Sterling Silver and Silver Plated Pendants

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                                                                                                                              Item Description

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Turquoise is an opaque, blue to green mineral that is a mixture of Copper and Aluminum Sulfates.  It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years.  It has been devalued by the introduction of imitations and synthetics that are often hard to detect even by experts.  Turquoise is most frequently used in jewelry manufacturing and is often combined with other minerals and gemstones to enhance its beauty.  It was a favorite among Egyptians and Native American cultures.

Turquoise

Amethyst is a purple variety of Quartz often used as an ornament.  Upon exposure to heat, Amethyst generally becomes yellow, which some refer to as Citrine or "burnt" Amethyst.  It occurs in color from a light, slightly pinkish violet to a deep grape purple.  It is widely distributed as an ornamental stone, but fine, clear specimens that are suitable for cutting are used in jewelry.

Amethyst

Seraphenite is a rare, dark green mineral from eastern Siberia in Russia.  It has a unique fibrous spreading pattern with a surface that demonstrates an approximation of opalization.  It is also known as Clinochore which is a chlorite Mica. 

Seraphenite

Quartz is the second most common mineral in the Earth's continental crust.  It is mainly composed of Silica or Silica based minerals.  Although Quartz is known by a variety of names, the most important distinction between types of Quartz is that of macro-crystalline, individual crystals visible to the unaided eye, and micro-crystalline, where aggregates of crystals are only visible under high magnification.  There are many forms of Quartz including Chalcedony, Amethyst, Citrine, and Carnelian which are results of mineral impurities or heat treatments.

Tourmalated Quartz

Jasper, or spotted stone, is an opaque, impure variety of Quartz that is usually red, yellow or brown in color.  Picture Jaspers simultaneously exhibit several variants such as banding, flow patterns, dendrites or color variations.  This results in what appears to be scenes or images in a cut section of the Jasper.

 
Brecciated Jasper

Unakite is an altered Granite composed of pink Feldspar, green Epidote and clear Quartz.  It exists in various shades of green and pink and is usually mottled in appearance.  Good quality Unakite is considered a semiprecious stone and will take a good polish and is often used in jewelry and other lapidary work such as eggs, spheres and carvings.

Unakite

Seraphenite

Jasper, also known as spotted stone, is an opaque, impure variety of Quartz that is usually red, yellow or brown in color.  The mineral breaks with a smooth surface and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone.  It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and other decorative items.

Red Jasper

Rose Quartz is a type of Quartz which exhibits a pale pink to rose red hue.  The color is usually considered as due to trace amounts of Titanium, Iron or Manganese, in the massive material.  Some Rose Quartz contains microscopic Rutile needles which produce an asterism in transmitted light.

Rose Quartz

Abalone are a group of shellfish with large shells.  These shells are composed of material which is highly iridescent which gives rise to a range of strong and changeable colors making them very attractive as decorative objects including jewelry.  The colors vary from species to species but the iridescent nacre that lines the inside of the shell can range from silvery white, to pink, red and green-red, deep blues, greens and purples.

Abalone Shell

Agates mostly occur as nodules in volcanic rocks or waters containing silica in solution possibly derived from the decomposition of silicates in the lava.  The siliceous matter is deposited in regular layers resulting in the banded or striped formation.

Blue Lace Agate