Emerald
Colour: green
Hardness: 7.5-8
Cleavage: indistinct
Fracture: conchoidal, brittle
Crystal system: hexagonal
Chemical composition: aluminium beryllium silicate. Colouring agent - chrome
Transparency: transparent to opaque
Emerald – derived from the Greek smaragdos meaning green stone. The name possibly referred to a number of green stones, not just this variety of beryl. Ancient mines in upper Egypt (known as the “Cleopatra Mines”) are believed to have been worked for emerald as early as 2000BC.
Often clouded by inclusions, emeralds are brittle and sensitive to pressure so require a little more care than some other stones. Mined from the host rock, some of the most historically sources have been in Colombia. It is also found in Brazil, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Russia, Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Ghana, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Zambia, Tanzania, USA.
Emerald can be confused with aventurine, demantoid, dipside, dioptase, fluorite, garnet, hiddenite, peridot and verdelite. High quality natural emerald seem to be harder and harder to locate and therefore synthetics are commonly found.
Metaphysical – a stone of inspiration and patience. Known as the stone of successful love it promotes unity, love, partnership and friendship. Ensuring equilibrium on physical, emotional and mental planes it is believed to enhance psychic abilities and heal negative emotions. A wisdom stone it promotes truth and helps bring unconscious thoughts to the surface. In healing it is believed to aid in recovery after infection, improves vision and helps detoxify the liver. Traditionally it was said to protect from enchantment and magic, as an antidote to poison and to ward off epilepsy as well as helping to foretell the future.
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Fluorite / Fluorspar
Colour: colourless, all colours
Hardness: 4
Cleavage: perfect
Fracture: even to conchoidal, brittle
Crystal system: cubic
Chemical composition: calcium fluoride
Transparency: transparent, transluscent
From the Latin word meaning ‘to flow’, the name fluorite refers to its use as a flux. The colur is often found in zones and multi hues. Statues and scarabs were carved out of fluorite by the ancient Egptians. Romans also used it for carving purposes and believed that if you were to drink alcohol from a cup carved of fluorite it would not intoxicate.
Found in Germany, Argentinia, Burma, England, France, Nambibia, Austria, Canada, South Africa, Thailand, Peru, Mexico, China, Poland, Hungary, Norway, Switzerland and the USA. It can be treated with gamma radiation to change the colour. Fluorite can be confused with many gems due to the myriad of colours it comes in.
It is believed, metaphysically, to be a very protective stone, particularly on a psychic level. It clears negative energies and is useful in overcoming disorganization. Increasing intuition it brings focus and stability to the mind. It is believed to assist learning and concentration, balance and co-ordination. In healing it is helpful with infections, viruses, ulcers, wounds, colds and flu, arthritis, rheumatism, and pain.
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Garnet
Colour: red, orange, yellow, brown, green
Hardness: 6.5-7.5
Cleavage: indistinct
Fracture: conchoidal, brittle, splintery
Crystal system: cubic
Chemical composition: varies depending on garnet type
Transparency: transparent to opaque
Garnet – the name is derived from the Latin word for grain supposedly because the rounded crystals looked like the red kernels of the pomegranate. The general term of ‘garnet’ usually refers to the red varieties of pyrope and almandine. The different types of garnet are actually different minerals however they are similar in both crystal structure and chemical composition.
Garnet has been used since the Bronze Age and was a popular gemstone in ancient Egypt. Noah was believed to have used a garnet lantern to navigate the ark during the deluge.
Pyrope Garnet – red, red-brown, Magnesium aluminium silicate. Pyrope is from the Greek word for ‘fiery’. and was popular in the 1700-1800s. Found in Burma, China, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania and the USA.
Almadine Garnet – red, red-violet. Iron alumunium silicate. Its name comes from a town (Alabanda) in Asia Minor. Found in Brazil, India, Madagazcar, Sri Lanka, USA, Czech Republic, Austria, Australia.
Rhodolite Garnet – purplish red, rose-red. Rhodolite garnet is a combination of Pyrope and Almadine. The name comes from the Greek "rhodon lithos" or "rose stone." Found in Kenya, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, USA, Zimbabwe
Spessartite Garnet – orange, red-brown. Managanese aluminium silicate. It’s name refers to one of its early mining locations in the Spessart mountains in Bavaria. Mandarin Garnet is bright orange variety of Spessartite identified in 1991. Found in Australia, Burma, Brazil, China, Kenya, Madagascar, Nambibia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the USA.
Grossularite Garnet or Grossular Garnet – colourless, yellow, brown, green. Calcium aluminium silicate. From the latin word for gooseberry! Found in Canada, Kenya, Mali, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania. Hessionite Garnet is a brown-red variety of Grossularite Garnet. Tsavorite Garnet is a bright grass-green variety discovered in the 1970s in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya. Tsavorite rivals emerald for colour however unlike emerald is often inclusion free.
Andradite Garnet – black, brown, yellow-brown. Calcium iron silicate. Named after a Portuguese mineralogist and includes the varieties of demantoid, malanite and topazolite.
Uvarovite Garnet – bright green. Calcium chromium silicate. Named after a Russian statesman.
Metaphysical – garnet revitalizes, balances and brings serenity or passion, as appropriate. Inspiring love, devotion and commitment. It brings courge and hope into what can be seen as hopeless situations. Traditionally, garnet warned of approaching danger and carried as a protective talisman. For healing garnet is used to stimulate the metabolism and assists the assimilation of minerals and vitamins. Specific varieties : almadine - a healing stone bringing strength and stamina; andradite - stimulates creativity and attracts what you need in relationships; grossularite – teaches relaxation and inspired co-operations; hessionite – eliminates feelings of guilt and inferiority; melanite – promotes honesty and strengthens resistance; pyrope – promotes quality of life; rhodolite – stimulates contemplation, intuition and inspiration; spessartite – enhances analytical processes and suppresses nightmares; uvarovite – helps you to experience solitude without feeling lonely.
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Hawk’s Eye / Tiger’s Eye
 
Colour: blue-grey, blue green or gold-yellow-brown.
Hardness: 6.5-7
Cleavage: none
Fracture: fibrous
Crystal system: trigonal although usually found in massive form
Chemical composition: silicon dioxide
Transparency: opaque
A fibrous aggregrate formed of quartz and crocidolite. In Hawk’s Eye the colour is blue-grey to blue-green, in Tiger’s Eye, the iron from the crocidolite has oxidized to a brown colour. Stones often show chatoyancy (a small ray of light on the surface) which is reminiscent of the eye of a bird of prey or a cat and happens due to the light reflecting of the fibrous structure.
Tiger Iron is a combination stone of tiger eye, hematite and red jasper.
Found in South Africa, Australia, Burma, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Namibia, USA.
Metaphysical – combining the energy of the earth and sun it is a protective stone that was traditionally carried as a talisman against ill wishes and curese. It brings out integrity, assists in accomplishing goals and helps secure commitment. In healing it is believed to treat the eyes and aid night vision. Specific colours – hawks eye is stimulating and invigorating; tiger eye – helps attention to detail; red tiger eye (treated) – provides motivation, speeds up slow metabolisms.
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Hematite
Colour: black, black-grey, brown-red
Hardness: 5.5-6.5
Cleavage: none
Fracture: conchoidal, uneven, fibrous
Crystal system: trigonal but usually found in massive form
Chemical composition: iron oxide
Transparency: opaque
The name hematite comes from the Greek word for blood. And indeed, if it is cut into very thin plates it is red and transparent. However, when polished it is metallic and shiny. It can be powdered and used as artist’s pigment or for polishing. The Thermal Emission Spectrometer aboard the Mars Global Surveyor, identified iron ore all over the planet Mars where it may be responsible for the planet's red appearance.
An origin myth from ancient times says that hematite formed on battlegrounds where soldiers were injured and lost blood from their wounds.
Hematite is found in England, Canada, Venezuela, Switzerland, Germany, Bangladesh, Brazil, china, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Italy and the USA. A imitation hematite is available which is slightly magnetic.
Metaphysically, hematite is believed to ground and protect, to harmonise the mind, body and spirit, and to stimulate concentration and focus. Believed to have a strong connection to blood, it is beneficial to blood conditions and to regenerate tissue.
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Hemimorphite
Colour: blue, green, colourless
Hardness: 5
Cleavage: perfect
Fracture: conchoidal, brittle, uneven
Crystal system: orthorhombic and massive forms.
Chemical composition: hydrous zinc silicate
Transparency: transparent to opaque
The name hemimorphite is from the Greek word for ‘half shape’, referring to its crystal form. Massive forms can be baneded with white and/or a dark matrix. Found in Algeria, Australia, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, Austria and the USA. It can be confused with chyrsocolla, and turquoise.
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Howlite
Colour: white, sometimes with dark veins
Hardness: 3-3.5
Crystal system: monoclinic but found in a massive form
Chemical composition: hydrated calcium borosilicate
Transparency: opaque
Named after Henry How of Nova Scotia who first described it in 1868. Very porous and easily dyed, it is often used as an imitation for turquoise. Found in the USA.
Metaphysically, howlite is classed as a calming stone, an antidote to insomnia, a facilitator of wisdom and insights. Teaching patience it helps with anger and rage and reinforces positive traits.
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Hypersthene
 
Colour: black-green, black-brown
Hardness: 5-6
Fracture: brittle
Crystal system: orthorhombic
Chemical composition: iron magnesium silicate
Transparency: transparent to opaque
An iron rich stone it is distinguished by a reddish sheen which is due to inclusions of goethite and hematite. When dark it is cut en cabochon to show off the sparkle of the inclusions. Bronzeite is a greenish-brown variety with a bronze sheen. Found in India, Norway, Greenland, Germany, Austria and the USA.
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Iolite
Colour: blue, violet, brownish
Hardness: 7-7.5
Cleavage: good
Fracture: conchoidal, uneven, brittle
Crystal system: orthorhombic
Chemical composition: magnesium aluminium silicate
Transparency: transparent, translucent.
The name iolite comes from the Greek word for violet, even though it is usually blue. It can contain inclusions of hematite an goethite that can cause a reddish sheen, similar to sunstone (but against a blue background). It is found in Burma, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and the USA. It can be confused with benitoite, kyanite, sapphire and tanzanite.
Metaphysically, iolite is considered a vision stone. It aids understanding, assists in overcoming addictions and helps self expression. It encourages taking responsibility and in healing reduces fatty deposits, helps detoxification and regeneration of the liver.
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