The quest to siphon out rocks and minerals that claim one thing when they are actually another continues. In this article, we happen about examples, such as the Arizona spinel, Arkansas diamond, and the Chinese opal, which could really be about three different things depending on various characteristics like color.
With a hardness of 8, the Arizona spinel is not really a spinel and actually a garnet, which is the birthstone of January birthdays. Spinels are hard, semi-precious stones that consist of octahedral crystals. There are many different colors that these crystals appear as, including yellow and black. These stones have often been mistaken for rubies. Tracing the family line of the spinel, you will find that they are included within the feldspar family. Some of the places you will encounter these beauties are throughout Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Burma. Additional varieties of this stone include the Sapphire spinel, which is blue in color, as is the Ghanospinel. The red Balas ruby; purple-red Almandine; orange Rubcelle, as well as the green-colored Chlorspinel are all members of the spinel family.
Heading to another state within the U.S. is the Arkansas diamond, which may seem like the real deal, but is really a rock crystal. These minerals are transparent and crystalline in appearance. Rock crystals are the purest form of quartz, showcasing the beauty of a semi-precious stone. This is probably why the mineral was associated with the diamond.
Following in the footsteps of misnomer minerals is the Chinese opal, which could really be a variety of different possibilities. The first is the pearl opal, which also goes by the name of Tabasheer or the tabashir opal. This is an organic stone that forms within the damages parts of bamboo plants. It is a hydrated form of silica, which has a rounded shape, resembling seed pearls.
When the Chinese opal is a moonstone, it is composed of albite and orthoclase, presenting a semi-translucent appearance. Often seen as a whitish-blue stone, it is not uncommon to encounter yellow, orange, gray, red, as well as colorless varieties. During the early part of the 20th century, moonstone gained popularity as a material used to create Art Nouveau jewelry. With a hardness of 6, this stone is also known as adularia. The rarest forms are form in albite and labradorite pieces.
Chinese opals in the form of chalcedony belong to the microcrystalline quartz family, showcasing a milky, gray or blue color. Some of the variations of chalcedony can be found in the waxy red carnelian, as well as the brownish-red sard. Jasper is also included in this family, as is onyz, which is black and white in color. Characteristics of chalcedony include porous properties, as well as translucency. This particular stone possesses a hardness of 6.5 ”“ 7.
When it comes to the Imperial Mexican jade, you may be disappointed that this regal name does not present a piece of jade at all, but an example of calcite that has been dyed green in color.