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Home , Amazonite, Brazilianite, Topaz

Bixbite Benitoite Wah Wah Mountains, San Benito County Pike’s Peak Region, Colorado Amazonite is also called Amazon Beaver Co., Utah Benitoite is a relatively new gem- stone. It is opaque (this means stone. It was first discovered in light does not pass through it) so Bixbite is a very rare red variety 1906 in San Benito County, Califor- it is not faceted like or of the . Beryl is a nia (can you see how it got its . It is carved into small group of that is only name?!) by James M. Couch who was camping in the hills. The story goes figurines and polished to make different in color. They all that he woke up to find the semi-precious gems for rings, crystallize in the hexagonal sunshine bouncing off of the faces and ear rings. system, have a chemical formula of of benitoite that were on Amazonite is a variety of the Be3Al2Si6O18, and have a the ground around his campsite. group of minerals called . hardness of 7 1/2 to 8. Not only is benitoite a rare mineral Specifically, it is the -

but gem-quality crystals are even colored variety of rarer. . ©2011 Darryl Powell ©2011 Darryl Powell ©2011 Darryl Powell

Sapphire Colombia , is the blue, yellow and Emerald is the variety of colorless variety of the mineral beryl. People have believed Brazilianite was named after the . It is number 9 on the emerald to have many different country in which it was first Mohs’ Hardness Scale. Because it “powers” through the ages. The discovered, Brazil. It is yellow to is so hard, corundum is used to Romans thought it was a symbol of yellow-green, rarely occurring as make grinding wheels and papers the power of nature to reproduce. dark, olive green specimens. It was for grinding and polishing softer The ancient Greek scientist, discovered in 1945 making it a materials like porcelain, metals and Theophrastus, claimed emeralds fairly new . Brazilianite is wood. Pure corundum is aluminum could bring rest to the eyes and often found growing on and with oxide, Al2O3, and is colorless. The relieve eye problems. Others silvery crystals. These presence of the elements and believed an emerald could help a muscovite crystals form a shape in corundum gives sapphire person predict the future. that looks like a star. its blue color. ©2011 Darryl Powell ©2011 Darryl Powell ©2011 Darryl Powell

Diamond Aquamarine South Africa Skardu District, Pakistan One of the most famous, popular Topaz is number 8 on the hardness and valuable of all gems is the Aquamarine is the blue variety of scale. It can be colorless, red, . Diamond is number 10 on beryl. The name aquamarine comes blue, , yellow, golden brown, Mohs’ Hardness Scale, making it from two words, aqua marina, sherry red, and even orange. the hardest substance on Earth. It which mean water of the sea or Orange topaz is also referred to as is so hard that it is actually 4 times ocean. Deep blue aquamarines are Imperial Topaz. Colored topaz harder than corundum (number 9 on popular , both as gems gems are beautiful and very the hardness scale) and 8 times and as specimens. In ancient times, popular. Topaz crystals can be less harder than topaz (number 8 on the sailors wore aquamarine than an inch long and can be as hardness scale). In very rare because they believed it would give large as a boulder. The world’s situations, diamonds can have deep them courage and protection from largest topaz is from Minas colors, like blue, yellow, red, orange the dangers at sea. Gerais, Brazil and weighs almost or pink. 600 pounds! ©2011 Darryl Powell ©2011 Darryl Powell ©2011 Darryl Powell