Precious Stones Myanmar Stone Jewelry

Gem Ruby Jade

AMETHYST

- Occidental or True Amethyst is a form of quartz. or coloured Rock crystal consisting of silica. Oriental amethyst is alumina. Others are violone, a silicate of aluminium and lithium. It contains iron in the quartz. The deeper the colour, the more valuable - due to presence of manganese oxide. Oriental Amethyst or Violet Sapphire is a form of corundum and similar to sapphire and ruby. A beautiful sample is a violet gem weighing 48 carats in the Allison Gem Collection, Australia The best examples come from Siberia, Ceylon, Brazil and Persia but a large one found in a cave of amethyst in Brazil is a huge crystal which measures 33' by 6' x 3'- the largest ever found.

AQUAMARINE 

-This gemstone is a transparent, pale water blue beryl with iron giving it the green/blue tint, varying from pale green to deep sea green. It is relatively inexpensive and mined in India, Siberia and Brazil, the most abundant source of aquamarine. This blue green stone is heated to produce the blue colour so popular in modern jewellery. A magnificent example of 46 carats is in the Allison Australian gem Collection.

BERYL 

-Beryl is used as a copper alloy and also in constructing the atomic bomb. Beryl and Aquamarine differ only in colour - Beryl is bright blue to white and Aquamarine is sea green to deep green. Best known is the deep green form of beryl, the precious emerald. The yellow beryl is the heliodor and pink beryl is morganite and there is also an extremely rare Red Beryl. Beryl is known for its huge crystals. Madagascar yielded a single crystal weighing nearly 40 tons far surpassing the 18-27 foot monster ones previously obtained from New England.

BLOODSTONE

- Bloodstone is opaque and always cut as a cabochon, or un-faceted stone. It is a variety of green Jasper with many blood red specks in its composition. These are formed by iron oxide with which it is impregnated. Ancient Egyptians highly valued bloodstone amulets. It was once very popular in cutting seals and cameos. Found in India, Siberia and Russia. The Chinese believe it produces best results when set in gold.

CARNELIAN (Cornelian)

- This is a translucent, orangey-red chalcedony sometimes found in yellowish tones and white, frequently with two combined. On exposure to the Sun the hues become brighter but not in artificial light. It is capable of high polish which was why it was considered as the best stone to use as a seal, according to Pliny. The transparent red type of carnelian is known as Sard and comes from Arabia, India, New Zealand, Europe, Mesopotamia, Surinam and Siberia. Many ancient Etruscan and Egyptian scarabaei have been found carved from this stone. Buddhism includes this in sacred 7 stones -Tibetans call it A-yu and as talisman has occult properties.

CORAL

- Coral is formed by calcium carbonate in the skeletons of colonies of soft bodied molluscs in tropical waters. It ranges in colour from the rare black, to pink and reddish-orange, the classical "coral" of fashion. It is also found in a blue colour. The ancient Romans and Greeks used it in ornamentation. Red, pink, white and blue corals are made of calcium carbonate but black and golden corals are formed of the horny substance conchiolin. In all corals the skeletal structure is visible as delicately striped of spotted graining. Red and pink corals from the Mediterranean. were popular for centuries and often used in rosaries. There was an extensive trade through Europe into Arabia and to India where coral was also used medicinally. The black and golden corals fished off Hawaii, Australia and West Indies are more recent discoveries.

CRYSTAL

- Rock Crystal or Frozen Water has always been considered a pure stone and once used as a divining stone and in modern fortune telling when the gypsies keep the tradition alive in using a crystal ball, a custom which is said to have begun in Persia. The stone is traditionally associated with mystical properties and linked to the moon. It is one of the 7 sacred substances of Buddhism. Its crystal has 6 sides and rarely is it found in large pieces - but the largest quartz crystal ever found was in Brazil - it was over 5m long and weighed more than 48 tonnes! Synthetic rock crystal is manufactured in Japan for industry and also jewellery.

DIAMOND

- Diamond - the beautiful and most popular precious stone consists of pure carbon, the blackest of substances, which crystallizes in the cubic system at enormous pressures and high temperatures, sometimes from depth of 150 km in the earth. Apart from its unique flashes of light and colour from its faceted stone, the diamond has special properties and is the hardest of all stones. The best gem quality stones are colourless and transparent with a slightly blue tint but the pink and tinted diamonds are becoming popular also. Diamonds are said to have first been found in India more than 2000 years ago. Previously in that country diamonds were known but were never cut because it was believed that it had magical properties were destroyed by cutting. Cutting in Europe began after 1300 AD. Lasers are now used to cut diamonds but the only mineral capable of cutting a diamond is a diamond. Top world producers now are northern Australia which supplies 1/4 of the world's needs - particularly for industrial purposes and also the coloured "champagne diamonds" and in the South African Kimberley region.

EMERALD

- Emeralds are green forms of Beryl and the best are found in Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia. Also India and Pakistan but the finest are said to come from Colombia near Chivor where they occur in veins within dark shales and limestone. The Ural Mountains which are rich in emeralds retain the world market. Egypt's emerald mines are over 4,000 years old. Pliny speaks of a colossal emerald statue of Serapis 13 1/2 feet high, in the ancient Egyptian labyrinth. It was called the "king" of green stones with extremely high value because of its rarity and the fact that seldom was there gemstone cut that was without flaw. The largest known emerald discovered was 11,000 carats found in an uncut state in South Africa. The largest cut stone of quality was 1,347 carats but it had obvious flaws. The largest perfect stone known was the Tsar of Russia's - 30 carats. The Crown of the Andes made in 1593-99 in South America had 453 emeralds the largest being of 45 carats. However synthetic emeralds in modern times have plausible inclusions so testing must be done carefully in determining the quality of stone.

Jewelry: Popular Gemstones - Garnet to Turquoise

GARNET - Garnets are found in various shades and colours from brown to purple shades. But its dark red variety is valued as a precious stone although the mineral is quite common. Garnet crystals are 12 faced. The stones have been prized in jewellery for over 5000 years. When many garnet crystals are gathered in a rock cavity they are likened to a ripe pomegranate. Cut as brilliants, garnets are used as ring stones with large ones as pendants, often with cabochon cut and carved. Garnets and star garnets from are found in Australia.

LAPIS LAZULI - This stone consists of blue silicate lazurite with variable amounts of calcite and the brassy gold flecks of pyrite which is more abundant in the poorer quality material. Afghanistan has the best quality that consists mostly of lazurite and is deep blue. In ancient times it was also known as "sapphirus". The Egyptians used to ground it into pigment to use in paintings and murals and in eye shadow and used in manufacture of amulets and symbols, particularly in the representations of the goddess Isis and in the Sacred Eye of Horus. Later it was ground for use as pigment in religious paintings for the glorious blue of the Madonna's robes. In China, royal seals and carvings were made of it. It is considered as a sacred stone in Buddhism. Lapis lazuli is one of the most ancient in items of jewellery - having been known and used for over 6000 years. It was mined in Afghanistan and Siberia near Lake Baikal, but nowadays produced profusely in Chile.

MOONSTONE - Moonstone is a Feldspar, comprised of calcium sodium or potassium aluminium silicates. Sri Lanka is the most important source of Moonstone. India produces strongly coloured stones as beige, pink, green, yellow, grey, white and brown. It is considered to be a sacred stone in India and by tradition, it is always cut en cabochon. It is an important stone in Ayurvedic medicine. Beautiful sheens come as with other stones, with subjected light and its particular sheen is called "adularescence" and most prized when the sheen is bluish in colour. Throughout the world it is associated with the Moon and very popular semi precious stone is used in jewellery everywhere. Their fascination lies in their gentle glowing and elusive sheen and above all the softness of their quality, compared with the strength and brilliance of faceted jewels.

OPAL - Opal is one of the few gem minerals which is non crystalline. Opals are referred to in golden Myanmar and in legend. Pliny is said to have liked it and Orpheus is said to have declared that the opal 'fills the heart of the gods with joy". Shakespeare refers to ... "this miracle and Queen of gems". Opal consists of pure silica (silicon combined with oxygen) with traces of numerous compounds which explains the many differing types. Opals were rare in antiquity. It is thought to have become commonly known only after the time of Alexander the Great. The only known mines in the earliest times were the Carpathian Mountains. The stone is extremely porous with the weight varying in proportion to the amount of contained water. The colours are determined by structure and the light which causes ever changing effect. Finest opal and opalized wood and fossils are found also in Australia at Coober Pedy and Andamooka. France also supplies some and also Idaho... Opals are usually cut as en cabochon. Their varieties include - Hungarian opals are very fine and were once popular in Europe.

Mexican Opals fine transparent variety of opal - Black opals are extremely vivid flashes of colour including red, with dark background and of highest value Milky opal or white opals are opaque with smaller and less spectacular softer markings and colours. Fire opals or Harlequin Opal is the finest quality and variety of gemstone Water Opal is clear and colourless with internal play of colour. Rose Opal or potch opal has a beautiful pink colour but opaque. Hydrophane Opal is opaque but appears colourless in water.

PEARL - Along with Coral, this extremely popular gemstone used in jewellery, is found in the seas not the land and is therefore not of the same composition nor characteristics of the earth born gemstones. Care must be taken to preserve the quality of pearls. Pearls are made of calcium carbonate formed within an oyster. The basic irritant is usually a grain of sand which stimulates the oyster to cover it with its own body secretion - eventually forming the well known round and perfect pearl. The lustre of the pearl comes from minute crackles on its surface - finer than those on opals. Their lustre increases in the body warmth of human beings and therefore the practice of allowing the shop attendants to wear the strings of pearl has a practical basis. Different pearl qualities depend upon colour and size and range from the tiniest "seed pearls" to the rare gems of considerable size Harvesting pearls from the wild is singularly unrewarding and cultured pearls have been able to meet the demand for these beautiful natural ornaments. Cultured pearls have been produced in China for several centuries as now in Japan, Australia and the Pacific.

RUBY - Next to diamond, rubies (and sapphires) are the most valued of the gems. Ruby is a variety of corundum, When the corundum includes chromium, it becomes ruby, when it contains titanium and iron instead and therefore is blue - the sapphire. The world's finest come from Myanmar, Pakistan and Afghanistan, also Burma, Thailand, India and Ceylon .Burmese ones are exceptionally beautiful - found near Mogo N.E. of Mandalay. "Pigeon Blood" rubies are the highest in the scale of value. Thai Rubies are often found with spinel and are darker red than the Burmese Rubies. A fine ruby is a magnificent gemstone. Ruby has been synthetically produced successfully since 1904. But the genuine rubies are valued because of their rarity and therefore have not dropped in commercial value, in fact have risen. Rubies are also used in Space research in connection with communication systems to cut out surface sounds of the earth and pick up beams from space.

SAPPHIRE - Pink Sapphires, Blue sapphires and Yellow Sapphires are found in Thailand and East Africa. They are next to diamond in hardness and therefore resistant to wear. Australia is the largest producer of blue and golden sapphires. Non-blue sapphires are White Sapphires or golden Sapphires. The largest sapphire known was 950 carats from Burma. The largest in Australia was 886 carats from Queensland in 1934. There are star sapphires and star rubies found which contain fine fibre crystals giving star effect when cut in en cabochon.

TOPAZ - Topaz is an aluminium silicate containing about 20% water and fluorine and comes in several colours. Yellow quartz is sold today under the name of topaz and it is one of the most popular colours, although there are others which are greenish and of reddish tint.. golden Topaz from Brazil is a golden brown to pink colour. The main suppliers are Brazil, Germany and Russia. Japan also produces topaz. Topaz is harder than Rock crystal and is known for its huge crystals - a colourless one from Brazil was found weighing as much as 600 pounds, well formed and clear throughout. The largest known topaz was cut in 1977 and weighed 21,327 carats. Another is known at 36,853 carats. Found in Australia topaz is usually light yellow, green and blue also. Hardness 8 and Orthorhombic crystals brilliant and beautiful stone found in quartz rose rocks. Associated with tin ores . Tinted by heating. Sky blue topaz found in the Scottish Highlands, Brazil and Siberia.

TURQUOISE - This stone is composed of aluminum copper sulphate hydrated phosphate of aluminum and copper) and is only medium hard. Egyptians are the first people known to mine it in Sinai over 6000 years ago. The finest is said to be found in Naishapur, Iran, where it has been mined for about 3000 years. It is found also in Sinar, Turkistan and Tibet. The colors range from pale blue to deep green/blue. Water content affects the color of the stone. It responds to human touch and warmth and in the Middle East is used as a reflector of babies' health in the crib etc. It is relatively soft and has a waxy luster. It is porous and its color may deteriorate if skin oils and cosmetics are absorbed during wear.

It's famous for its change of color when difficult influences are near and for this reason was attached to cradle Turquoise Bracelet of babies to reflect the child's vitality and to alert them to any change in tone and color. Some believe it becomes moist and changes color when warning against Poison. The gem is regarded as a pledge of true affection and drawing evil influences. The green variety is found in New Mexico and in Australia. Author Michael Russell, your Independent guide to Jewelry.