Weekday Gemology Facts

Diamonds come in a variety of colors and their colors are caused by various factors.  Trace elements, inclusions, radiation, electron changes and  post-growth plastic deformation while travelling to the surface.  

Yellow: Nitrogen

Red: Electron Changes (I am personally not familiar with this research and will look into it)

Orange: Nitrogen again!

Green: Radiation from nearby rocks that alters the electrons

Blue: Boron

Purple:  “..post-growth plastic deformation while traveling from the earth’s mantle to its surface via magma.”

Pink: Plastic deformation

Grey: Boron and other trace elements

Brown: Nitrogen and structural defects which cause distorted light refraction

Black: Inclusions of metals and graphite. 

THIS LIST DOES NOT INCLUDE ALTERATIONS BY MAN BUT ONLY WHAT IS FOUND IN NATURE.

General info:

Citrine is Novembers birthstone.  It can be found in various African and European countries but the largest producer and exporter is Brazil.  Most citrine found on the market is actually heat treated amethyst because the natural stone is rare in nature. It’s a type of quartz that has trace amounts of iron in it which gives it it’s yellow color.  It is also usually heat treated. 

Facts:

MINERAL: Quartz

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: SiO2

REFRACTIVE INDEX: 1.544 to 1.553

General info:

Scapolite, also referred to as wernerite, mizzonite, marialite and meionite is a rare gem found in honey yellow (as seen above), violet, orange, pink, brown, grey and colorless. The term scapolite applies to a few different aluminosilicate minerals of the same class, hence all the different names.

Gem quality scapolite is one of the lesser known gems because of it’s rarity and low hardness that makes it unfit for some jewelry.  It is found across the world but different regions produce different colors because of the minerals present that influence the color of the stone.  Tanzania, USA, Canada, Brazil, Myanmar are all known for different qualities and colors of the stone.  

Science:

Refractive Index:  1.536 - 1.579

Chemical formula: Marialite: 3Na(AlSi3)O8 · NaCl.Meionite: 3Ca(Al2Si2)O8 · CaCO3.

Mohs Hardness:  6 - 6.5

Ultramarine is the color made from crushing Lapis Lazuli and was used by European painters from the Medieval to Renaissance times.  Because of the stones value, only the wealthiest of patrons could afford this vivid blue color which had to be specially prepared.