Birthstones
Done By;
Nurul Fadhlina Abdul Rahim
Nuranisa Mohamad
January
The Month Of Garnet
Chemistry name:
Calcium Aluminum Silicate
Molecular Formula:
Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Class: Silicates
Subclass: Neosilicates
Group: Garnets
Hardness: Ranging from 6.5-7.5 (Moh's scale)
Main sources:
India
Madagascar
Russia
Australia
Sri Lanka
USA
Colour:
Its colour varies with its types.
It has 6 major types;
Almandine (red)
Andradite (range from brown to black)
Glossularite (range from red to orange)
Pyrope (red and pink)
Spessartite (greenish-brown)
Uvarovite (emerald-green)
History of garnet:
The word Garnet comes from the latin word "granatus" which means seed. One Greek myth suggests that granite originates from the captured Persephone, the Greek Goddess of sunshine by Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. As a guarantee to Persephone returns, Hades gave her some promegranate seeds. If you look carefully, promegranate seeds does resemble garnet in its appearance and colour.
The science aspect of garnet:
Garnet is formed in deep
underground of metamorphic rocks,
granite and volcanic rocks where it undergoes extreme temperature and pressure.
As the consequences, it can be used by geologist to learn more about the
temperature and pressure of those rocks that are surrounding it. Garnet also
produce cube-based crystals that are symmetrical. garnet belongs to the
isometric crystal class.
Alternate birthstones of January:
Clear Rose-Quartz
February
The Month Of Amethyst
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Chemistry name:
Silicon dioxide
Molecular formula:
SiO2
Class:
Silicates
Group:
Quartz
Hardness:
7 (Moh's Scale)
Main Sources:
Brazil
Uruguay
Zambia
Colour:
Though amethyst have to be purple, it comes with different shades of purple
History of Amethyst:
According to the Greek myth, Amethyst, a beautiful maiden was changed into a crystalline by the goddess Diana to prevent her from fierce tiger attack that carried Dionysius, the god of intoxification's wish. The wish was not meant for her though as she unsuspectedly came by to pay her tribute to Diana. The wish however was meant to a mere mortal that insults Dionysius. Dionysius wept a tear of wine at the remorse of the beautiful sight of the crystal statue which then stained the statue to purple.
The science aspect of Amethyst:
Amethyst is one of the members of quartz family. It normally grows inside the cavities of lava that is cooling down which then forms geodes. It can occur in long perismatic crystal with 6 sided pyramids at either ends. It can also form as crystalline crusts called druzes that only shows the pointed ends. Amethyst is popular with its colour and its handsome, purple and sparkling clusters.
Alternate birthstones of February:
Onyx
March
The Month of Aquamarine
Chemistry name;
Beryllium aluminum silicate
Molecular formula;
Be3Al2(SiO3)6,
Class;
Silicates
Group;
-
Hardness;
7.5 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
Brazil
Zambia
Madagascar
Nigeria
Colours;
All aquamarine has been heated to reduce the green tones to a more pure blue, which is a stable state.
History of Aquamarine;
Aquamarine comes from the word "aqua" which means water and "mere" which means sea. Together aquamarine means seawater. Because of its resemblance of ocean, sailor used to wear talismans made of aquamarine depicting the god Neptune, who ruled the seas. Those sailors believe that aquamarine would offer them protection with the help from their god.
The science aspect of Aquamarine;
Aquamarine is the variety of the composition of mineral beryl. The cooling of magma deep inside the Earth caused beryl to formed inside magma. Beryl comes in many different colours, ranging from clear to the deep green of the stone that we know as Emeralds. The presence of iron as impurities cause the colour to be green. Less desirable yellow or clear aquamarines can be heat-treated to produce more vibrant greenish-blue.
Alternate birthstone;
Bloodstone
April
The month of Diamond
Chemistry name;
Elemental Carbon
Molecular formula;
C (being on of the isotopes of Carbon)
Class;
Native element
Group;
Carbon
Hardness;
10 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
Africa
America
Colours;
Normally transparent
Sometimes blue
History of Diamond;
It was once thought that if a diamond was to be taken into bed with you, it would cure your illness. This was how once diamond was percept. diamond has fascinating history and it is always known for its prismatic beauty and hardness.
The science aspect of Diamond;
Forms
deep inside the Earth undergoing extreme pressure and high temperatures,
diamonds are brought up to the surface by very deep-seated volcanic activity.
Volcanoes that bears diamond are called kimberlies and they erupted millions of
years ago. Fascinatingly, both graphite and diamond are forms of carbon, but
have different structures and properties i.e graphite is opaque and soft, while
diamond is transparent and the hardest mineral known on Earth. These differences
arise as diamond crystallizes in the
isometric system
while graphite crystallizes in the hexagonal system.
Alternate birthstone;
Clear Quartz Crystal
May
The month of Emerald
Chemistry name;
Beryllium aluminum silicate
Molecular formula;
Be3Al2(SiO3)6
Class;
Cyclosilicates
Group;
-
Hardness;
7.5 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
Colombia
Brazil
Zambia
Russia
Colours;
Medium to medium dark green which is contributed by the presence of Chromium or Vanadium.
History of Emerald;
It was said that Cleopatra
wore a lot of deep green and prized emerald and she even gave her important
guests a carved Emerald with a portrait of herself. Egyptian thousands of years
ago therefore undergone intense conditions so as to fulfill Cleopatra's
obsession towards Emerald.
The science aspect of Emerald;
Emerald is another variety of beryl. It includes aquamarine (blue), heliodor (yellow to gold), and morganite (pink to peach). The emeralds vivid green colour is due to the presence of impurities (Iron and Chromium) in the beryllium during its formation. It is surprisingly common for emeralds to contain flaws and veins of chemicals called inclusions of which these little imperfections are an accepted feature of the stone's identity.
june
month of moonstone
Chemistry name;
Sodium calcium aluminium silicate
Molecular formula;
NaCa(Al,Si)AlSi2O8
Class;
Silicates
Group;
Feldspar
Hardness;
6 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
-
Colour;
They range from transparent to opac and occur in a variety of colours
History of moonstone;
The name Moonstone is derived from the stone resemblance towards the glowing moon as the stone itself is shiny iridescent and refracts light. Moonstone is sometimes called sunstone. it can be bluish white or peach. The ancient people believed that Moonstone could increase one's spiritual awareness and some even believed that by wearing it, they can be invisible.
The science aspect of Moonstone;
Its refractive propety is due to the presence of lamellar intergrowth within the crystal. it is formed from layers of chemical that reacts to hot and cold temperature differently. As a result, light bounces back and forward as it enters and before it leaves the stone. This therefore is what causes the Moonstone to have the 'moonlight effect'.
Alternative birthstone;
Alexandrite
July
Month of Ruby
Chemistry name;
Aluminum oxide
Molecular formula;
Al2O3
Class;
Oxides and hydroxides
Group;
Haematite
Hardness;
9 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
Kenya
Pakistan
Vietnam
Thai
Madagascar
Colour;
It ranges from pale pinks to the deepest possible red which is known as "pigeon blood."
Ruby that exists in blue however are called sapphire.
History of Ruby;
One of the most valuable gems is ruby. Long time ago, the Hindus regarded it as "the king of all gems" and their royalty is known to wear it as they believe it can ward off evil. These magical power that the gem possessed can only works if it is possessed by its rightful owner. They also believed that when the ruby turned darker, it would mean that the evil spirits were presence and if on the other hand the ruby turned lighter, the evil was gone.
The science aspect of Ruby;
Interestingly, the second hardness after diamond is ruby itself and it is formed in metamorphic rocks. When the ruby is cut in a specific pattern, it will exhibit an effect which is called asterism i.e six-pointed stars. These valuable gem is known as "star Ruby."
Alternate birthstone;
Carnelian
August
Month of Peridot
Chemistry name;
magnesium iron silicate
Molecular formula;
(Mg, Fe)2SiO4
Class;
Silicates
Group;
Olivine
Hardness;
6.5 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
USA
Pakistan
Burma
China
Colours;
In shades of limey to olivey yellowish-green.
History of Peridot;
The word peridot is derived from the Arabic word "faridat" which means gem. Ancient Egytptians reffered peridot as "the gem of the sun" due to the stunningly bright colours that peridot have. It was believed that peridot emitted its inner light even after sunset. For this reason, its miners could take it as an advantage to locate it at night and retrieve it during the day.
The science aspect of Peridot;
Peridot is a form of olivine which contains two types of minerals:
1. Fayalite
2. Forsterite
Fayalite, with the mineral formula Fe2SiO4, contains large quantities of iron. Forsterite contains magnesium, and has a formula of Mg2SiO4. Olivine's formula is (Mg, Fe)2SiO4, showing the substitution of magnesium and iron. Peridot however is the transparent form of forsterite.
Alternate birthstone;
Jade
September
Month of Sapphire
Chemistry name;
Aluminum oxide
Molecular formula;
Al2O3
Class;
Oxides and hydroxides
Group;
Haematite
Hardness;
9 (Moh's scale)
Main source;
USA
Colour;
Any colour, but normally is blue.
History of Sapphire;
It was once believed that sapphire have some kind of magical powers in which it could either prevent envy, protect the wearer and even protect its wearer from food poisoning. Some ancient cultures even thought that by placing a sapphire inside of a container that held a venomous snake, it could kill the snake. It was also believed that sapphire could heal rheumatism, blindness and mental ilnesses.
The science aspect of Sapphire;
Sapphire is a form of
the mineral corundum existing in a range of colors (light to dark blue).
Corundum is the second-hardest mineral after diamond and occurs in a wide
variety of colors. Sapphire is any form of corundum that is not red, as red
varieties are called rubies. Sapphires can be formed in crystalline limestone,
gneiss,
schist, and other
crystalline rocks. Gem varieties occur chiefly in river gravel deposits.
Alternate birthstone;
Lapis Lazuli
October
Month of Opal
Chemistry name;
hydrated silicon dioxide
Molecular formula;
SiO2 - nH2O
Class;
Mineraloids
Group;
Quartz
Hardness;
6
Main sources;
Australia
Mexico
Brazil
USA
Colours;
It ranges in form and color from the bright red and oranges of Mexican opal to precious white, crystal and black opals through matrix and boulder types and to the transparent crystal opals. The most valuable opal however is the glowing black opals which are found in New South Wales, Australia.
History of Opal;
Long time ago, some cultures wore opal as jewellery and in the crown as they believed it have protective powers. Opal was also ground-up to powder for ingestion to protect ones who ingested it from having nightmares.
The science aspect of Opal;
Opal is a mineraloid. It means
that it lacks crystalline structure. It has a primary SiO2 which
includes 5%–10% water. The presence of water in the mineral structure allows
geologists to determine the temperature of the rock at the time the opal formed.
The structure of opal consists of silicon and oxygen chained together within
tiny spheres. These spheres usually varies in both size and concentration. In
precious opals (the variety used most often in jewellery) however, have many
organized pockets of spheres which diffracts light at various wavelengths, hence
creating beautiful and prismatic colors.
Alternate birthstone;
Tourmaline
November
Month of Citrine
Chemistry name;
Silicon dioxide
Molecular formula;
SiO2
Class;
Silicates
Group;
Quartz
Hardness;
7 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
Brazil
Colours;
Some citrine actually began as purple amethyst, but heat from nearby molten rock changed it to a warm yellow color.
History of Citrine;
The first civilization thought to wear citrine were the Romans, who shaped it into cabochon-polished but unface cuts of stone worn in jewelry. During the Romantic Period in turn-of-the-century Europe, citrine became more popular for the way it visually enhances gold jewelry. Citrine, like all forms of quartz, was believed to have magical powers and was worn as protection against evil and snake venom poisoning.
Romans were the first civilisation thought to wear citrine. They shaped it into cabochon-polished. Citrine became more popular as it enhanced gold jewelleay visually that was during the Romantic period in turn of the century Europe. Like all quartz, Citrine was believed have the power for protection from evil and venomous snake poisoning to its wearer.
The science aspect of Citrine;
One
of the less-common varieties of quartz is citrine. It ranges from a pale yellow
to a dark amber that is named Madeira as it resembles the red wine of Portugal.
Alternate birthstone;
Yellow Topaz
December
Month of Turqouise
Chemistry name;
Hydrated copper aluminum phosphate
Molecular formula;
CuAl6 (PO4)4(OH)8*5 (H2O)
Class;
Phosphates
Group;
-
Hardness;
6 (Moh's scale)
Main sources;
USA
Mexico
Iran
Colours;
Torquoise can range in color i.e from blue to shades of green and yellowish gray. The most valued color of turquoise, though, is the beautiful greenish-blue that contrasts so nicely with precious metals such as silver.
History of Torquoise;
When it was first mined by the Egyptians, turquoise has been one of the high-valued opaque minerals in the jewellery business. Native Americans and Persians also valued it for its decorative and ornamental beauty. The Navajo however believe that turquoise is a part of the sky that fell to Earth.
The science aspect of Torquoise;
Turquoise is composed of hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate, forms as water circulation alters other aluminum-rich rocks in desert environments. It has a slight waxy appearance.
Alternate birthstone;
Blue topaz
Sources;
www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/geology/birthstones/