Minerals – one of surprising manifestations of perfection and power of the nature. The centuries-old secrets of terrestrial depths keeping in themselves, they are similar to splinters of far stars. The charm and variety of minerals involves serious scientists and ordinary judges of beauty.
Instruction
1. Scientists contain about 3000 natural minerals, and every year this number is replenished with new types. But only hundred of them are widespread and are used in various spheres of production. In the Stone Age the people used a silicon instrument of labor, and the jewelry industry would not be so various without this material at all times.
2. Amethyst, agate, a ruby, turquoise, lazurite, garnet, a moonstone, opal, amber – the small list of the popular minerals known as gemstones.
3. Diamond that in translation from Greek "insuperable, unsurpassed", is the firmest and strong among all minerals. It leaves scratches on any stones and rocks, and nothing can scratch it. Thanks to this property, diamond is used in the mining industry. In jewelry production diamond is given a special diamond facet thanks to which this mineral begins to disclose the optical properties as much as possible. Diamond is the most expensive gemstone which size is estimated in carats. Most often diamonds are colourless and transparent, but also can have shades of various flowers – from yellow to black and brown. Names are appropriated to the largest diamonds, and they become historical stones.
4. Pearls – the waste product of mollusks arising at adjournment of layers of aragonite around any center in a sink cloak. The grain of sand or other foreign subject can be such center. Color of pearls varies from snow-white to black or greenish. It depends on impurity in aragonite and other factors. Depending on the size, pearls are divided into high-quality, beads and pearl dust. The form of this mineral is also various. Large beads of the correct spherical shape are appreciated.
5. Malachite – one of the most beautiful minerals. Its coloring can contains all palette of green tones – from light green or turquoise to saturated dark green, close to black. Malachite is very widespread ornamental stone. Thanks to the softness, this mineral forms a basis for vases, figurines, caskets and other souvenirs and also is widely used in the jewelry industry. Amulets and mascots from malachite were popular in antique times. Ancient Greeks decorated with this material facades of buildings, and Egyptians used malachite powder as an eyeliner.
6. Rhinestone, a jasper, cat's and tiger's eye, chalcedony, citrine, a mossiness mushroom and other gemstones are a kind of quartz. This mineral can have various coloring and density of color. For example, an opaque red-green jasper and the sparkling citreous citrine. Transparent quartz is widely used in optics, radio engineering, acoustics and other spheres of production and jewelry.
7. Amber is a mineral of a coniferous tree, the Baltic coast is considered its main field. This mineral has a number of curative properties thanks to what it is very widespread in production of mascots, jewelry, charms. During an era of the Roman Empire on the value it was equated to gold.