Design Component Glossary
ICJ loves to create with a variety of gemstones. Since they can vary in name, size, quality and color, the teacher in her wanted to include this glossary to help you decipher between the various components used in CJ Harlan Designs.
One of the links she has found and uses to help her students learn more online, is: http://gemologyonline.com/bigframe.html
Enjoy!
Components:
The name and description will be located under each picture.
One of the links she has found and uses to help her students learn more online, is: http://gemologyonline.com/bigframe.html
Enjoy!
Components:
The name and description will be located under each picture.
Agate
Agate is a type of quartz. It is used as an ornamental stone and typically banded in appearance. It is characterized by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Agate can be dyed, but in its natural form it is most often a variation of opaque and transparent white, off white, carmel, brown, rust, red, grey and black.
Amber
Amber is a hard fossilized resin coming from coniferous trees. Its typical color can be pale to deeper yellow tones, rust or various shades of brown; usually translucent or transpicuous. Depending on where it originates, it can be milky in its appearance and can even be green in color. Unlike other gemstones, pieces of amber with encapsulated insects or plant matter, have higher valued.
Amethyst
Amethyst is a precious gemstone consisting of a violet or purple array of quartz.
Ametrine
Ametrine is a naturally occurring variety of quartz which can be a mixture of amethyst and citrine with areas of purple,
yellow, and/or orange, as seen above.
yellow, and/or orange, as seen above.
Ammolite
Ammolite is a rare gemstone as it is created from a fossil. It looks like an opal and exhibits many colors, like that of a rainbow. Its rarity makes it as valuable as red diamonds and alexandrite.
Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a precious stone, comprised mostly of a light bluish-green variety of beryl.
Aventurine
Aventurine is a translucent mineral containing small reflective particles. It is often a quartz consisting of iron or mica mixtures, or feldspar that contains hematite.
Bali Silver Beads
Bali, a small Indonesian island, is known for its traditions in the arts dating back to the 14th century. No matter the material, a bead made on the island of Bali is technically a Bali bead...yet in jewelry design, the term "Bali bead" refers to a handmade sterling silver bead made using traditional patterns. Silversmiths on the island have been passing down their bead-making methods and patterns for generations. Artisans have continued to immigrate to Bali from nearby Java, bringing with them their traditions and patterns to share. We benefit greatly by the incredible skill and amazing expertise of these artisans, making each bead by hand with great detail. Some of their family's history is captured in each psttern designs we see, use and wear today. Whenever possible, I buy directly from the families who make and sell their beads making sure that their artisans make more per bead, much more than if i were to buy from a retailer.
Beryl
Beryl is a transparent mineral with colors of pale green, blue, or yellow containing a silicate of aluminum and beryllium. Beryl can be used as a gemstone and may be confused with: Labradorite, Quartz, Scapolite, Topaz, and Fluorite. The beryl family is: Emerald, Aquamarine, Morganite, Bixbite or red beryl, Goshenite, Heliodor, Reisling Beryl and Green Beryl.
Bloodstone
Bloodstone is a type of green chalcedony with red spots or bands and is often used as a gemstone. The red spots can look like or resemble spots or streaks of blood, hence the name.
Bluelace Agate
Bluelace Agate is often a translucent agate with blue or lavender and milky white banding.
Carnelian
Carnelian is a type of chalcedony originating in a wide range of colors, varying from orange, orange-white, orange-yellow, orange-red, reddish-brown to nearly black.
Chalcedony
Chalcedony is a type of quartz which can be semitransparent and has a waxy gloss appearance and can be white to gray, grayish-blue or almost-black in color.
Chrysoprase
Chrysoprase, also spelled 'chrysophrase' is used as a gemstone, is most often apple-green in color, but can also be a deeper green, as well.
Citrine
Citrine is a variety of quartz of many colors. The most common is a yellowish to light orange tone, followed by greenish-yellow or brownish-yellow. Citrine can often be found together with amethyst, in the same crystal, creating ametrine.
Coral
Coral is a hardened substance formed from the bones of very small sea creatures, found at the bottom of the sea, its color originating in orange, red, pink, white or off-white. Due to over harvesting, efforts are being made to perserve coral and change the way in which we collect it with more limitations, creating more value all around. Corla can be dyed to enhance its already beautiful muted colors.
Corundum
Corundum is aluminum oxide which is extremely hard and can be used as an abrasive. Precious stones, such as rubies and sapphires, are noted as varieties of corundum.
Crystal
A type of quartz, crystal is usually a solid clear mineral. Crystal differs from glass in that glass lacks a crystalline structure and is not as valuable.
Cubic Zirconia
Like silicon carbide, cubic zirconia (cz) is an artificial gemstone that is a diamond substitute, usually colorless with a high hardness, often confusing people to think it is zircon. However zircon and cubic zirconia are completely different. CZ is popular due to its low cost, diamond-like sparkle and durability.
Cymophane (Cat's Eye)
Cymophane is a type of chrysoberyl, translucent and yellowish in color. Itss also known as "cat’s eye" because of a line in the center of the stone which makes the stone look like the eye of a feline. The most valuable color is considered to be the honey color with a white center line.
Diamond
A diamond, the hardest mineral on earth, is a colorless precious stone of pure carbon. The clearer a diamond is, the higher its preceived value. A diamonds value is judged by its color, cut, clarity and carat, graded based on a system which is developed in the early 1950's by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Emerald
An emerald is considered to be a very valuable and precious gemstone which is often a bright green transparent form of beryl. Emeralds which have a higher transparency and darker green color, are considered to be more valuable.
Enamel
Enamel is a material that is applied to the surface of pottery, metals and other substances to add color, create a shine and serve as decoration in detailing a specific design.
Feldspar
Used as a gemstone, feldspar is a type of crystal which is typically colorless or pale in color.
Garnet
A garnet is a precious gemstone, generally a dark red or green, and consisting of granular crystals.
Gemstone
A gemstone is a precious or semiprecious stone typically used as decoration. A gemstone reveals its beautiful color and patterns after it is cut and polished. Despite the name, not all the gemstones are minerals. Materials such as amber and coral, are also considered to be gemstones.
Hematite
Hematite, the official mineral of Alabama, is a type of opaque mineral that contains iron, shiny silver in its appearance after abrading. During the process of cutting and abrading, a blood-red powder is given off - thus creating a name derived from the Greek word ‘hema’ which means blood.
Hessonite
Hessonite, a variety of garnet, can be a light to dark golden yellow, rust, or brown in color.
Howlite
Howlite is a commonly used white gemstone with fine spider web matrix of white, gray and/or black and can often be dyed to imitate turquoise.
Idocrase
Idocrase, a dark green or brownish mineral, was first found in Vesuvius, Italy, so it's also known as Vesuvius stone.
Iolite
Ioite is a type of gemstone with blue color similar to that of a sapphire. It can also be violet in color. Its blue or violet color is visible from the top-down yet becomes colorless when you glance at it from the side. Some say it has been used as a compass for hikers and navigators.
Jade
Jade is a type of hard stone, typically green but can be purple and have sections of white. Jade is beloved in China and is deemed to bring good Qi to the human body. It is believe that the colors vary according to the wearer’s health condition. Some even say that if you wear a jade bracelet and it breaks it is a good sign. It can mean that the bad things, which might have happened to the wearer, have been chased away.
Jasper
Jasper is a variety of chalcedony and can originate in a variety of colors and design. The most common being a reddish-brown, yellow or dark green. Its patterns consist primarily of dots and lines that may apear to look similar to the pattterns on a leopard.
Lapis Lazuli (Lapis)
Lapis lazuli, also known as Lapis, is a rare stone of dark blue. The darker shades are said to be the most valuable. Lighter shades of blue and white can accompany the dark blue and can often be easily identified by gold spots on the surface.
Malachite
Malachite is a dark green mineral with bands of light green. The patterns can be compared with that of a peacock feather.
Milky Quartz
Milky quartz, also known as 'milk quartz', is one type of crystalline quartz. It has a milky white color.
Moonstone
Moonstone, a type of feldspar, is a translucent gemstone with a pearly white color. Its sheen is similar to that of moon light caused by light reflection.
Obsidian
Obsidian is formed after lava promptly cools and is primarily black or brown in color. It appears to look glass-like and most often is seen with gray patterns.
Onyx
Onyx is a type of quartz and is used as a gemstone almost always pure black in color.
Opal
Opal, Australia's national gemstone, is a white stone, containing hydrated silica. Different colors are revealed when viewed from different angles.
Pearl
Pearl, considered to be a very valuable jewel, is formed inside the shell of an oyster and is usually round in shape. Its surface is shiny and its color is typically white. Pearls can also be yellow, golden, light pink, black, blue and silver in color without being dyed. Other pearl colors are generally achieved with dye. It is said that the "perfect" pearl is flawlessly round and smooth. No matter the size, shape or color all pearls are still considered desired and valuable. These natural and cultured shapes, that may have once been discarded, to some are now highly sought after and increasing in value. To distinguish real pearls from fake ones, simply rub two pearls together. If it's difficult to perform, it means that they are authentic. The majority of pearls you will find in jewelry today are cultured and those from the sea are still considered the most valuable.
Peridot
Peridot is a precious gemstone. It is one of few to have just one color, being green. That one color can vary, however, from light to darker olive green, even brownish-green depending on the quantity of iron in the structure of the crystal. The quality and value is said to be dependent on its more brownish color and the fewest flaws.
Pyrite
Pyrite is a common type of mineral that has a shiny yellow hue on the surface. This yellow or gold color resembles gold and because of this pyrite is also known as “fool’s gold.”
Quartz
Quartz, an abundant mineral found in a crystal form, is usually used to make very accurate clocks and watches. Quartz has many different varieties, some of which are exploited as semi-precious gemstones.
Rhinestone
Rhinestone is a colorless stone that is made from glass, acrylic, or rock crystal. It is often used to replicate a diamond, accenting clothing and inexpensive jewelry.
Rose Quartz
Rose quartz is a variety of quartz which is translucent pink or rose-red, used as a gemstone.
Ruby
Ruby is a precious gemstone of red corundum and is pink to crimson in color. Ruby is considered to be one of the four precious stones. The other three being: diamond, sapphire and emerald.
Sapphire
Sapphire is a very hard transparent precious gemstone whose color is typically bright blue. It's a type of corundum just like a ruby. Ruby aside, other colors of corundum are all called sapphire, making sapphires available in colors other than bright blue.
Sardonyx
Sardonyx is a type of gemstone, easily identified by parallel white and red bands. It's a variety of onyx or
chalcedony, sard meaning red. Sardonyx is easily processed, so it has been very popular since ancient Roman times. Jewelry making aside, sardonyx is also used in carving and printing.
chalcedony, sard meaning red. Sardonyx is easily processed, so it has been very popular since ancient Roman times. Jewelry making aside, sardonyx is also used in carving and printing.
Smoky Quartz
Smoky quartz is a semi-precious stone and if you have not already figured...is a type of quartz. It is usually translucent in its color yet can be an opaque brownish-gray. The clearer it is, the better the quality.
Sunstone
Sunstone is a type of gem consisting of feldspar. Its most common colors are red, orange, yellow and brown. These colors come from flakes of hematite, goethite and fahlore inside the stone. The name sunstone is derived from the orange color of the stone that shines like the sun.
Tanzanite
Tanzanite is a type of gemstone containing vanadium, which was discovered in Northern Tanzania in 1967, It is a variety of the mineral zoisite and is translucent blue or violet in color.
Tiger's Eye
Tiger's eye (also called Tigers eye or Tiger Eye) is a yellowish brown gemstone that has a shining golden lines which resembles a tiger’s eye. The variant that contains quartz, revealing a bluish gray hue before oxidation, is known as Hawk's eye.
Topaz
Topaz is a precious gemstone of many colors: transparent, light blue, yellow, sherry or pink. While light blue is the most popular color, natural pink topaz and sherry topaz (also known as “Imperial Topaz”) are the rarest.
Tourmaline
Tourmaline, the national gemstone of the united states, is a colorful mineral which is used in making jewelry and optical instruments. Having more than two colors in one stone is its main characteristic. Watermelon tourmaline is the most famous example; its one end is red while the other end is green.
Turquoise
Turquoise has been valued as a finer grade semiprecious gemstone for thousands of years owing to its glamorous sky-blue hue. Opaque in colors ranging from yellow-green to green and greenish-blue to bright shades of blue. Color depends on the percent of copper and iron inside the stone. The more copper the bluer the stone, whereas when the stone contains more copper the color tends to be green. Most turquoise gemstones have veins of black or brown on the surface and can often look cracked, this does not devalue the stone in any way, it is a natural texture and pattern and is one true way to know that your turquoise is real. Although turquoise can be all one color without veins, be careful that it is not synthetic. Some beads are even reconstructed turquoise and are formed from turquoise powder. Knowing that other stones can even be dyed to look like turquoise, it is important to an untrained eye to ask questions when purchasing a design or turquoise components.
Vermeil
Vermeil (pronounced ver-MAY) is gold-plated silver produced by one of two processes. One by fire gilding the other by electrolysis. Fire gilding was banned in the 1800s, since the process produced mercury vapors that caused blindness. Vermeil is produced, today, using electrolysis and must meet U.S. Federal Trade Commission regulations which is sterling silver coated or plated with a minimum of two and one half microns of not less than 10 karat fine gold. This minimum requirement is a must in order for the vermeil to be considered genuine. 14 karat is also commonly used. Sterling silver covered with a base metal (such as nickel) and then plated with gold cannot be sold in the United States as vermeil, without disclosing that it contains base metal. I personally buy most if not all of my vermeil from the same families that sell me their Bali silver beads. You will notice that the designs are the same and have the same amount of care and quality, but with a different finish. Although the price of silver and gold seemingly continue to increase, making these design elements more costly...substitues are not an option for most.
Waxed Linen
Waxed linen is a thick thread made from linen fibers. The thread is coated with a thin layer of wax, which gives it strength, weight and durability. It is used in a variety of projects from jewlery and book binding to basket weaving. Basket weavers use waxed linen threads to bind their baskets together as the wax protects the thread and keeps it from fraying on the basket's rough fibers. The threads thickness, durability and ability to hold a knot securely is what makes it ideal for stringing beaded jewelry. Depending on the source of the linen and the thickness (ply) of the thread most wax linens cannot be broken by hand, another plus when designing art to last.
Zircon
Zircon is usually a colorless variety of crystal. However, its color varies according to the impurities inside. Zircon has been used to replace diamonds dating back to ancient times and is a main source of zirconium.
Zirconia (Cubic Zirconia)
Zirconia is a man-made gemstone used to simulate diamonds due to its flawless appearance and hardness. It can also be made in a variety of colors. Many people confuse zirconia with zircon, which is a natural stone and much more valuable. Due to its economical advantage over both diamonds and zircon, zirconia is very popular.