“A” STONE GLOSSARY

This stone dictionary will give you insight into the world of minerals, generally describing most of our utilized materials.

Stones by first letter: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Stones “A” Shown Below


 

Abalone Shell – Also known as Paua or Ormer, Abalone Shell is a colorful calcium carbonate that has a rainbow of iridescence in wave-like patterns. Abalone grow a layer of nacre, or mother of pearl, inside of their shells which then is used as the displayed surface of pearls. These thin nacre layers are also a calcium carbonate structure which is known as Aragonite.

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Agate Geode/Drusy – Agate is a cryptocrystalline variety of Quartz referred to as Chalcedony. Available in an infinite array of colors and patterns, each with their own individual names such as Montana Agate, Crazy Lace Agate and Fire Agate. Agate’s patterning is created from the rhythmic crystallization in each layer of Chalcedony. We utilise Agate Drusy to create our featured coated Drusy Collection.

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Alunite – Alunite, also known as Acmite or Aegirine, is a silicate mineral crystal with a dark green or black color that has a glassy luster. Typically a pointed crystal, Aegirine can also grow as a spray cluster.

 


 

Amazonite – A green to blue green feldspar found in both Russia and Colorado whose name comes from coloration similarities of the Amazon River. There are a variety of green gemstones found in the Amazon, though Amazonite is not one of them. Amazonite was once believed to be green in pigmentation due to copper impurities, though further research has steered to the belief that it actually comes from lead inclusions.

 


 

Amethyst – Amethyst: The violet-purple form of Quartz (SiO2 ) is called Amethyst. For centuries the stone is famous as a jewel but also as a healing stone. In daylight or heat the Amethyst may loose colour or change to a citrin colour. World-famous are the huge Amethyst geodes from Uruguay, which evolved in porous Lava rock with circulating mineral fluids. Our Amethyst comes from Brazil/Uruguay, India or Tanzania.

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Amethyst Cacoxenite – Amethyst Cacoxenite is the common name for the stone, Super 7, or Melody’s Stone, and is a natural combination of seven different minerals; Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Smoky Quartz, Cacoxenite, Rutile, Goethite and Lepidocrocite. While not always clearly visible, each of these 7 components is always a part of this special stone. Amethyst Cacoxenite comes from a region of Brazil known as Espirito Santo, which translates to “Holy Spirit”. This stone is very popular among the metaphysical community as a healing stone with high energy.

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Amethyst Rose – Amethyst Roses are actually a slice from an Amethyst stalactite that hang in caves. These stalactites form over millions of years; beginning with just a single water droplet, rings are formed one by one from the calcite deposit left from each droplet. The crystals on the outermost layer create a rose like look when these cross slices are cut, thus the name Amethyst Rose.

 


 

Ametrine – A variety of quartz which is a mixture of Amethyst and Citrine. Only discovered in the 1980s, Ametrine displays a combination of yellow and purple. It occurs naturally but can also be created by the heat treatment of Amethyst. See also Amethyst and Citrine.

 


 

Ammolite – A rare, valuable opal-like organic gemstone. Ammolite is made of fossilized Ammonite shells and was given official gemstone status in 1981. Ammolite is mostly found in the Rocky Mountains and is the official gemstone of Alberta, Canada. It is a grey to brown hue with a primarily red and green iridescence, sometimes also showing blue and purple, though these fine layers are fragile and often broken off. Ammolite’s colors come from its Aragonite content. Being only .5 – .8 mm in thickness, Ammolite is often cracked giving it an appearance that is often described as Stained Glass.

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Ammonite – Ammonites are a fossil of an extinct cephalopod, of which the Nautilus is it’s closest surviving relative. Also a chambered shell sea creature, the Ammonite was able to swim due to it’s unique chambered shell construction. Ammonites are seen most commonly as a mixed brown palette. The oldest Ammonite fossils are mined in Morocco, while other unique varieties are mined in various parts of the world; Opalized Ammonites from Madagascar, Ammolites from Alberta, Hematitic Ammonites from France and Pyritized Ammonites from Russia.

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Anasazi Pottery Shard – Anasazi Pottery Shards, called Potsherds, are found in the four corners region of the United States. These Native American artifacts can be a plain white / grey clay, painted with geometric patterns of black and white or polychrome with reds / oranges, black and white. Potsherds can be of pottery from everyday life or that of a ceremonial piece; the colors and patterns on each can give archaeologists vast information about them. All Anasazi Pottery Shards used in Starborn Jewels™ are authentic potsherds legally obtained in Tucson, AZ.

 


 

Andalusite – A silicate mineral named after its source location, Analusia, Spain in 1789, though it is found in many other countries as well. Andalusite is a dual toned stone that ranges from yellow-green to red-brown. Transparent Andalusite is rare; often it is seen as a brown tone with black cross-shaped inclusions of graphite, a variety which is called Chiastolite.

 


 

Apache Gold – A combination of Steatite and Pyrite. Steatite, or soapstone, is a metamorphic, talc-schist rock. Pyrite is an iron sulfide with a brassy, golden hue, sometimes called fool’s gold. Apache Gold is black based soapstone with golden pyrite flecks.

 


 

Apatite – A group of phosphate minerals that is generally green, but can also be found in blue, yellow, pink, brown or even colorless. Apatite is not commonly used as a gemstone, as it is quite soft, but rather in the manufacture of fertilizer. Transparent Blue Apatite is called Moroxite, while Transparent Green Apatite is called Asparagus Stone. The most recent find of Apatite is neon blue-green Apatite from Madagascar. The most valuable Apatite is a rich purple tone from Maine, which is rare.

 


 

Apophyllite – Apophyllite is a tetragonal prismatic crystal which grows as a secondary mineral to volcanic rock. Generally white, these crystals can also be found in an array of colors including blue, pink, yellow, purple and green. Apophyllite can be found in mines throughout the world, including Germany, USA, Brazil and India.

 


 

Aqua Aura Quartz – Quartz, also called Rock Crystal, is the second most abundant mineral on earth. It is naturally colorless in its basic pure form, though there are nearly endless varieties and inclusions that can occur creating many colors and varieties. The ideal Quartz Crystal will have 6 prismatic faces with a 6 sided pyramid end, though it can also grow as drusy, massive structures and many other forms.

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Aquamarine – The blue to blue-green variety of Beryl, known as Aquamarine, is a hexagonal crystal mineral with vitreous luster. Aquamarine gets its name from the Latin words for ‘water of the sea’ and its coloration is due to iron impurities within the Beryl. This popular gemstone is the birthstone for March and can be found throughout the world. The largest cut Aquamarine, the Dom Pedro, weighs over 2 kilograms.

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Aragonite – Aragonite is a carbonate mineral that can be white, red, yellow, orange, green, blue or brown. It can grow as columnar crystals or as stalactite crystals that look like branches. Aragonite forms naturally in almost all mollusk shells and as an endoskeleton of corals. It is used in aquariums to replicate reef conditions and help to keeps its PH balance at an almost natural level. Starborn generally uses Moroccan Aragonite, which is orange to orange-brown and is a cluster of several columnar crystals bursting in all directions.

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Arizona Lightning Chrysocolla – Arizona Lightning Blue Chrysocolla is a form of Chrysocolla, a cyan to cerulean mineral, which has black Tenorite inclusions as well as sometimes quartz and calcite inclusions. This combination of copper oxide minerals creates a striking bright blue stone with black and white streaks. Arizona Lightning Chrysocolla gets its name based on its mining locality in Arizona.

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Arrowhead – Arrowheads are sharpened points, generally of stone or bone, that are used to create tips and points in projectiles such as arrows and spears. Arrowheads have been found spanning a long history as artifacts and are still being crafted today.

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Astrophylite – A very rare brown to golden-yellow, and sometimes green, silicate mineral. This submetallic dark crystal forms as lines, radiating out in all directions, hence its name, Astrophyllite, which is derived of the Greek words for star and leaf. Astrophyllite generally forms on a light felsic matrix, giving it high contrast. It is typically found in Norway, where it was first discovered in 1854.

 


 

Aventurine – Aventurine is a form of quartz. The most common color is green, but it can also be orange, brown, yellow, blue or grey. Fuchsite is a common inclusion of Aventurine, giving it a green hue. Normally translucent, these Fuchsite inclusions can give it an opaque look. Most green and blue Aventurine is found in India, other colors come from Chile, Spain and Russia.

 


 

Azurite – A soft, deep blue copper mineral that is produced by the weathering of copper ore deposits. Often found in combination with Malachite, which is the second basic copper mineral. Azurite is typically found in France, but has many source locations. It is a very delicate stone, and even bright light, heat and air have a tendency to reduce its color intensity over time. Azurite’s color has made it popular in the use of pigments for centuries.

 


 

Azurite Dioptase – Azurite is a soft, deep-blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. Azurite’s exceptionally deep and clear blue has been associated with low-humidity desert and winter skies. Dioptase is an intense emerald-green to bluish-green copper cyclosilicate mineral. It is transparent to translucent.Dioptase is very fragile and specimens must be handled with great care. It is a trigonal mineral, forming 6-sided crystals that are terminated.

 


 

Azurite Malachite – Azurite is a soft, deep-blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. Azurite’s exceptionally deep and clear blue has been associated with low-humidity desert and winter skies. Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral. Except for its vibrant green color, the properties of malachite are similar to those of azurite and aggregates of the two minerals occur frequently.

 

Stones by first letter: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z