Rings & Things Jewelry Blog

This olivine variety is composed of magnesium iron silicate. Peridot (pronounced PEAR-ih-doh or PEAR-ih-dot) is created under great temperatures and pressures deep within the Earth, and sometimes is extruded in basaltic lavas. Its yellow-green color is mainly dependent on the amount of ferrous iron present. The traditional birthstone of August, peridot's name origin is uncertain, but several theories exist. Some attribute it to the French peritot, meaning "unclear" (probably due to the inclusion …

Carnelian is an A-grade agate. What a lot of people call "true carnelian" is the fiery red/orange color, and in theory, carnelian is naturally that color. However, most of that fiery red/orange "true" carnelian is heat-treated in secret before it reaches the gemstone-cutting factory. This apparently has been a secret for thousands of years; each part of the world thought everyone else's carnelian was naturally red, but they were heating theirs, too. When held against the light, the color-treated …

Discover the Story Behind Each Bead!From geology to metaphysics, this gemstone guide gives insight into the origins and uses of many gemstones that are used as beads. Most entries include:  • Origin of the stone's name  • "Also known as" (aka) names  • Chemical composition  • Where it is found  • Details about industry practices, enhancements, & synthetics  • Metaphysical properties  • History and fun trivia facts  • Care recommendationsA   Agate& …

With its ghostly glow, this feldspar stone almost seems magical. High-quality rainbow moonstone is usually chatoyant and sometimes displays a strong cat's eye. The floating-light phenomenon and sheen of moonstone are called adularescence or schiller. The light is scattered by alternating layers of two kinds of feldspar and produces a misty luster of white, dull yellow, yellow-gray or greenish-gray. The stone's main color also comes in shades of peach and gray. Incipient cleavage cracks often are …

Black Lava Stone Beads: Black lava stone beads are cut from basalt, a type of igneous rock formed during volcanic eruptions. Due to their holes and bubbles, lava stone beads add great texture, but not a lot of weight, to jewelry designs. Lava stone is naturally rough in texture, and our beads appear to be treated with a paraffin wax to make them smooth to the touch - plain basalt would be rather abrasive! Lava stone beads are a great base for Art Clay Silver paste and other Metal Clay pastes - j …

This pale green stone has the distinction of being the first mineral named after a person. In the mid-18th century, Dutch mineralogist Colonel Hendrik Von Prehn (1733-1785) discovered it within Jurassic dolerite (volcanic rock) on the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. For many years, prehnite was regarded as a fairly rare gemstone. However, recent finds in Australia and China have made it available through many gem dealers. Prehnite is a hydrous silicate of alumina and lime, with bright, almost l …

Black Stone beads and pendants provide basic black gemstones that will perpetually remain in style! This semiprecious gemstone closely resembles black onyx, but since we have been unable to verify its true classification, "black stone" is the most honest descriptive name we can give to these beads and pendants. Black stone jewelry components generally appear less shiny than black onyx components.

Richly striped tigereye is a variety of quartz with a fine luster. These semiprecious beads are available in their natural, unenhanced brown-gold state, and sometimes in heat-treated blue or red. Also known as African cat's eye, crocidolite, and tiger's eye, this gemstone contains oriented fibers of crocidolite (a mineral of the amphibole group) that have been replaced by silica. The fibers are twisted or crumpled instead of straight, reminiscent of sand and sunlight. Tigereye is also vitreous ( …

Onyx is a striped, semiprecious variety of agate, with white, black, brown or red alternating bands. It is different from regular agate only in that the bands of which it is composed are parallel and regular. The name onyx originates from the Greek word onyx for "fingernail" or "hoof," probably because of its weak transparency or possibly its color. Onyx may chip or scratch rather easily, so store it carefully.Onyx is one of the 12 stones mentioned in the Bible as adorning the breastplate of the …

Emerald is well-known as the birthstone for May. Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, colored green by trace amounts of chromium. In the United States, emeralds colored by vanadium are recognized as true emeralds, but in Europe, vanadium emeralds (sometimes called "Columbian Emeralds") are simply called "green beryl". Our beads are generally cut in China, and sometimes India. India-cut emeralds generally have nicer color, but small, irregularly drilled holes. China-cut gemstone beads are o …