Hubei: Chinese Turquoise American Turquoise is usually defined by where it is mined, such as Kingman or Sleeping Beauty. Hubei Turquoise has historically been referred to as simply “Chinese Turquoise”, even though it comes from many different locations. For...
THE CARDINAL GEMS Traditionally, there were five gemstones considered to be the rarest and most precious of them all, and these were known as the Cardinal Gemstones. The term “Cardinal” refers to the use of these gemstones by royalty for...
Did you know Jade came in colors other than green? Green is certainly the best-known color of Jade, but Jade is also available in Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Purple, Black and White. Which color of Jade is most valuable? What do...
WHAT'S IN A NAME? Have you ever wondered where a gemstone gets its name? Some gemstones are named after words from other languages, like Amethyst. The Greeks named this gemstone from the Greek word amethystos;(AH-METH-YOU-STOHS) Some gemstones are named after...
ALL THINGS GARNET Garnets owe their name to their red variation's similarity to a popular fruit: the word comes from a Middle English word meaning "dark red" and is derived from a Latin word meaning "grain" or "seed." This...
Mosaic Quartz - The Perfect Mix Mosaic Quartz strands from Dakota Stones are a combination of natural and human-made materials. What does that mean? It means that once upon a time someone decided to find a good use for...
Variscite: "Don't Call me Turquoise" Variscite is a rare, green, phosphate mineral. Its color varies from a yellow green to emerald green often with black or white/cream inclusions running through it. These colors are due to the presence of chromium...
