What is Gemology?
The word gemology is derived from the Latin word "gemma" meaning gem, and the Greek "logos", meaning discourage. Obviously, considering the derivation of the word, gemology could be spelled with one or two m's. In this country it is spelled with one m; in Britain with two. Gemology is a distinct science. In a sense, it is a branch of mineralogy, but since mineralogy is concerned with many other subjects and does not consider many of the matters taken up in gemology, gemology must be considered a distinct science. It is not only concerned with the study of gem materials and the correct terminology of these materials, but also with gemological testing methods, cutting and polishing, synthetically manufactured gems, precious metals and their alloys, and apprising procedures. Moreover, it deals with substances such as pearls, which are not considered in mineralogy. Those who approach the study of gemology lightly are surprised at its breadth. As in any other science, no man ever becomes its complete master.
Different Stone Images
Blue Sapphire is the Gemstone of Saturn or Shani Deva. It has all peculiarity of Saturn. According to Vedic Astrology Saturn relates to hard work and hard working people. It is wrong to be said that Saturn gives you any success without doing hard work.
Agate is the Mystical birthstone for September. It is also the birth stone for the Zodiac sign of Gemini (see the birthstone list for other references to agate). Agate is the accepted gemstone for the 12th and 14th wedding anniversaries.A very small sample of some of the many agates which are found all over the world. A hard stone, usually within the range of 7-9 on the Mohs scale agates are found in all colors of the rainbow, although green and blue are quite rare.
February's birthstone, the amethyst, is said to strengthen relationships and give its wearer courage. At one time, only royalty could wear the gem. Ancient Greeks thought that the amethyst guarded against intoxication. In fact, amethyst comes from amethystos, a Greek word meaning “sober".
Heliotrope is transparent and has red in it. Plasma is deep green, opaque with little or no red in it. A good quality bloodstone comes with solid dark green color with visible veins of red. This gemstone is a traditional March birthstone along with aquamarine.
Topaz is the birthstone for the month of December and the stone given in celebration of the 4th and 19th anniversaries of marriage. Topaz is a symbol of love and affection, and has been said to be an aid to ones sweetness and disposition.
As the birthstone for May, the emerald, a symbol of rebirth, is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth. Emerald, derived from the word smaragdus, meaning green in Greek, was mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C.
Individuals born in January are associated with the garnet, a splendid, intense, vivid and rich semi- precious stone that is believed to bring peace, prosperity and good health to one’s home.
Lapis lazuli is a gemstone of the kind that might have come straight out of the Arabian Nights: a deep blue with golden inclusions of pyrites which shimmer like little stars.
Onyx was cut and carved as a gemstone by the Ancient Greeks and Romans in cameos. Intaglio etchings (negative relief engravings) were also made from onyx. These carvings showcase the banding of onyx.
Ruby is a form of Aluminium Oxide known as Corundum. Pure Corundum is in fact clear, and Red Corundum, or Ruby, is made up of Corundum (Al2O3), and Chromium impurities (Cr3+), which are responsible for its wonderful red coloration. Ruby is the most valuable gem in the Corundum family.
The turquoise is ancient, yet again and again it finds itself back in fashion. Its shining sky blue is one of the most popular trend colours in the world of jewellery and fashion.
A pearl is created inside an oyster when the mussel secretes Calcium Carbonate which crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, forming layers known as nacre around a foreign object inside the animal. This is a very rare occurrence, as chances of a foreign irritant getting inside the body of the Pearl was very remote. Thus the creation of a pearl was a chance occurrence, and they were as rare as gold and silver. Thus, in ancient times pearls were valuable financial assets like gold and silver as they were extremely rare, and hundreds or thousands of oysters had to be opened to recover just one pearl.
Venus guides the wearer of the diamond. This planet holds prime importance in both modern science and mythological tradition. It's revered by practitioners of music, arts and culture – and the good alignment of this planet is supposed to relieve the wearer of his/her personal and mental demons. Artists, doctors, traders and businessmen have been found to benefit the most from wearing this gemstone. This brilliant gemstone improves physical and mental health, prevents sexual diseases, increases stamina and helps in improving the wearer's marital life.
Peridot gemstones have been in use for many thousands of years and were historically called Olivine.The vibration of these lovely lime green stones resonates with the frequency of increase, so it is a noteworthy gemstone for manifestation of all desired things.It may increase confidence and
assertiveness, balanced by patience and clarity of thought.It is known as a stone for prosperity and happiness. These lovely lime-green stones are birthstones for August, September and October and make beautiful precious jewelry.The green color is caused by its iron content. It is an important stone to use for cellular rejuvenation, and to help the problems associated with aging.
From the light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the sea, aquamarines shine over an extraordinarily beautiful range of mainly light blue colours. Aquamarine is a fascinatingly beautiful gemstone. Women the world over love it for its fine blue shades which can complement almost any skin or eye colour, and creative gemstone designers are inspired by it as they are by hardly any other gem, which enables them to create new artistic cuts again and again.
Alexandrite is a birthstone for June, along with pearl and moonstone. Alexandrite is also the gem for the 55th wedding anniversary.Although alexandrite is a relatively young gemstone, it certainly has a noble history. Since it shows both red and green, the principal colours of old Imperial Russia, it inevitably became the national stone of tsarist Russia.
Citrine is a joyful stone with bright energy which lights up many aspects of lives of those who work with it. It has energies of good fortune and good luck, though these may appear in unexpected ways.
Because opal has the colors of other gems, the Romans thought it was the most precious and powerful of all. The Bedouins believed that opals contained lightning and fell from the sky during thunderstorms. When Australia’s mines began to produce opals commercially in the 1890s, it quickly became the world’s primary source for this October birthstone.
Sard, sardonyx and carnelian have been used since ancient times, going back as far as the Second Dynasty of Egypt; over 4000 years ago. The empires of Greece and Rome were familiar with the material and cameo carvings have been dated to the Roman periods. There are also biblical references to these gems, such as in the High Priest's Breastplate. In the days of the Roman Empire, intaglios of Mars, the god of war, were often carved in sard and worn by officers. There is still a planetary association between Mars and sard, probably due to this early use.
Tanzanite is an extraordinary gemstone. It occurs in only one place worldwide. Its blue, surrounded by a fine hint of purple, is a wonderful colour. Thanks to its unusual aura and the help of the New York jeweller's Tiffany, it has rapidly become one of the most coveted gemstones in the world.
Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colours of the rainbow.
Zircon is a colorful gem with high refraction and fire that's often confused with cubic zirconia. Well known for its flashes of multicolored light.
