Black Tourmaline? Obsidian? How to Tell the Difference

Translucent (see the shadow?) Black Obsidian (L), Black Tourmaline Nugget (R)

Black Tourmaline and Black Obsidian are two of several gemstones that are shiny and black, and they can appear somewhat similar. So how can you tell the difference? I recently had an encounter with a customer who felt that the black tourmaline necklace she purchased was obsidian and not tourmaline (although it was definitely tourmaline!).  Well, in case other people are also confused regarding the difference between Black Tourmaline (a mineral) and Black Obsidian ("mineraloid" natural volcanic glass), here is some information I hope you find helpful!

BLACK TOURMALINE
Tourmaline is a beautiful gemstone that comes in many colors, and since it can't be created in a lab (so only natural Tourmaline is found), it can be very expensive.  Black Tourmaline, or "Schorl", is an inexpensive type of genuine Tourmaline---it's a rich black opaque color, and is found in abundance all over the world.  Sometimes in bright light you can see glints of red--that's due to iron in the gem. It grows within host rock, in large crystals, small crystals, and in various nugget and chunk forms.  Rough tourmaline can be left to look rough, or it can be polished, sliced, or faceted.  If you are looking for Tourmaline to wear for its metaphysical properties, Black Tourmaline is a great and affordable choice.

Here are some examples of Black Tourmaline----if you google that, you can see a very wide variety of  sizes and shapes of tourmaline nuggets, crystals, shards, etc.  Here are pictures of rough chunks of Black tourmaline, taken from various geologic and gemstone websites:

That last picture is from an Etsy seller---a very reputable, large-volume gemstone seller, who correctly describes these as "Tourmaline Gemstone Top-Drilled Large Raw Shards. Semi-Precious Gemstones."

And here is the actual strand of these types of "shards" of rough black Tourmaline that I purchased from another lovely seller on Etsy:

And it was one of those shards in that strand (right in the front!) that I sold to the one Amazon buyer who claims it's "obsidian".  As you can see, these shards look the SAME as the rough pictured above---especially in pictures 3 and 4!  These shards have been sliced and polished on the back, and the rough "lumpy" part is on the front.

Here is my favorite picture of tourmaline "in the rough".  It's a picture taken from the GIA website (Gemological Institute of America) in an article discussing Emeralds...but here is a large growth of Black Tormaline, plus Emerald, Mica, Pyrite and Quartz.  But look at the "lumpy" as well as "crystal" nature of this large Tourmaline find:

I love how this shows the wide variety of shapes and forms of Black Tourmaline.  It also shows the distinctive "lumpy" rough texture that the tourmaline shards that I purchased exhibit.  The upper right looks almost like burnt bark---and sort of like black lava rock! I would LOVE to have a piece of that beautiful emerald!!!

There are "crystals" of black Tourmaline as well.  These are found and sold in large nuggets, with more of a hexagonal crystal structure visible, and sometimes with crystal "tubes" than run along the length of the nugget. Often they look a lot like pieces of black licorice.  Some are very shiny and black.  Often they have very visible fractures and other surface cracks and flaws.  Here are some examples:

So you can see a wide variety of Black Tourmaline shapes---from crystals to nuggets to lumps and shards.


OBSIDIAN
Black Obsidian is black volcanic glass.  It is translucent--not completely opaque.  It's considered to be a mineraloid gemstone despite the fact that there is no mineral crystal structure in glass.  But it is natural, very shiny and black (and can also be smokey grey, brown, rusty red, banded, with "snowflakes" and in other colors).  Obsidian has a smooth uniform texture, and breaks with "conchoidal fractures" or semi-circular patterns.  This is distinctive to obsidian and glass:

Now, both black tourmaline and obsidian are black and shiny.  But obsidian does NOT have the rough and lumpy texture that tourmaline has.  Plus, when obsidian is carved or split or broken, it fractures in distinctive round radiating circles---like when  you toss a rock into a lake.

Incidentally, the value for black tourmaline and black obsidian is about the same, although there are many instances where obsidian is far more valuable than black tourmaline.  Obsidian is often used in making black opal doublets and triplets.

Obsidian, being glass, is VERY sharp when broken, so there is no such thing as "shards" of obsidian that are drilled and sold as pendants.  (Haha---reminds me of the old SNL skit about a terrible kids' toy called "Bag O' Glass"!)   There are polished obsidian beads.  Most obsidian is sold in chunks for gem collectors.

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So really, it's pretty easy to tell Black Tourmaline from Black Obsidian, just from the pictures!  And having it examined by a gemologist would tell you FOR SURE if it's glass or a mineral.  

Other gems that look very similar to these black gems are Black Onyx and Hematite, and even Black Spinel.  Chalcedony quartz is sometimes dyed black to look like Black Onyx.

Tourmaline is a beautiful gemstone and comes in many colors, including multi-hued gems such as Watermelon Tourmaline.   Here are some incredibly beautiful shards of genuine tourmaline, and the price for these on Etsy (they are about dime-sized) is just under $1,000:

Don't they look like stained glass shards?  They're so beautiful!  And definitely NOT glass!!

Prasiolite: A Natural Gemstone? Or Heated Amethyst?

A few months ago, someone sent me an email regarding a Prasiolite necklace I had in my shop.  It was brief: "Is this natural Prasiolite, or heated Amethyst?"  And before I could answer, she wrote back: "Never mind. I read your description."  And then I never heard from her again.

A classic case of the old Asimov question----did she want the answer that's true, or the one that satisfies?  Most people don't want the truth, which is strange!

I would have told her that there is NO "natural" Prasiolite available in the marketplace.  But she didn't want to hear that---she wanted to believe some sellers who claim to offer "natural, untreated Brazilian Prasiolite."  And that is definitely NOT the truth!

What Is Prasiolite?
Prasiolite is the name of the gemstone that is transparent celadon-green quartz.  Amethyst is transparent purple quartz.  Citrine is transparent yellow quartz.

Is it the same as Green Amethyst?
Yes.  Prasiolite is often referred to as "Green Amethyst".  It's also called Vermarine, Lime Citrine, and just Green Quartz.

Is it Natural?
Although there has been a VERY small amount of natural Prasiolite found in nature, ALL of the prasiolite that you see commercially is treated Amethyst, or perhaps treated Citrine.  In fact, I read that the Smithsonian Institution has a very small piece of a fractured crystal of Prasiolite green quartz dated from 1884. But I couldn't find a picture of it, or any information about it, on the Smithsonian website.  And a rare gems specialist, K and K International of Virginia, has some small .40-ct. faceted natural green Prasiolite gems which they've had in their collection for years.  So virtually all the Prasiolite you can find in jewelry is treated Amethyst (or Citrine) from Brazil.

It's interesting to note that there is NO WAY to determine if a Prasiolite specimen is naturally heated or heat-treated.

Also, the color can fade over time, and with exposure to sunlight.

How is it Treated?
Prasiolite occurs when amethyst or citrine undergoes a heat treatment while in the presence of iron, transforming the quartz into a beautiful pale celadon green. This heating mimics how nature produces this gem.  Even though quartz is, by nature, relatively inclusion-free, exceptionally clean crystal rough is selected for this heating process. This clean rough assures even color distribution.   Most prasiolite comes from the Montezuma mines at Minas Gerais, Brazil.   Colors can range from the very palest of green to a deeper more intense celery green.

Only 30% of quartz undergoing this treatment transforms into the cool green color. Without proper identification, some of it might be mistaken for green beryl or a light-toned green tourmaline!

Recently, some Prasiolite has been formed by heating Smoky quartz.  The result is a darker, dusky green color.

Unusual Cuts

Prasiolite is often cut into large carats with complex, intricate or unusual cuts to bring out the color of the stone.  Concave cuts, checkerboard cuts, triangular cuts,  and microfaceted briolettes are often seen.

Why Prasiolite?
Prasiolite is a great gemstone for gem collectors looking for distinct and attractive green color, availability in large carats, eye cleanliness and affordability.





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I would like to just reiterate that ALL of the prasiolite found in the marketplace is heat-treated amethyst or citrine.  There is VERY LITTLE of the natural green quartz, and that would be found in very old jewelry or in old mineral collections.

Also, I want to add that sellers who offer "created" quartz----maybe called "not natural", or "lab grown" or "hydro quartz"---they're really offering colored glass.  FYI, just a few years ago, so-called "Hydro Quartz" was sold as "hydro quartz glass" usually from China or India.  Somehow, the word "glass" has dropped off and people are claiming this glass to be a gemstone.  I've written other posts about this, including pictures of huge slabs of this colored glass rough for sale in China and Thailand.  And it's clearly being sold as "fused glass" or "hydro quartz glass". HERE is a website that sells this glass.  And HERE they're offering "fused silica--jeweler's silica" which is glass being sold specifically as gem simulants.

Again, I've taken MANY samples of hydro quartz----now over 50 different samples----to be examined by a gemologist, who looks for crystal structures within the stone.  If there is no crystal structure, it's glass.  There are other tests as well.  And NONE of the samples I've ever seen were anything other than glass.

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral on earth (second to feldspar).  It naturally grows in HUGE clear and beautiful crystals---amethyst (purple quartz) is the most expensive quartz.  SOMETIMES labs will grow Amethyst in a lab, which results in a very dark amethyst with bright red flash ("Siberian" is the color).  That is because that deep Siberian purple/red color is cost-effective to grow and then sell.  Also, dying clear quartz purple will result in a quickly-fading color (and so purple "doublets" can be found---utilizing a purple bonding agent between two clear quartz slices). Clear quartz is grown in labs, but mostly for the electronics industry and other commercial industries.  Hydrothermal process gems are definitely grown---expensive synthetic gems such as corundum (sapphires and rubies) and emeralds.  Synthetic gemstones are lab-grown but possess the same physical, chemical and optical properties as their natural counterpart.  So a synthetic sapphire IS a sapphire.   Tourmaline, FYI, is still not successfully lab-grown so only natural tourmaline is available.

So when you see such things as "ruby quartz" or "paraiba quartz" or "tanzanite quartz" or "emerald quartz" or "rubellite quartz" --- stones with vibrant colors and names of actual gemstones to describe the product---those are hydro quartz, which were always known as hydro quartz glass.  I have seen "prasiolite hydro quartz" for sale and now THAT can't even be possible! 

Reputable gemstone wholesalers, who sell gems to jewelers (such as Rio Grande Jewelry) do not sell "hydro quartz" at all.  They only deal with actual gemstones.

If you can't find something listed on the GIA.edu website, or the ICGA (gemstone.org) then you should question the validity of a "gemstone" offered.  Or send them an email---a certified gemologist will get back to you and would be glad to answer your question!

I was looking at Prasiolite (green amethyst) on Etsy today and I saw this pair of earrings being sold as "green amethyst" and they are over $200!!  Take a look:

Now, I don't know about you, but on MY monitor, those are blue.  They're like the color of Windex.  And the color isn't really saturated and....well, as you can see, these are NOT prasiolite, and I'm very sure they are glass.   Perhaps some wholesale seller told her they are "natural"! But there's NO EXCUSE for something like this, something this fraudulent.  Any jewelry seller needs to take responsibility and find out what they're offering!  The description further states that these "Green Amethyst" earrings are "UNTREATED"!!!  Well even if they were actual Prasiolite, they would absolutely BE treated---that's how prasioliate is made!!  Heat treating purple quartz!!!   Those are obviously glass and they look more like those Swarovski "column" crystals than they do any quartz.

Zambian Emeralds, and a Truly Fantastic Jewelry Designer!

Emeralds are my favorite gemstone, and for a very long time, the Columbian Emerald has been the most beautiful and valued emerald.  They're known for their beautiful green color, but they have lots of inclusions and fractures.

In the mid 1970s, emeralds began being mined in Zambia, a country in Southern Africa.  In 1989, Tiffany began marketing jewelry with these Zambian emeralds and their popularity and acceptance in high-end jewelry has since risen. Kagem is the largest emerald mine in Zambia and produce about 6.5 million carats of emeralds annually.

Zambian emeralds have a beautiful saturated green color, sometimes blue-green, and are extremely transparent.  Columbian emeralds are said to have a warmer, "truer" green color.  Both are incredibly beautiful!  And the price of any emerald increases dramatically as the size increases.  Zambian emeralds are green because of the trace mineral Iron.  Columbian emeralds are green because of Chromium.

So, recently I was speaking with an Etsy seller named Deanna of Etsy shop "NadeanDesigns"  about "hydro quartz" which is actually glass.  And somehow we got on the subject of emeralds, and she offered to sell me some beautiful Zambian faceted rondelles at a really reduced price.  She is just SO nice (and knowledgeable!)!! And when they arrived, I could NOT believe the beauty of these emeralds!  I immediately made myself a necklace which I wear every day!  These are SO green and clear, and beautiful. 

Genuine Zambian Emeralds - So Clear and Green!

Deanna is a fantastic jewelry designer.  What's even more impressive is that she has over 500 beautiful things listed--WOW!  I looked at her Etsy shop and she has such a wide variety of beautiful designs, at all price points.  She makes fine jewelry, with genuine gemstones and quality metals.  I can't wear chains (I have REALLY sensitive skin) but most people can.  And if I COULD, I would buy this fantastic necklace which is worth every penny (click here to see it on Etsy):

GORGEOUS! Zambian Emeralds, Solid Gold and White Diamonds!! NadeanDesigns

That picture shows the gorgeous emerald necklace with a second gold chain and emerald necklace.  Holy COW those emeralds are beautiful!  I love the gold rondelles with pave white diamonds!  That truly IS an heirloom piece of jewelry. And it's hand knotted onto silk!

Here's a matching bracelet, and other gemstone stack bracelets, which are very affordable and GORGEOUS (HERE is a link to the listing):

Who wouldn't want to wear any (or all!) of these?!  NadeanDesigns

Deanna also sent me a couple of sizes of "Silverite" which is a so-called gemstone that is sold online, mostly on Etsy and occasionally on Ebay. I took them to a gemologist and had them tested, and I'll write about that in my next post.

I Bought "Beryl" Gems---But What Did I Really Get??

I am a huge fan of Beryl gemstones, which are considered precious gems, especially Aquamarines and Emeralds. And I've had my eye on the beautiful soft pink Morganite lately.  So I saw some gems for sale online, and took and chance and bought them.  The pictures looked nice, and the seller is a popular one online.  I bought five heart briolettes and five briolettes in all the colors of Beryl----Aquamarine, Green Beryl (not emerald), Morganite, Heliodor (yellow Beryl) and Goshenite (colorless Beryl). 

I waited awhile to get the package (11 days---they waited 9 days to even mail it, for some reason).  It arrived Saturday, and I could barely wait to see them!  I ripped the package open, and took a look at the very tiny stones (I was expecting them to be small).  And...

...well, to say I'm disappointed is an understatement.  And the more I looked, the angrier I got!   I took pictures of the stones---these are very close-up to show the detail, but you can enlarge the pictures when you click on them: 

HEART BRIOLETTES:

In  sunlight---which is which?

The five stones are SO faint in color that I could barely tell which was which.  The green stone was the most colorful, followed by the blue, then pink, and the other two I'm not quite sure what color they are.  OK, fine, I know Morganite is a very pale pink...

HOWEVER, I could see with the naked eye that the green and blue stones had DYE MARKS at the drill holes!  I got my loupe and could REALLY see the sloppy dye marks at the edges of the holes, and throughout the lengths of the drill holes.

Green and Blue Dye in Holes

Obvious Dye Marks, and THAT's supposed to be Aquamarine?!

SO Obvious in Green and Blue

Now, genuine Green Beryl is NOT treated.  It's not enhanced.  It is mined, faceted and sold as is.  I found a wonderful website from a gemologist and gemcutter named John J. Bradshaw, and he has all the information about gemstones that anyone could need, plus pictures.  Per his site, he says regarding Green Beryl:

Clarity:  Green beryl is of Type I clarity.  By definition, gems of this type grow extremely clean in nature and usually have no eye visible inclusions...

Treatments:  No treatment (N) would be the case for the green beryl colored by iron...

Here is his info on Aquamarine (blue beryl):

 Clarity: Aquamarine has Type I clarity.  By definition, gems of this type grow extremely clean in nature and usually have no eye visible inclusions.

Treatments:
-Heating (H) is done to convert any ferric iron that imparts a yellow color to ferrous iron which imparts the more commercially desirable blue color.  This treatment is routinely done and is stable.  The treatment is undetectable but assumed in all blue aquamarines.

So the ONLY treatment done to genuine Aquamarine blue Beryl stones is HEAT, which brings out the blue color.  NOT dye.  And there is NO treatment done to Green Beryl stones.  And they are eye clean.

Inclusions, chips and obvious DYE on these

There is very visible evidence of dye on the blue and green stones.  The other three---it's hard to say, but possibly on the pink.  But really, if two of them out of the five are obviously dyed stones of some sort, then I don't trust any of them.

The stones I bought also all have visible inclusions----like bubbles or little fractures or something like that. Chips at the drill holes.

Okay, on to the next five...

BRIOLETTE CUT STONES:

The 5 Colors of Briolettes

At first glance, the colors look somewhat more saturated.  Of course, these are thicker stones.  I looked at them in the light.  And the yellow stone, supposedly Heliodor, exhibited a bright rainbow effect---JUST LIKE some sort of mystic coating!  The bottom part of the stone had a lot of little inclusions, like it was shattered inside---at first I thought it was quench crackled (a method used to dye quartz).  I took it out of the bag and looked at it with the loupe and yes, it has a coating on it.

Hard to capture the coating - it was like a deep Sunset color in person

Heliodor should NOT have pink, orange and purple rainbows on the surface!

What enhancements are done on Golden Beryl (heliodor)?  Certainly not mystic coating!!  Here's gemologist John J. Bradshaw's description:

Golden Beryl:  yellow to golden beryl colored by ferric iron.  This color can be induced through irradiation of beryl containing iron or it can also happen naturally.  There is no test to separate treated from untreated material.  Alternate names for golden beryl are yellow beryl or heliodor.

And for morganite:

Morganite:  pink beryl colored by manganese.  It is typical of morganites when found in nature to be an orange-pink or peach color.  Allowing the stone to sit in daylight for a few days to a week will alter the color to a pure pink.  Heating will have the same result.

And Goshenite (Clear):

Goshenite:  colorless beryl.  This variety has no impurities to impart any noticeable color.

And the clear briolette stone also had some "rainbow" color effects in the sunlight, possibly from a coating. Looking at this picture, it appears to be green dye in the green stone's drill hole. I didn't notice that until looking at the picture:

Rainbow Effects on Clear Stone - Like a Prism "Suncatcher"

Rainbow on Clear--more obvious in person

 The green stone in this packet had a huge air bubble in it, and was very poorly faceted. VERY.

The blue stone looked exactly the same as some blue "hydroquartz" glass that I had.  It was very blue, not aquamarine blue at all.  Poorly faceted and lots of pits and tiny chips. It really looked nothing like aquamarine.

WHAT DID I DO?

Well there was NO WAY that I would try to sell these gems in jewelry!  I'm not going to try to pass off obviously dyed stones of some sort as "green Beryl" or "aquamarine".  Only unscrupulous people would do that!  So I contacted the person I purchased these from, and was very polite, and said I wanted to return them because the blue and green hearts were dyed, and the golden beryl was coated.  That's all I said.  I expected the seller to be horrified (as I was!) or at least ask me for pictures or more information,  or be apologetic. NO, that didn't happen.  Instead I got a terse response that said "I'm sorry your beryl gemstones won't work for you."  OMG!  AS IF these are beryl gemstones! Wow.

I just want to let everyone know that you must BE CAREFUL when buying any gemstones from ANY seller online.  In person is really the best way to buy gems.  Obviously this well-known seller didn't care that they are selling fake gems, and were in fact defensive about it.   I certainly sent these back, but I'm certain that this seller will continue to sell these "Beryl gemstones" including the ones I returned!

SO, WHAT ARE THESE STONES?

I didn't bother to take them to Rio Grande Jewelry or to another gemologist to have them tested.  The dye marks are SO obvious as is the mystic coating.  NO WAY are these Beryl gemstones!  These are possibly quartz, very possibly glass, but certainly NOT Beryl.

Really, every jewelry designer on Etsy or elsewhere shouldn't have to have every gemstone they purchase from a dealer tested by a gemologist!  It is the responsibility of the dealer to KNOW what they're selling, to be SURE if their gemstones that they purchased wholesale are genuine!  THEY should have them tested.  THEY should stand behind their gemstones. THEY should have examined these obviously dyed fake stones when they received them from the wholesaler, and sent them back!  The buck SHOULD stop there.  But sadly, that's not the case. And even worse--some sellers just simply don't care!

Buyer Beware!!  
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UPDATE:  I followed this seller's (ridiculous, almost draconian) return instructions to the letter---meaning I had to return the items IMMEDIATELY  and enclose a note with my name, address, the order information, order number, date of order, reason for return, do I want a refund or exchange, and MORE, even though I also enclosed the order info that was sent to me AND I contacted the seller before returning.  I mailed the package the next business day which was a Monday, and it was delivered TO HER RESIDENCE on Wednesday at 11am.  She supplied the return address and I could see it was a residential address, not a PO Box or business address.  So I waited all day Wednesday, all day Thursday, and heard not one word of acknowledgement of receipt from the seller.
So I sent a "convo" and politely said the package was delivered and when will my refund be processed.  She responded that she "hasn't had time to check her mail" and would refund whenever she could "check the package".  Um WHAT??  So I googled her address and saw the "street view" of her house, complete with its own freestanding mailbox out front.  So she doesn't check her own mail each day??  Mail sits in her curbside mailbox for days??  Especially when she knows to expect a return?!  I am SURE that's not the case.  So I waited another 24 hours, heard nothing, and had to file a Paypal "not as described" case (thank God I used Paypal to buy this!).  In fact, I called Paypal and told them what was going on first, and THEY told me to open a case, and they escalated it immediately FOR me, giving her 10 days to respond or refund.
Incredibly, I never got any response from the seller until 8 days later, when she sent a convo to say that "she couldn't get Paypal to work" (???) and then two days after that, my refund was processed.  
WHAT A TERRIBLE SELLER!!  Disgraceful!  She is STILL selling these "beryl" stones.  She is a MESS. I haven't named the seller here, and no I did NOT leave any feedback, as I wrote about it fully here.  If you are wanting to know who to avoid, I'd be happy to share this info if you just ask me via email.  Otherwise, you could probably figure it out anyway.  

"Moss Aquamarine": What Is It? Why So Mysterious?

 Moss Aquamarine--bluer color

I've seen a lot of  "Moss Aquamarine" lately, not just on Etsy (although most of it is on Etsy), but some jewelry designers are using it as well---one high-end designer who sells at Saks has a Moss Aquamarine necklace for sale, upwards of $750 (although there are other gemstones in the necklace as well).  I first noticed this "moss aqua" a couple of years ago, and its popularity seems to have grown.   But what is it?

 No Information Anywhere:

Moss Agate

I've searched online, and contacted my "usual" gemologists, and I haven't found much about this stone.  In fact, my gemologists have never heard of it!  Of course, they've heard of "Moss Agate" but not "moss" Aquamarine.  Moss Agate is translucent or transparent chalcedony quartz that has moss-like inclusions inside. These inclusions are green minerals, such as iron or manganese, which formed in "blooms" in the quartz.  



But the "moss aquamarine" that I've seen has little dots or specs of dark stuff inside the stone---not really anything like moss agate.

I searched every reputable gem website, and there is absolutely no information about anything called "moss aquamarine".  The GIA never heard of it.  Nothing at the Institute of Colored Gemstones. Nothing about it on mindat.org which is a website that is "the world's largest public database of mineral information".  Nothing at places like Riogrande.com.  Google has nothing with the exception of a question someone posed on a website regarding "what is moss aquamarine?" and the responses were---"never heard of it."  I even searched on QVC, HSN and JTV and even they don't offer it.

Moss Agate--greener color

Yet strands or cabochons of this "moss aquamarine" can mostly be found for sale on Etsy, or from some wholesalers in India, and on Ebay.  I have been unable to find "moss aquamarine" loose stones for sale anywhere else.  

Is this a real gemstone?  Or is this one of those "creative marketing" things? 

What is Aquamarine?

Well first of all, it's my favorite gemstone!  It's a blue-green Beryl gemstone, as its name implies ("sea water") and many jewelers consider it to be a precious gemstone (rather than semi-precious), just like Goshenite (clear Beryl) is a precious gem.  The most "famous" Beryl gem is the beautiful Emerald, which of course is green, and is a precious gemstone.  Sometimes Aquamarine is kind of a pale grey-blue, sometimes more like Swiss Blue Topaz, and sometimes more of an aqua green color.  Like any gemstone, there are grades of Aquamarine.


Beryl can be found in other colors.  In its purest form, it's colorless and known as precious Goshenite.

Morganite

It can also be pink (known as Morganite),  or bright yellow to dark golden---"golden beryl" describes the brighter yellow, and Heliodor is a deeper golden color to brown, and is highly collectible.  The rarest color is red, and is known as Bixbite.

Heliodor, Golden Beryl

Beryl gemstones are expensive, with huge ranges in price depending on the quality of course.  Aquamarine grows in huge, transparent crystals, as well as smaller crystals, but most Aquamarine is very transparent.  Green Aquamarine is heated to rid the crystal of green tones and it produces the more desirable blue colors.

WOW!! Aquamarine Crystal (from Pinterest)

So...What is "Moss Aquamarine"?
It appears to be a very low quality, like B or C grade, Beryl that is more green in color (more green than blue), lots of inclusions, and small specs of Iron within the stone.   I have seen some lighter colored "moss aqua" which I assume was heated to remove the green color, or perhaps irradiated.  This takes in the assumption that this is, in fact, aquamarine---no one has done any tests on this stone, so really it's just based on what wholesalers are telling consumers, that it's a type of aquamarine (or even beryl).

Colors of "Moss Aquamarine"

To summarize, this seems to be a low-grade blue Beryl that has iron inclusions, and has been given the marketing name of "Moss Aquamarine".  This was probably chosen because "Moss Agate" is a popular stone, even though "Moss Aqua" doesn't have any moss-like inclusions.  This appears to be a successful marketing effort to promote a very low quality Beryl---and this is assuming it's even a Beryl gem.  This stone is mostly found on Etsy and is a very affordable choice.  Wholesale individual faceted pears, for example, seem to cost around $1 or $2 per stone (10mm x7mm in size).  Wholesale rondelles seem to run about $16 a strand and up.  So the affordability of this gemstone, along with the name "Aquamarine" is appealing.

Plus, a lot of people like the "earthy" or "rustic" quality of this gemstone.  It makes a gemstone seem less "pretentious" and has its own charm.  And it's always nice to own an aquamarine, the birthstone of March, and this is a more affordable version of this gem.

In Summary:
I would say---buyer beware on this stone!  This is definitely "creative marketing" of a type of low-grade gemstone, using the buzzwords of "moss" and definitely "aquamarine" which is a precious gemstone.  Just because it's popular and fills a marketing niche, that doesn't mean it is what others claim it to be.  Until someone has this stone tested and verified that it is, in fact, aquamarine, or even Beryl, with iron inclusions, I would be careful buying this stone.   In other words, I'm not positive that this is even a low-quality aquamarine or beryl---it really could be anything including quartz or something manmade (like "hydro quartz" glass).  It's certainly possible it is a beryl stone, but no one has verified it, and no reputable gemstone website or gemologist even recognizes its existence.

To pay many hundreds of dollars for this "moss aquamarine", or even $100, is IMO way too much for this unknown gemstone.  If you like the look of this "rustic" included green gem--and many do--then buy it and enjoy it!  But I wish jewelry designers and gem sellers would stop trying to cash-in on a popular trend, and instead be responsible and find out exactly what they are selling!  But that would require having it tested, and most jewelry designers either just don't think about it, or they don't want to spend the money to have stones tested (which can be very expensive).

One final note: Fire Mountain Gems used to sell this "moss aquamarine" but no longer offers it.  I don't know why, but I thought that was interesting.  In fact, the ONLY info I could find about this stone---that it's aquamarine with iron inclusions---was found in FMG's google results, but that link to Fire Mountain Gems' moss aqua no longer exists.
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If anyone finds more information about this gem, please let me know!

UPDATE:  September 15, 2016----I bought a couple of Moss Aquamarine briolettes from a reputable seller on Etsy.  They arrived, and....well, I'm underwhelmed.  They're very green with a lot of inclusions inside, more "muddy" than I expected, and have some hints of blue.  I'm not even going to have them tested---I do believe they are some sort of Beryl that is low quality (you can barely see through them!).   Personally, I don't really like this stone, and I doubt I'll list them in any of my shops.  Maybe some of these "moss aquas" that are more blue, with fewer inclusions, are prettier, but these stones do not impress me.  Here are a couple of pictures:

Very green beryl with a LOT of inclusions.

Semi transparent in spots, mostly olive green...beryl?

Nickel in Surgical Stainless Steel, and What is "Hypoallergenic" Anyway?

Last month, someone sent me an email and said, "Do you have surgical steel clasps for the cord necklaces? I have a nickel allergy..."

I already know that "surgical steel" and other kinds of stainless steel for jewelry contains quite a bit of nickel (up to 12% nickel) .  So I explained that, but offered to get her a surgical steel clasp anyway, plus I gave her a lot of good information about other metals that might be a better option.  But I never heard back.

I think this is another case of, what I call the "Asimov Question":  do they want the answer that is true, or the answer that satisfies?  Most people want the one that satisfies.  I prefer the truth!

WHAT IS "HYPOALLERGENIC"?

This is a "creative marketing" term that originated in the 1950s within the cosmetics industry, and was soon adopted by the jewelry industry.  "Hypo-" means "below normal" (such as hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose) so it roughly means "below normal substance that can cause an allergy".   This term really has only a vague meaning and isn't a specific medical term.  People can have allergic reactions to almost anything, so there is no "one term fits all".   Since many people have allergic reactions to nickel, people seem to think that this term means that it contains no nickel.  This is NOT true.

WHAT IS STAINLESS STEEL?

Stainless Steel is often described as "hypoallergenic".  Many people believe that stainless steel is nickel free, but most stainless steel alloys (even surgical stainless steel) contain 8-12% nickel. Although it’s legally acceptable to put a “hypoallergenic” label on all stainless steel, it's misleading and confusing.

There are over 100 alloys of stainless steel, and each is denoted by a unique SAE steel grade number.  Stainless steel alloys include steel (Iron with carbon), chromium for scratch resistance and corrosion resistance, nickel to improve strength, and other trace elements.

304 Stainless Steel* is the most popular alloy, found in a lot of jewelry.  It contains about 10.5% nickel plus carbon and other alloys.  It is highly corrosion resistant and is used in the food industry as well as jewelry---clasps, wires, findings, etc.

304L Stainless Steel has a lower carbon content, but contains more nickel (up to 12%).  It is known for its durability.

430 Stainless Steel contains less than 0.75% nickel and if it contains less than 0.5% nickel, it meets the EU compliance regulation.  Rio Grande Jewelry has Stainless Steel clasps that meet the EU regulation, but they state that they DO contain some nickel. 

Surgical Stainless Steel is a general term that just means the stainless steel has properties that make it suitable for making surgical instruments, or temporary surgical implants.  It does not indicate that it's a "better" grade of stainless steel.  The SAE grade number (316, 316L, 430, etc.) defines the alloy and properties.

316 and 316L Surgical Stainless Steel contain 2-3% molybdenum for greater resistance to harsh corrosives. 316L is a low carbon version of 316, and is frequently used for stainless steel watches and marine applications. BUT, just like most other stainless steel, it contains 8-10.5% nickel, making it unsuitable for people with nickel allergies.

JEWELRY THAT CONTAINS NICKEL v. NICKEL RELEASE 

There is a difference between something that is made with nickel, such as stainless steel, and something that allows that nickel to be 'released' or absorbed by the wearer.  The Euopean Union has very strict guidelines and testing for nickel release (see below).
Jewelers and jewelry makers buy their supplies from wholesale manufacturers.  Reputable wholesalers will provide information regarding the nickel content of their items and hopefully jewelers and jewelry makers will include this information in their jewelry.  One well-known and respected wholesaler is Rio Grande Jewelry.  If you click on that link, it will take you to their listings (over 400 items) of stainless steel ear wires, cuffs, clasps, etc.  Each individual item has information regarding the EU's regulations regarding nickel release.  For most of their surgical stainless steel, such as earwires, it says this:

please note: • Customers within the European Union: Please be aware that this item contains nickel and may not be in compliance with EU regulation EN1811:2011.

For some items, such as a stainless cuff, it says this:

please note: • Customers within the European Union: Please be aware that, though it contains nickel, this item is in compliance with EU regulation EN1811:2011.

More information about EU regulation EN1811:2011 can be found HERE.  A broader overview regarding this regulation can be found on Wiki HERE.


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* UPDATE:   I received some information from a jeweler in the UK regarding the difference between nickel content and nickel release.  It's an interesting read and compelling argument for the wearability of stainless steel:  

http://www.worldstainless.org/Files/issf/non-image-files/PDF/Euro_Inox/TheSafeChoice_EN.pdf

Thank you to J. Arthur Loose!  Much appreciated!
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 WHAT ABOUT STERLING AND FINE SILVER?

Sterling Silver is an alloy of pure silver (92.5%) plus 7.5% copper.  Most people can wear Sterling Silver without any problems, but some people can be sensitive to either metal.  Copper is reactive and causes tarnish, and can even cause skin to turn green.   Fine silver, 99.9% pure silver, contains no alloys and although it's slightly softer (more easily scratched) than Sterling, it will not tarnish as quickly or as much, if at all.

Argentium Sterling Silver is a fairly new alloy, which uses Germanium in place of most of the copper.  This results in a beautiful, bright and harder Sterling Silver, and is more resistant to tarnish.  I use Argentium Sterling whenever possible---it's so much better than "regular" sterling.

WHAT ABOUT 10K, 14K, OR 18K GOLD?

Pure gold is 24k (karat), or 24 out of 24 parts pure gold.
14k gold is 14 out of 24 parts pure gold---which means 10 parts are other metals.  These metals can be copper, silver, zinc, or nickel (used to make white gold).  Palladium is often used to replace nickel in white gold nowadays.

WHAT'S A GREAT ALTERNATIVE METAL?

There are a couple of good choices if you have a lot of allergies to metals:

Nobium - this is used in medical implants.  It is highly resistant to corrosion.  It's not plated or painted, but is anodized which is an electrochemical permanent colorizing process.  It can be found in lots of bright colors and can be safely worn in piercings for most people.

Titanium - a very strong metal used often in medical implants. 

ARE THERE OTHER METALS THAT CONTAIN NO NICKEL?

Copper - but is highly reactive and turns colors in the air ("verdigris") and on the skin.
Brass contains copper and zinc.
Bronze contains copper and tin.


CONCLUSION:  Any form of Stainless Steel contains nickel, and most do not comply with the Euopean Union's standards and should be avoided by anyone with a nickel sensitivity.  Some forms of stainless do comply, and therefore the nickel content does not migrate enough to cause wearer problems.   Exposure to nickel over time will increase sensitivity, so it's wise to avoid anything with nickel.  So "surgical stainless steel" is NOT necessarily the best option. 

Good quality Sterling Silver or Fine Silver are great options for anyone with nickel allergies.  So are the various karats of yellow gold. Sterling and karat gold contain copper, and these metals will tarnish or oxidize (or "tone") over time.  Sometimes they can react with skin and leave dark marks, which are easily removable but weird looking.

Argentium Sterling Silver is a great option for anyone with nickel sensitivities, and is highly tarnish-resistant.

Synthetic Opals v. Opal Simulants Shaped Like Hamsa Hands, Dolphins, Etc.

I get all sorts of  "suggestions" from Etsy, and some are great and some aren't so great.  Earlier this week, one suggestion was a Hamsa hand necklace that was described as a "synthetic opal".  I clicked on it because I surely have never seen any opal that was purple with all sorts of evenly disbursed speckles (like the one on the left above).  It was obviously not an opal.  The seller went into great detail about how this was an "actual opal" that was lab-created.  So I did some research (online and in person with a gemologist)  and.... sorry--buyer beware, because that's not what this is.

What Does "Synthetic" Mean? 
For most people, and for most things, the word 'synethtic' means basically "fake"or made with chemicals.  I think of things like synthetic grass, synthetic hair, synthetic fabrics.  It means that it's not natural, but is made to look like something else.  Synthetic hair looks a lot like real hair, for example, but it's not made out of hair--probably nylon fibers or something.  Same with synthetic grass, like Astroturf.  It LOOKS like grass, but it is made out of some sort of plastic.  So for most things, synthetic means "imitation".

What Does "Synthetic" Mean in Jewelry?
So this is confusing, because in the jewelry industry, "synthetic" doesn't mean the same thing as everywhere else.  Synthetic gemstones are man-made, in a laboratory, but they have the same EXACT chemical make-up as its natural counterpart.  For example, a synthetic ruby is absolutely a genuine ruby (corundum) with the same chemical, as well as physical and optical properties, as a natural ruby---except it's grown in a lab.   Even diamonds are lab-grown.  These are synthetic, ACTUAL diamonds, made of carbon, but are not natural--yet they are in fact diamonds, only lab created. 

I like to compare synthetic gemstones to ice:  you can make ice in your freezer with water, or you can find natural ice in a glacier.  They're both ice (frozen water, H2O), only one is man-made and the other develops naturally.

What Does "Simulated" Mean in Jewelry?
Simulated jewelry means just what you think---that something is an imitation of something else. There are lots of simulated gemstones.  For example, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), Swarovski crystals,  Moissanite, and even glass are all diamond simulants.  These are stones that are faceted and LOOK like a diamond, but when examined, do not have the same chemical properties as a genuine diamond.  Glass can be colored, as can CZs, to look like rubies or emeralds or other precious or semi-precious gemstones.  Even other gems can be used as a simulant---for example white topaz looks like a diamond.

So, a simulated gemstone is an imitation.  A synthetic gemstone is a man-made actual gemstone.

What is a Synthetic Opal v. Simulated Opal?
While there are some synthetic opals available (which are lab-created opals, with the identical chemical as well as physical and optical properties of natural opal), the vast number of so-called synthetics are actually just simulated or imitation opals.  They look like an opal, but they do not have any water in them, and in fact are often mostly resin (plastic).

What about the Japanese "Kyocera" Synthetic Opals?
These were tested by the GIA and were found to contain resin and no water.  Therefore, these are simulated (imitation) opals, NOT true synthetic opals.

What is "Opal Block" or "Block Opal"?
This is a slab of man-made opal-like material, mostly resin, which can be carved into many different shapes. This is like "block turquoise" which is mostly (or all) plastic.  This block opal comes in a wide range of colors.  At RioGrande.com you can see many colors of block opal, and it is clearly described as "imitation" opal.  This is the same material that is used to make these so-called "synthetic" opal charms and beads. It is made in China, and runs about $3.50 to $4.80 a gram (like about 3/4"):

From RioGrande.com - Imitation Opal made in China

I looked at the imitation opal blocks in various colors at Rio Grande, and it's amazing how beautiful and "real" this material looks!  Especially the "fire and ice" (like white opal).  The colors really flash and glow in the light and is pretty convincing!

What About All Those "Synthetic Opal" Hamsa Charms and Round Beads?

Some wild colors here

They are obviously NOT true synthetic opals, but are simulated opals.  These can be purchased wholesale from alibaba and Ebay and Etsy and are generally misrepresented as synthetic opal.  They seem to cost about $2-$5 each for a Hamsa, and about 20 cents for a round bead, and much less depending on volume ordered.  If you look at some of the wholesalers from China, even though they are calling this "Synthetic" opal, as you scroll down the page, they explain that it is resin-filled or "stabilized".  That is all you need to know that this is NOT an opal, but is an imitation opal.



Here is a color chart of all the stabilized simulated (not synthetic) opals available:

An opal cannot be both "synthetic" and stabilized!   If it's stabilized (or plastic-filled), it's not an a actual opal.


One wholesale company in China (confusingly! and erroneously!) describes their Hamsa charms like this:

What is Synthetic Opal?
Synthetic opal (GIA: Polymer Impregnated synthetic opal) is impregnated in laboratory in around a year and has similar properties as that of natural opal. Our synthetic opal is a beautiful opal with perfect color dynamicity - revealed the beauty of Precious Opal.

So although this particular wholesaler is describing this product as polymer filled with "similar properties as that of natural opal", they are still very misleading by calling it "synthetic opal".  Plus there is no such thing as a "polymer impregnated synthetic" anything!  The GIA never stated that! You can see their site HERE.

Another wholesale company in China is selling these SAME Hamsa charms, only describing them as "Ethiopian Opal" Hamsa Hands!!  That is very bad.


 CONCLUSION:

These simulated or imitation opal beads and charms, in all their colors and shapes, are very pretty.  They are also very inexpensive.  They are fun to wear and would make lovely gifts.  Just know that these are NOT genuine opals, whether lab-grown or natural, but are mostly plastic or resin imitation opals (lookalikes) that are molded or carved into shapes.   These are pretty, but at a wholesale cost of under $2 to $5 (including a chain!), are not genuine precious opals or fine jewelry by any means.

That said, I think these are extremely pretty (some colors more than others), and I'm considering buying one in the white "fire and ice opal" look to wear myself!  Just know that it isn't really a gem Opal, and that it's a simulated opal.  As long as you know what you're buying, enjoy your jewelry!!  It's pretty and FUN and that's what jewelry is all about.