GEMS

 The red diamond is one of the rarest gemstones in the world. There are less
than 40 known to exist worldwide. The going price is about $800,000 per carat.
 Tanzanite was named by Tiffany & Co. in honor of the east African country
where it was discovered in the 1960s. Its scientific name is zoisite.
 An opal can have a water content of up to 30%.

Opal from Coober Pedy, Australia – Wikimedia Commons

 Some ancient sailors used aquamarine as an antidote for seasickness.
 It takes 1-3 years to grow a cultured pearl.
 It’s a common misconception that diamonds are formed from coal. Actually,
diamonds grow in volcanic zones deep inside the earth. Some are the product of
meteor impacts.
 The phenomenon of “cat’s eye” (or “tiger’s eye”) is called chatoyancy.
 Tourmaline (an alternative birthstone for October) is piezoelectric, meaning it can
hold a static charge. If you rub it vigorously, it will attract small debris. The
opposite ends will polarize like a magnet.
 Tourmaline also comes it a vast array of color combinations. One variety, known
as watermelon tourmaline, has a dark green “rind” surrounding a bright pink
interior.

Watermelon tourmaline. Mmm!

 Some of the finest sapphires in the US are mined in Yogo Gulch, Montana. This
deposit is believed to contain another 28 million carats.
 In 1985, an extremely rare mineral known as benitoite was named California’s
state gem. Its primary source is a particular kind of rock formation in San Benito
County. The flourescent blue gemstone has also been found in Japan and
Arkansas.
 Benitoite from the San Benito headwaters – Wikimedia Commons

 A pink sapphire is a pink sapphire – but a red sapphire is a ruby.

 The name zircon is often confused with cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconias, or “CZ’s” are
gems man-made from zirconium dioxide as a diamond simulant; zircon is a natural
gemstone. Blue zircon is a stunning alternative birthstone for December.

https://fayesdiamondmine.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/weird-wonderful-gemstone-trivia/

1 Can you name the lovely yellow gem that is the birthstone for November?
Answer: Topaz 

A topaz is the birthstone for November. This gem comes in various shades, with the most popular
being yellow. If given as a gift to anyone, it stands for friendship. During the Middle Ages, if any stone
came with a yellow colouring, it was referred to as a topaz. Superstitions associated with this stone are
that it protects one against evils, calamities, poisons, epilepsy, headaches and asthmatic attacks. It
keeps married couples from fighting, while increasing their desire and passion for one another, and it
invites love, prosperity and bravery into your life.

2  My traditional birthstone is a shimmering stone! It was called "Cupid

Paederos" by Romans; it means a child beautiful as love. It is the national
gemstone of Australia. What is the name of the stone for the tenth month?
Answer: opal 

The traditional birthstones come from the twelve stones in Aaron's breastplate. There is a lot of
speculation on which country started the tradition of wearing a birthstone, Poland or Germany? In
1912, a modern list of birthstones was adapted in the United States by the National Association of
Jewellers. My modern stone would be pink tourmaline for October.

3  What gem is birthstone of January?

Answer: garnet 

Garnet is thought to give its wearer safe travels and is often a gem associated with strong friendships
and trust. It fits my nephew perfectly because he is always smiling and friendly to everyone he meets. 

Garnet can be found in multiple colors including red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, blue,
black, and pink. However the blue form of garnet is especially rare. Three of the main mining sources
in the world for Garnet are Africa, Sri Lanka, and India.

4 My birthday is in a month with two birthstones. The more well-known

birthstone is the pearl, and the second birthstone is the alexandrite. What
month is my birthday in?
Answer: June 

Pearls are produced in oysters and can be white, pink, gray or black in color. The alexandrite can be a
very expensive gemstone; it appears to be one color in natural light and another color in incandescent
light. The month June is named for the Roman goddess Juno. The astrological signs of the zodiac that
fall in June are Gemini and Cancer.

5 Why are almost all amethysts heat treated before they are sold?
Answer: To enrich the color 
Almost all amethyst are heat treated to enrich the color. High quality stones are a deep medium
purple with rose colored flashes. The heating process is an exacting process. If heated at too high a
heat or for too long the stone can turn various shades of golden brown. Radium radiation is also used
to darken some stones which are very light in color. These stones are known to lose their color and
should not be worn while sunbathing, while under a black light or in a solarium.

6 The Eureka diamond is not the most beautiful, neither is it the largest. It has
another claim to fame. What is that claim?
Answer: The first diamond found in South Africa 

The Eureka was the first diamond to be found in South Africa.In 1866 it was literally picked up from
the ground by a 15 year old boy when he saw something shining in the sun. It was put on display at
the 1867 Paris Exhibition, after which it returned to South Africa where the Governor of Cape Colony
bought it for £500. He took it with him to America, where it stayed for the next 100 years. It was cut
and polished from the rough size of 21 carats to 10.73 carats at some time during this period. 100
years after it was discovered De Beers purchased it and donated it to the South African people. It can
be seen in the Kimberley Mine Museum.

7 Which birthstone is also called the moonstone, and is mostly white or a light
pink in colour?
Answer: pearl 

Pearls are found inside oysters and other mollusks, and are often used to make jewelry, such as pearl
necklaces. They can be white or pink in colour (and other shades too). A natural pearl is very rare; this
is because it takes about eight years to create a single pearl. Pearls are the birthstone for June.

8 Larimar is mined in what location?

Answer: The Dominican Republic 

Larimar is found in the Dominican Republic. There is a mine in Barahona.

9 So you probably know that the January birthstone is a garnet, right? From
what fruit does its name originate?
Answer: Pomegranate 

Yes, it's a pomegranate! The name comes from the ancient Greek myth concerning Persephone,
daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She was abducted by Hades and, as a result, forced to spend a third
of the year in the Underworld because she had eaten the seeds of the pomegranate fruit. 

The Phoenicians (a people similar to the ancient Greeks) called the pomegranate 'punica geranatum'.
The Latin word derived from this is 'granatus', which translates as 'seed'. The word garnet comes from
the Latin translation. 

10 What is the proper term for any flawless diamond over 99 carats?
Answer: Paragon 

A flawless diamond of any color that is free from all inclusions and over 99 carats is referred to as
paragon. There are very few of these gemstones in the world, as most large diamonds are not
flawless. The largest flawless diamond in the world in 2011 bore the name The Paragon Diamond and
weighed in at 137.82 carats. It was the 10th largest white diamond in the world in 2011 and was cut in
an unusual seven sided shield cut.
15 This common crystalline formation makes up for the majority of all false
diamonds. What is it?
 From Quiz: Ingots We Trust (click to play it). Question by author netherrealm. 
Answer: Zircon 

Zircon is a highly common element, a derivative of zirconium. It can be found in all three phases of
rock, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary, and in addition has high refractive properties, nearly
equal to diamond. For this reason, it is often used as a substitute for the precious mineral.

Interestingly enough, powdered zircon can cause medical trauma if exposed to the eyes, and can
cause short-term irritation to the skin, yet it is still the most common form of gemstone substitute.

16 Turquoise is a hydrous phosphate of two minerals. One is copper. Which is

the other?
 From Quiz: Guilding the Stones: December (click to play it). Question by author JaneMarple. 

Answer: Aluminium 

The colour of turquoises can vary from white to sky blue. They can also be blue-green to a greenish-
yellow. The green colour might be the impurities of iron, which sometimes replaces aluminium.

17 Feldspar is the most abundant mineral in the earth's crust, with

approximately 60%. Citrine is a variety of the second most common. What is
this mineral?
 From Quiz: Guilding the Stones: November (click to play it). Question by author Quiz_Beagle. 
Answer: Quartz 

Citrine is indeed a quartz - along with such popular gems as tiger's eye amethyst. Now for the
scientific bit - citrine is SiO2, silicon dioxide with colloidal iron hydrates. If you have never seen a
citrine, although it is named after the French for lemon, it can range from the palest yellow in many
shades through to brown.
http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia/General/Gems-and-Birthstones-573_3.html