of New England, the pegmatites of southern California, and numerous locations in the granite pegmatites of the Rocky Mountains.…
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Geologic Occurrence of Goshenite
Most gem-quality goshenite crystals form in cavities below Earth’s surface, on the fringes of a granitic magma body in its late stages of crystallization. The cavities provide open space for the uninterrupted growth of crystals. The late-stage timing is when beryllium-rich fluids are exiting the magma body. An abundant supply of beryllium is needed to form goshenite, a variety…
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The Curse of Being Colorless
Unlike emerald and aquamarine, goshenite has not become popular in the jewelry industry. There are two likely reasons for this: 1) goshenite’s lack of color does not attract people like the green of emerald and the blue of aquamarine; and, 2) goshenite does not have a level of brilliance, luster, or fire that enables it to compete as…
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What is Goshenite?
Goshenite, also known as white beryl, is the colorless to near-colorless variety of beryl. It is named after Goshen, Massachusetts, a community near one of the first deposits found in the United States. Goshenite is often found as colorless to near-colorless, hexagonal crystals with exceptional clarity. It is also found as water-worn pebbles in alluvial deposits. Faceted Goshenite: This…
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Physical Properties of Malachite
Malachite’s most striking physical property is its green color. All specimens of the mineral are green and range from a pastel green, to a bright green, to an extremely dark green that is almost black. It is typically found as stalactites and botryoidal coatings on the surfaces of underground cavities – similar to the deposits…
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Where Does Malachite Form?
Malachite is a mineral that forms at shallow depths within the Earth, in the oxidizing zone above copper deposits. It precipitates from descending solutions in fractures, caverns, cavities, and the intergranular spaces of porous rock. It often forms within limestone where a subsurface chemical environment favorable for the formation of carbonate minerals can occur. Associated minerals include azurite, bornite, calcite, chalcopyrite, copper,…