Many cultures have a gemstone that they consider to be most precious and, in the case of the Chinese, even heavenly. Jade is more valuable than gold in the Chinese culture and it is evident in how they use it in their daily lives. One emperor chose to be buried in a suit made of the lustrous green stone to protect his body from decay.

What exactly is this mystical green stone?

Not until the mid 19th century did we know that there are really two similar, yet different, minerals that are both considered jade. As a result, they are now classified as jadeite, which is sodium aluminum silicate, and nephrite, which is calcium magnesium iron silicate. The jadeite variety is the most valuable and therefore more expensive.

Where does it come from?

The most important jadeite deposits are found in Myanmar and more recently, deposits have been found in Central America. The nephrite variety is more plentiful with mines in Australia, North and South America and Taiwan.

History and Mysticism

In Chinese culture, the stone represents love and virtue. It is also believed that wearing a jade pendant protected a person from evil as he traveled. It is also supposed to have great healing properties. The Chinese would grind it up and eat it to cure kidney ailments and other internal ailments. The best way to benefit from the supposed healing abilities, wear it close to the skin like with a jade bangle bracelet.

There was also a belief that it granted immortality or, in the very least, protect the body from decay. The emperor with the suit was an extreme case, but most Chinese emperors were buried with an offering of jade. They also believed it was a link to the heavens and would bring good luck, good friendship and good health by wearing it or having a talisman. Figurines carved out of the green stone are used in the ancient art of Feng Shui.

How to clean your pieces

Both varieties are fairly hard, ranking between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scales of hardness. That being said, it is a very strong mineral because of the tiny grains and fibrous pieces that tightly woven to create the stone.

To clean your jade earrings and other pieces, a soft cloth is all you need. Gently wipe the stone to bring it back to its lustrous sheen. If that does not remove all the residue, use only a gentle soap to clean. It is common for the stones to be treated with a resin or wax and harsh chemicals could damage the finish. The treatments are to simply bring out the best color possible.

Special significance of the stone

Though it is not an official birthstone, this wondrous green rock is the mystical birthstone for March and for the sun sign Virgo. It is also the gemstone used to commemorate the 12th wedding anniversary.

Jade jewelry often looks best cut into a cabochon to show off the most vibrant color. Because it carves so beautifully, filigreed jade pendants or smooth rounded pendants are common. It may or may not bring you good luck, but it will certainly add beauty to your collection.

It is very difficult to recognize an original amber gemstone. This happens because the market is filled with several imitations of amber which confuse the buyers.

One of its numerous imitations is called ‘Amberdan’. It has properties fairly near to natural gem. The way to test the originality is when the stone is heated and gives off a certain odor. When the odor smells like a mixture of plastic and amber, it suggests that a natural resin has been mixed with a plastic binder.

Amber is often confused with copal. These two stones are composed of very similar materials with nearly identical origins and so it is difficult to identify the original amber. The main difference is that while copals are just a few hundred thousand years old, ambers are several million years old.

Another imitation that is found in the market is made up of pressed amber, or ‘ambroid’. This is created by fusing smaller bits of the gem under heat. This can be distinguished from original gem when you examine it under a microscope.

Ancient techniques for identifying this gem are still useful today. When it is rubbed vigorously on a piece of wool, it generates a static charge, which is enough to pick up a small piece of ash. When this gemstone is warm enough, it tends to give off a distinctive odor. These techniques will separate it from plastic imitations but not distinguish it from copal.

To distinguish this gem from copal is difficult. They share the same refractive index, specific gravity, and most other properties. However, Copal tends to fluoresce whiter than amber under UV light. So, it is a judgment call which one needs to make based on having examined a sufficient number of samples so as to recognize the difference.

If one is not able to make the distinction based on fluorescence, then one will have to resort to a destructive test. On an inconspicuous area of the stone, place a drop of acetone. Let it sit for three seconds, and then wipe it off. Copal will have the surface damaged by the acetone, while amber will show little or no change from the brief exposure.

Another easy method to separate this gemstone from its plastic imitations is with a specific gravity solution. Boil water and add as much salt as you can dissolve in it to create a handy testing liquid. Most of the imitations will sink in this solution. This is because few plastics have a density as low as 1.05 and many can be lower than amber if they have air bubbles inside. So, if your sample sinks, you can be sure it is not real. If it floats you, need to determine if it is plastic or amber.

There is another destructive test to separate real amber from the fake ones. However, it must be done with care. The best part is that it can be done almost invisibly. Find a place on the stone where a mark would be as unobtrusive as possible. This can be on the edge, bottom or on an area with scratches. Next, heat the tip of a needle until it glows red. Touch the selected spot just enough to release a tiny whiff of smoke. Now smell the smoke. If it is genuine amber, the smell is of fine incense. It is plastic if it is chemical and offensive. This is another reason to make your test on as small a scale as possible!

Another test of discovering a fake piece is to identify the insect inclusions present in the stone. If one finds this stone which has an inclusion of say, a modern house fly, this can easily alert you to the fact that the stone may be a fake. This is because the house fly did not exist millions of years ago, which means that the inclusion has been fused into the stone, and that the stone is not genuine.

With these tips and techniques, it thus becomes easier for you to identify and spot a genuine amber gemstone from among the fakes.

Every year during the last weeks of January and into February, thousands of gemstone dealers and buyers converge on Tucson for the world’s largest gemstone show.

Here, thousands of buyers and sellers converge to meet, exchange news and most important to buy and sell millions of dollars of gemstones, gemstones that make their way into the finished goods of the smallest mom and pop operations and the most exclusive and expensive dealers in the world.

Some buyers are there to purchase their inventory for the year. These purchases will be turned into handmade gemstone jewelry. Others are there to establish relationships with dealers so that when the need arises for specific stones for fine handmade jewelry, dealers can be contacted and goods made available “on memo,” an industry term meaning sale pending approval by the buyer. It should also be noted that the giant educational organizations are also present. They dispatch representatives to buy new material and test it to authenticate claims of dealers thereby protecting buyers and consumers from misrepresentation.

Although industry reports haven’t been published yet, it was clear that attendance at the 2009 gem show was lower than in previous years. Parking, always a problem, was readily available. Lines for meals and restrooms were short. Buyers we talked to were buying for immediate needs, not stockpiling inventory.

Because demand was lower than in previous years, the prices of dealers were lower. What this means is that consumers can look forward to lower prices for handcrafted gemstone jewelry in the coming months as retailers pass their savings on.

One caution: Given the diversity of the shows…there were forty-seven this year…some such as the fossil and minerals shows are open to the public. However, in general, this is an industry only event and screening is rigorous. Without proper credentials, you will be turned away.

Jade is a hard, tough and highly colored stone that is used to make exquisite jewelry and carvings. The description of gemstones is incomplete without referring to the richness of jade jewelry. Jade jewelry has a special significance in the Chinese culture. It is sometimes referred to as the “Eastern Diamond”. Jade is a gemstone that is known not only for its luster, but also for the various beliefs associated with it. Some believe that Jade consists of instinctive and super natural abilities.

Jade can be either of two different minerals, jadeite or nephrite. Both variations of jade are tough stones that don’t break or chip easily. Their chemical properties are similar but they differ primarily in their sodium and calcium-magnesium properties. All jade typically has a medium to high polish.

Traditionally jade is found in vivid tones of green. We see so much green jade that we may forget that the gemstone occurs in other colors such as pink, lavender and white. White jade is predominantly found in Myanmar, The properties of iron and manganese provide most of the color variations in jade.

Imperial Jade is a transparent emerald-green stone, which contains chromium. It is the most rare of all. An intense color combined with translucence is the hallmark of good quality jade. Jade commands a high price that is even more than rubies and emeralds. Sometimes inferior qualities of jade are dyed green. It is advisable to purchase jade jewelry from reputed stores. Green glass stones and some other natural stones are used as imitations of jadeite.

There are several things that determine the value of jade. First, jade stones are sold per piece and not per carat. Its texture, pattern and translucency also play a vital role in determining its value. Historically, jade was considered more valuable than gold or silver. Today carat for carat jadeite is more valuable than diamond.

Jade can be fashioned into exquisite pieces of jewelry ranging from bangles, beads and earrings to belt buckles, hairpins and pendants. There are jade carvings that exhibit very intricate details of animals and people as well. You can also find articles such as amulets, knives and spearheads. The metal in jade jewelry allows light to return from the stone and increase reflection.

Today consumers’ tastes regarding jewelry have broadly changed. Women especially like to keep up with the current fashion trend when it comes to jewelry. One reason why some women would be attracted to jade is because it is distinct from the traditional look of jewelry but it can give a woman an exclusive and fashionable look at the same time.

Agate is a semi-pellucid crystallized quartz, consisting of banded inclusions of chalcedony. Physical properties of agate are in general those of quartz.

Agate is found in all colors of the rainbow ranging from colorless to yellow, brown, purple, and pink. It also comes in blue and green but these colors are quite rare.

Cryptocrystalline quartz often displays exotic color bands, swirls, and other patterns.

The word Agate comes from the Greek “Agateeq” which means happy. Agate is the Ayurvedic Birthstone for May, the Hebrew Birthstone for May, the Roman Birthstone for May, the Arabic Birthstone for June, the Mystical Birthstone for September.

The sun Sign (Star Sign) for Aquarius, the Zodiac Birthstone for Gemini, the Talismanic Birthstone for Libra, and the Sun Sign (Star Sign) for Capricorn.

Moss Agate is also the anniversary gemstone for the 14th year of marriage.

Historical Agate is more than fossils; it is a cultural landscape that has evolved over millions of years and reflects many faucets; from early mammals which roamed the valleys to the nomadic nations of the plains.

Later tales followed of life in the American West which included tales relating to Agate.

Agate can be traced back to the Stone Age man in France 20,000-16,000 BC. The Egyptians used it prior to 3000 BC. Agate was highly valued by ancient civilizations as it was said to render the wearer invisible.

During the 1880s scientists rediscovered what the Lakota Sioux and others already knew about Agate. With the help of James and Kate Cook, the complex interactions between weather, mammals and the land would be studied by scientific field crews.

Agate has a hardness rating of 7 however, it will still chip and crack rather easily. It is important to protect agate from scratches, sharp blows, sudden temperature changes, household chemicals such as bleach or cleaning products.

Agate is said to have healing properties. Because it is a cooling stone, it reduces fever, quenches thirst, and is beneficial in the stomach area. Agate will also slow the pulse and quiet heart throbs.

It is said to insure good health combined with a long and prosperous life. It is also said that Agate has mystical powers.

Those wearing or carrying Agate will be guarded against danger, will become cautious, will be able to view themselves with clarity and view the world with a broad viewpoint.

Agate is believed to cure insomnia and to insure pleasant dreams.

Agate is a very affordable with the exception of some varieties with unusual banded or scenic markings.

Agate is found all over the world including Brazil, Nepal, Mexico, Africa, Egypt, Germany, India and Asia. It is also found in the USA, and Montana Agate is becoming recognized in the jewelry world.

Worn by Imperial families for centuries, jade is a very spiritual stone. It has a variety of meanings, having been called the jewel of heaven, the stone of immortality, a symbol of purity and is believed to embody the five cardinal virtues: charity, modesty, courage, justice and wisdom.

From cloudy white to golden brown, light to dark green, to rare lavender, this most highly prized Asian stone is of many shades. It has a glossy semi-transparent appearance and it is smooth to the touch. Yet it is a very hard stone and therefore, can be carved into intricate designs and made into beautiful jade jewelry.

Jade is treasured for its magical powers to increase life span, cure all ailments and ward off evil spirits. No wonder jade is worn or carried by all Chinese.

Genuine jade is always cool to the touch; for this reason it has been compared to the skin of a beautiful woman. It is symbolic of purity.

Jade is also the most highly prized stone in the Orient. It has been called the jewel of heaven, the stone of immortality and the substance of rainbows. It is believed to embody the five cardinal virtues: charity, modesty, courage, justice and wisdom.

Carried or worn as a talisman, the Chinese believe that when handled something of this secret virtue of jade will be absorbed into the body. It will also bring tranquility and harmony to the wearer.

Jade carved in the form of animals of the zodiac are popular carvings - each a powerful symbol with special meaning. The jade dragon, a symbol of rebirth, success and good fortune, the fish, symbolic of prosperity, and the lotus and gourd symbols of long life and prosperity are sought after pieces.

You might want to buy yourself a gemstone or gift it to someone you love. These stones are a pricey investment and it would be a great idea to combine your purchase with some knowledge about the meanings of these stones.

You can then justify your purchase and a valuable gift to that special someone. In reality, gemstones are pieces of attractive mineral that are cut, polished and set into metal to make items of jewelry. You might find some stones that are actually rocks and not minerals like lapis lazuli for example.

The color of a gemstone is usually its most attractive features. You will find these stones in all conceivable hues and shades. While you choose one that is to your liking, you should also understand that these colors symbolize certain qualities for their intended wearers. Here are some of the common gemstones and their meanings.

Amethyst and aquamarine usually symbolize deep love and happiness. The beryl symbolizes everlasting youth and hope. These are ideal gifts for young people. You could also gift a young adult a garnet as it symbolizes strength and faith.

The stone is supposed to endow cheerfulness and sincerity on it wearer. For those who seem to be going through a rough patch, a carnelian is a good choice as it encourages peace and joy. The stone disperses sorrow from the wearer’s life.

Coral is usually chosen as an amulet to ward off disease and accidents. It also represents attachment and is usually gifted to older persons. Emerald symbolizes hope and rejuvenation. This would make a good gift for someone who is recuperating.

A cat’s eye means long life and warns its wearer of impending danger. Bloodstone is supposed to endow the wearer with courage and wisdom. It symbolizes brilliance and generosity. A carbuncle also symbolizes vitality and strength. A simple crystal represents purity, while a diamond means brilliance and constancy.

Gemstone jewelry has always been a favorite accessory of women. Diamonds have always been women’s best friend, but gemstones are becoming popular because of their radiance, which radiates to the women wearing them. The appeal of gemstones is that they make the women wearing them feel as beautiful as they are.

Gemstone jewelry come in so many variety that sometimes the task of choosing the gemstone is more daunting than the actual task of buying the jewelry. Whether you would be buying gemstone jewelry for yourself or for somebody else, you have to take the time to have a basic knowledge of gemstones and be able to evaluate gems and metals to be able to make a wise purchase or wise investment. You also have to learn to recognize a real gemstone from a synthetic or an imitation. There are gemstones that are very rare, and these rare gemstones are more valuable and an asset than other stones. The appearance of a gemstone is its primary attribute, which determines the price it would sell in the market.

Kinds of Gemstones

There are many kinds of gemstones, the five most popular are the diamonds, pearls, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Before going out and purchasing gemstone jewelry, you must be able to determine if one is fake or real. Know the difference between a glass or a diamond, and faux pearls from real ones. Know what color is a ruby, an emerald or a sapphire.

Diamonds are valued according to their color, clarity, cutting, and carat. If a diamond is more colorless, with lesser or no marks, is beautifully cut, and is larger in size, chances are, it is of best quality and probably would be very expensive.

Pearls, on the other hand, are so varied that seemingly no two are ever the same. Pearls could either be natural or cultured but always be alert that you do not purchase an imitation pearl.

You would always know an emerald from a ruby as an emerald has a green velvety glassy color and texture while a ruby has always been famous as the red gemstone. Emeralds are fragile as they can break easily and is in need of most care than other gemstones.

Sapphires vary in color to yellow, blue, green, orange, pink, and purple.

Choosing Your Gemstone

There are still a lot of other kinds of gemstones. Prices could range from very expensive ones to prices which you can generally afford without putting too much dent on your wallet or your credit card. Choose, therefore, according to the size of your wallet or your bank account. Whatever you intend to choose and purchase, the important thing to remember is that the gemstone must be lasting and enduring.

Caring for the Gemstone of Your Choice

If the gemstone needs special care, accordingly, the same care should be given. Exposure to chemicals or sunlight could harm these stones and reduce the value which you highly paid for. Gemstones would always make you feel as beautiful as they are, and that is what you would be paying for.

One of the most popular art forms among the Southwest Indian tribes is jewelry. Navajo jewelry in particular, has the most prominent reputation among all Southwest Indian jewelry with pendants, bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings.

There are some regularly used gemstones found in Navajo and other Southwest Indian jewelry including turquoise, hematite, jasper, malachite, aventurine, amethyst and rhodonite. This article gives a brief description as well as the Southwest Indian spiritual significances behind each gemstone.

Of course, blue color turquoise is probably the most common gemstone used in Navajo and other Southwest Indian jewelry. Turquoise is thought to promote healing and good luck. It is a stone that is also used in Southwest Indian religious ceremonies.

Hematite is a metallic gray color stone. It is used to revitalize and energize with positive effects on the bloodstream. The brownish red jasper stone is considered nurturing and protects against negativity. Jasper also promotes healing to the kidneys, liver, spleen and bladder.

Malachite, which comes in dark greens, clarifies emotions, removes obstructions and facilitates insights. This gemstone also represents fidelity and loyalty. Adventurine, which comes in light greens, boosts tranquility and releases anxiety or fear. It is a stone that promotes decisiveness and leadership.

The purple color amethyst aids intuition, conducts peaceful energy and interestingly enough, encourages freedom from addictions. Finally, rhodonite, which is a rose color stone with black and brown specs promotes positive thinking. Rhodonite is said to also help in regaining mental stability and overcoming difficulties.

These gemstones are often embedded in silver pieces such as in a bracelet or pendant. A silver background certainly makes the gemstone really stand out in Southwest Indian jewelry piece. As with other forms of jewelry, it is highly recommended to purchase Navajo and other Southwest Indian jewelry only from reputable sources in order to ensure authenticity.