Gemstones

Every where in the world, 
men used and kept everything they considered nice or precious to dress themself,
from humble seashells to rough emeralds.
Gems were used for weapons, medicine, healing powers as well as adornment.
It is no wonder that there are so many stories surrounding gemstones.
They represent money and glamour, desired by all, but owned by few.
Precious stones have been the cause of countless thefts, strange events, and even murders.
Gemstones have lasted for millions of years underground. However, once mined and made into jewellery, they are exposed to conditions and chemicals that can affect their life spans.
Precious stones may fracture, break, lose their shine, or even change color if they are not cared for properly.

       
Gems are either minerals, which have a regular internal structure and fixed chemical composition,
or organics, which are produced by plants and animals.

Classification

• Precious stones; diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald

• Fine stones; for all other transparent or translucent stones; aquamarine, topaz, chrysoberyl, tourmaline, amethyst, zircon, opals, etc...

• Ornemantal stones; translucent or opaque are the jades, turquoises, lapis-lazuli, agates, jaspers etc...
   
• Organics; from animals or vegetals like amber, coral, pearls etc...

     


The Diamond

Known as the "king of gems," the diamond is the most precious of gemstones, famed both for its fiery brilliance and for being the hardest mineral on Earth.
Its name derives from the Greek word adamas, which means "invincible."
Diamonds are a form of carbon. They occur in a range of colours, the most popular being colorless.


Facteurs de valeur: les 4 C

• Carat

• Colour 

• Clarity

• Cut

Coloured gemstones

corindum: ruby & sapphire
beryls: emerald, aqua-marine
chrysoberyls: cats'eye, alexandrite
spinel
 topaze
tourmaline
zircon
garnets: pyrope,  rhodolite, almandin, spessartite,  grossulaire, hessonite, tsavorite,  demantoïde
peridot
spodumenes: kunzite, hiddenite
zoïsites:  zoïsite,  tanzanite,  thulite
quartz: rock cristal, amethyste,  citrine, ametrine, smoky quartz, pink quartz,  jaspe, aventurine,  prase, tiger eye, calcedony, cornaline,  sardony, chrysoprase, agate
opales: fire opales,  black opales
feldspaths: moonstone, labradorite, spectrolite, amazonite, orthose
lapis-lazuli
turquoise
 jade
malachite
 nephrite
rhodochrosite and rhodonite
hematite
obsidienne
sodalite
azurite

     

Fine stones for collectors:
 Andalousite, euclase, cordierite, phenacite, dumortierite, danburite, axinite, benitoïde, cassiterite, epidote, vesuvianite,  sinhalite, kornérupine, préhnite, pétalite, scapolite, diopside, brasilianite, lazulite, dioptase, apatite, titanite, cyanite, variscite,  fluorite, hemimorphite, smithsonite, sphlerite, cerusite, chrysocolle, serpentine, ulexite.....

Cécile CHANCEREL - 19, avenue St-Hubert - 44500 LA BAULE - FRANCE - Phone : 33 (0)2.40.23.82.89 ou 33 (0)6.30.61.76.91