For Those Who Can't Wait !

OK, for those who have e-mailed that they just can't wait on the entire list to be completed, I am sorry to say but those of you who live in Kansas, New Jersey and Virginia will have to work on your Legislatures. These three States do not have an Official State gemstone, rock or stone. Every other state has at least a gemstone or rock or stone officially designated, and in several cases some have named at least two and in a few cases all three have been officially identified. This does not include states that have also named an official mineral for their State, but Kansas, New Jersey and Virginia have not done that either.

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TURQUOISE - OPALS - CHRYSOPRASE

One thing that is essential in the markets today is that one finds a good supplier, an honest supplier, a supplier who can get the unusual, and a supplier with whom one can become friends with. With these objectives all in place, it is fairly easy to obtain some of the unusual and hard to find gemstones to be able to be creative in ones jewelry making. It has also become a necessity that one be able to make some of ones own items, to get the size and style desired. To this end, it is great when one can find Kingman Turquoise, Australian Opal, Peruvian Pink Opal and California Green Chrysoprase available in sizes large enough that will make interesting pendants and beads.
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Not all Kingman AZ Turquoise is blue, each vein can be a bit different.
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Crystal Opals from the Australian Outback.
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Peruvian Pink Opals from the Andes Range.
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Green Crystal Chrysoprase from the California Coast.
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NO - Opals are not Organic Gemstones

Despite some e-mails telling me I left Opals out of the Orgainic Gemstone write-up, I must content Opals are not Organic.

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The Opal has been a popular gem for many centuries and has a very interesting structure. Opal is considered a mineraloid because this structure is not truly crystalline. The chemistry of Opal is primarily SiO2 and varying amounts of water. The amount of water varies from 5 -10% and greater. This water can help geologists determine the temperature of the host rock at the time the opal formed.

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Although there is no crystal structure, (meaning a regular arrangement of atoms) opal does possess a structure nonetheless. Random chains of silicon and oxygen are packed into extraordinarily tiny spheres. These spheres in most Opals are irregular in size and inconsistent in concentration. Yet in Precious Opal, the variety used most often in jewelry, there are many organized pockets of the spheres. These pockets contain spheres of approximately equal size and have a regular concentration, or structure, of the spheres. This has the effect of diffracting light at various wavelengths, creating colors. Each pocket produces a different color and with a different intensity, depending on the angle from which a viewer sees it. The multicolored flashes of light that Opal emits gives it a truly beautiful and valuable look. This effect is called a "play of light", and not "opalescence". The latter term describes the milky nature of the translucence of opal, and is more properly compared to the appearance of water to which a few drops of milk have been added.

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Please check my write-up from 10/07/2008 for more about Opals, especially Australian Opals.

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Thanks to Galleries.com for additional information on the Opal characteristics.

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CRYSTALS IN THE RAW 6 !

Addition crystals/minerals for viewing and starting to get into some lapidary slabs also as get polished up.

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Hematite Crystals from Morocco

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Cerussite Crystal from Morocco

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Amazonite Crystal from Colorado

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Chryscolla (Sanora Sunrise) Slab from Mexico

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Koroit Slab from Australia

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Thanks to several for providing specimens and to the Scapteguy for information on these crystals.
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CRYSTALS IN THE RAW 3 !

Here are some more raw crystals/minerals for your viewing.

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Chalcopyrite (Peacock Stone) from Arizona.

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Zircon Crystal from Brazil.

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Corundum Crystal from Madagascar.

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Cavansite Crystal Cluster from Oregon.

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Analcine Crystal cluster from Washington.

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Thanks to several for providing specimens and to the Scapteguy for information on these crystals.
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Gemology Tools Professional

I have been asked by several how I can come up with detailed information pertaining to various gemstones and minerals so quickly when asked questions about the various stones, especially after they they have spend hours on the internet looking through many web-sites, picking up additional pieces of information here and there, but never getting a complete listing. Well first of all, it is not that I have it all memorized by a long shot nor remembered. It certainly does help however to have a good working knowledge of the gemstones and being an ISG Registered Gemologist certainly helps in that area. But when I have access to my work computer and/or my laptop, I have at my disposal a program called Gemology Tools Professional, or in short "GT Pro". With the concurrence of Bill Wise of GT Pro, I hope to introduce many of you to this fabulous program, and for those of you working with gemstones, doing appraisal work or even those that just want detailed information for your hobby, it is the greatest.

Gemology Tools Professional is a Windows based software program that contains the most complete gemology references currently available. Included are such gemology aids as the Gemstone Database which gives you access to information on over 1,950 gemstone species, varieties, trade names and misnomers. Also included are the Diamond Weight Estimator, the Colored Stone Weight Estimator, the Pearl Grader, a diamond cut grading system, a round diamond re-cutting analyzer and much, much more. The Gemstone Database provides over 30 facts, properties and characteristics for almost all known gemstones. Over 970 gemstone photographs are included. The Gemstone Database also features the new Gemstone Separator, the easiest way to make a gem identification and the new Inclusion Gallery which provides you with over 275 visual examples of gemstone and diamond inclusions and surface features. With access to over 1,950 gemstone species, varieties, trade names and misnomers you can look up just about any fact, property, characteristic or photograph in just seconds. With over 970 gemstone photographs, rough and cut, you can get a visual representation of many gemstones and gemstone inclusions. You can sort the database by Specific Gravity or by Refractive Index. You can use the Visual Crown Angle calculator to get a good look at how the crown angle changes when the table width or crown height is changed. One thing it doesn’t do is write appraisals, although the Custom Piece Calculator will generate text for each item that can help you with creating an appraisal. This is helpful if you don’t have appraisal specific software.

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Gemology Tools Profession contains the following sections ----

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Gemstone Database
Diamond Weight Estimator
Colored Stone Weight Estimator
Cabochon Weight Estimator
Gemstone Separator
Inclusion Gallery
Colored Stone Weight Estimator

Cabochon Weight Estimator
NAJA Diamond Cut Grading
Pearl Grader Guide
Gemology Review
Find a Gemstone

Diffraction Spectral Images
Gemology Glossary
Gemstone Photos

Round Diamond Recut Planner

Data Charts
Card File

Calculator

Appointment Calendar

Units Converter
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By going to http://www.gemologytools.com/ one can keep current on the version of the program they own by checking the Revision Tracker. Additional information concerning theh program and details about each section can be found at the same web-site location. For the gemstone enthusiast or gemology student who does n't need all teh bells and whistles, there is a cheaper version of the program called GT Gemstones. It has the same gemstone content as GT Pro but it does not contain the various upgraded professional tools.

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The photographs used in this BLOG are copyrighted and are used with the permission of Bill Wise and Martin Fuller of GT Pro. They show examples of the type of photographs and displays you will see in the various sections of the program. Other special detailed photos of special stones, inclusions or identifying marks in sythetics and simulants, are taken by numerious other persons and you must obtain the program to be able to see them. A major thanks to Bill for letting me do this BLOG on his outstanding program.

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If you decide to obtain this program, please let Bill know you heard about his program thru this BLOG. You can order it at: http://www.gemologytools.com/html/purchase_gt_pro.html and he accepts PayPal.

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