JEWEL AND TECHNOLOGICAL

What is a Jewel
By definition, a jewel is a precious stone or gem. There are over 300 types of minerals that
have been used as gemstone. For instance, jade, ruby, emerald, diamond and many more. A few
gemstones are used as gems in the crystal or other form in which they are found. Most however,
are cut and polished for usage as jewelry.

How the Jewels are Formed

Jewels are formed from magma. Magma from the mantle can rise to the crust, usually
through volcanic pipes. If it reaches the surface of the earth, it solidifies as lava. However, if the
magmatic mass cools slowly in the crust, it can crystallize and form minerals.

The list of gemstone forms from this process include chrysoberyl group,
all quartz (including amethyst, citrine and ametrine), beryl (emerald, morganite and aquamarine),
garnet, moonstone, apatite, diamond, spinel, tanzanite, tourmaline, topaz and zircon

Image 1

The Rock Cycle

(https://www.gemselect.com/other-
info/gemstone-formation.php)
How do Jewels Get Their Colour

Image 2 The chemistry of gemstone colour

(https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/06/29/what-causes-the-colour-of-gemstones/)

The precise colour of the gemstone depends on its chemical composition. Many minerals
are colourless in pure form and becomes coloured when impurities are added. We observe the
gemstones as coloured because they absorb some wavelength of the visible light and reflect others.
For instance, is an object absorbs all wavelength that is incident onto it, but does not absorb blue
light, the it will appear red.

The absorption of the wavelength depends on the elements present in the structure of the
gemstone. They contain transition metals are capable of absorbing coloured light. Transition
metals have this capability because they have electrons in d orbitals. The d orbitals in transition
elements are partially filled, and this means that electrons can be promoted to higher orbitals by
absorption of photons. When they do this, the wavelength of light they absorb is removed from the
light completely. They later fall back down from this ‘excited state’ releasing the excess energy as
heat.
 For example, Ruby which is aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) containing about 0.5-1% Cr3+ ions
which are randomly distributed in positions normally occupied by Al3+ . We may view these
chromium (III) species as octahedral chromium(III) complexes incorporated into the alumina
lattice; d–d transitions at these centres give rise to the colour. In emerald, Cr 3+ ions occupy
octahedral sites in the mineral beryl (𝐵𝑒3 𝐴𝑙2 𝑆𝑖6 𝑂18). The absorption bands seen in the ruby shift
to longer wavelength, namely yellow-red and blue, causing emerald to transmit light in the green
region.

REFERENCES

1. How Gemstone Are Formed, Gem Select,

https://www.gemselect.com/other- info/gemstone-formation.php,
Retrieved on 4/12/2019.
2. ‘What Causes the Colour of Gemstones?’, Compound Interest,
https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/06/29/what-causes-the-colour-of-gemstones/
Retrieved on 4/12/2019