Rock Review: Morganite

Rainy November days can have you longing for a bit of cheer, which is why today’s rock review features the lovely Morganite.

Geology Buzz

Morganite comes from the Beryl family of gems. Beryls are beryllium aluminum silicate compounds. Pure Beryls are clear, however, the presence of other elements can change the color of the gemstone. When Manganese combines with Beryl, it produces a lovely subtle pink color that becomes more noticeable in larger gemstones. This makes size an important factor in selecting an Morganite gemstone. If the carat is small or the cut poor, the pink color is more difficult to see. Big and bright stones are the best choices to feature the gems unique traits. Occasionally orange and yellow tones can be found in this variety of Beryl also, often with color banding present.

Morganite registers a 7.5 to 8 on Moh’s scale of hardness. This makes it an ideal choice for any type of jewelry, including rings and bracelets.

Fun Facts

Until 1911 Morganite was simply known as Pink Beryl. It was named for business tycoon J.P. Morgan, who also happened to be a gem collector.

Gem healers use Morganite as a mood booster because it helps a wearer to concentrate on the brighter side of life, even in stressful times. It also radiates calming and relaxing vibes.

One of the largest Morganite stones ever found is called the Rose of Maine, and was found in 1989 at the Bennet Quarry in Buckfield Maine. It measured 9 inches long and 12 inches across, weighing in at just over 50 pounds. Now that’s a whopper!

Rock Review: Tourmaline

This week’s rock review features Tourmaline!

Fun Facts

Tourmaline’s name comes from the word "Thuramali" or "Thoramalli" the word for gemstone in Sri Lanka. Many brightly colored Tourmalines were originally brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company in the fifteenth century in order to interest Europeans in new and different types of gems, which were highly in demand at the time.

Today Tourmaline can be found in Brazil, Africa, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Afghanistan and a few locations in the U.S.A. Pink and green Tourmalines are currently mined in Maine and in California. Native American peoples in these locations had used Tourmaline for many years, giving green and pink varieties as commemorative gifts at funerals. That is no surprise to gem healers who use pink and green Tourmalines to enhance happiness and open the spirit to love from others.

Geology Buzz

Tourmaline is a  stone that comes is a wide variety of colors, but is seen in it's finest gem varieties usually in dark green and a variety of pink shades from light watermelon to fierce magenta. Tourmaline consists of aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium and potassium. It is found in metamorphic rocks like granite, Marble and Schist.

Gems with a high iron content can be blue, black or brown. Gems containing large quantities of magnesium are brown and yellow. Gems with a high concentration of lithium can be almost any color. We get the very trendy Watermelon Tourmaline from the lithium based varieties. Some very special Tourmalines are dichroic, meaning they change color depending on the direction which they are viewed.

Tourmaline has a trigonal crystal structure and occurs in long thick and thin out cropping columns that take on a triangle shape. It is a 7-7/5 on Moh’s scale of hardness.

Natural Watermelon Tourmaline Slice

Rock Review: Rose Quartz

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60357008/rose-quartz-brandy-bracelet

I chose Rose Quartz today simply because it was pink and that seemed appropriate for Valentine's Day. Little did I know that Rose Quartz is actually known as the stone of love! It is believed that the stone can make the wearer feel a sense of self worth, and ignite passion in marriage. The stone is thought to heal and strengthen unconditional love rather than attract new love.

This stone is great for any kind of jewelry because it is very durable and resistant to scratches. It is also very comfortable to wear. At first it is cold to the touch but as it is worn, it becomes closer to your body temperature. Care for the stone is minimal, if you own a piece of rose quartz, it may be cleaned with soap and warm water and a toothbrush.

All stones in the quartz family have a very stable crystal structure and vibrational energy that is used to receive, send and hold energy. For this reason, quartz is used for practical purposes in watches and radios. This may be why healers and shamans from around the world have used the stone for centuries before this special property was proved by science. According to an article on fusionanomoly.net, the Amazonian shamans believe that spirits can become visible in quartz crystals.

While I may not be interested in seeing spirits in Quartz crystal, I am interested in the idea that this stone, worn close to my body is receiving and attuned to my body's vibrational frequency. I am interested that it is the stone of love and that perhaps it is able to use this balancing property to strengthen the bond between me and my love. How interesting indeed.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/39351790/rose-quartz-drop-pendant-with-pearls