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Beader’s dictionary


C

CHALCEDONY (See products)

The term chalcedony designates all varieties of quartz and microcrystalline and cryptocrystalline. It includes agate, carnelian, jasper, onyx and other varieties of quartz. However, the term chalcedony is often used to denote the common chalcedony sensu stricto. It can have a milky appearance and be transparent, and bluish white-grey. It can be dyed as it is porous. It can be found in Brazil, the United States, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. A little bit of history: The name comes from the Greek "Karchêdôn", an ancient transit city on the Bosphorus (Istanbul strait). Roman and Egyptian used it in cameos, seals and amulets. Today, it is often found in the form of a cabochon, as beads, rings or artifacts. In the Neolithic period, chalcedony was used to make tools.
J

JASPER (See products)

Jaspers are precious stones that are part of the quartz family. Jaspers are opaque stones that are available in many colors and are usually freckled, striped or multicolored. Monochromatic jaspers are extremely rare. Jaspers are often found as cabochons, beads or used to create art pieces or mosaics. There are various types of Jaspers; the picture jasper which has a sand color veined with brownish-black, the mookaite which is found in shades of pink to dark red, the leopard skin jasper which is spotted, the orbicular jasper which is sprinkled with circular spots that range from beige to black, the dalmatian jasper that is beige with black spots, the jaspagate (also agate jasper) which is yellow, brown or green mixed with agate, the stratified ribboned jasper that comes in various colors, the sanguine jasper or heliotrope which is dark green with red accents. The main deposits are found in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, in the United-States, in India, Kazakhstan, madagascar, Russia and Uruguay.
Q

QUARTZ

The term "quartz" refers to a family of minerals within the group of silicates. Quartz composes 12% of the lithosphere (outermost shell) and is the most common mineral. Quartzs are divided into different categories, among them the macrocrystalline quartz (amethyst, citrine, rock crystal, quartz smoke, rose quartz, blue quartz, quartz cat-eye, iron-eye, falcon-eye and tiger-eye ) and microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony, carnelian, onyx, agate, chrysoprase, jasper and petrified wood).
T

TIGER IRON

Tiger iron is a type of quartz made from layers of hematite, magnetite, tigers eye and sometimes red jasper.
Z

ZODIAC STONES

During Antiquity as well as Middle-Ages, it was believed that the formation of gems was influenced by constellations, some gems were as bright as stars. They were thought to be the mirrors of the cosmos. Therefore each planet was associated with one or more gems that possess “magical” properties. These beliefs still circulate in todays modern society, even though there are no tangible proof to support them.
Sign Stones
ARIES Carnelian, red jasper
TAURUS Carnelian, pink quartz
GEMINI Citrine, tiger's eye
CANCER Chrysoprase, aventurine
LEO Rock crystal, golden quartz
VIRGO Citrine, yellow agate
LIBRA Orange citrine, smoked quartz
SCORPIO Blood red Carnelian
SAGITTARIUS Sapphire, chalcedony
CAPRICORN Onyx, rutilated quartz
AQUARIUS Turquoise, falcon eye
PISCES Amethyst, quartz amethyst