Precious stones
They shine, they sparkle, they flash and shimmer. The crowns of kings
and emperors were covered with them, and wealthy people have always worn
necklaces, rings, and other jewelry made of them. They are only stones,
but they are so beautiful and hard to find that they have been symbols
of wealth and power for thousands of years. They are the “precious
stones”— diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and opals.
Diamonds come from deep in the earth. They are buried in rock that is in
or near dead volcanoes. Most diamonds are shaped like two pyramids with
their bottoms stuck together. When they are taken from the ground they
are dull and grayish. It is only after they are cut and polished that
they sparkle and flash.
A diamond is the hardest of all things that come from the earth. It can
even cut rocks. The only thing that will scratch a diamond is another
diamond. Most diamonds are used to make cutting and grinding tools. Only
the biggest, most perfect diamonds become jewels.
Corundum is a stone that’s like a cube with two corners cut off, so that
it has six flat sides plus a top and bottom, instead of four sides. It
is a very common mineral that is usually found stuck in other kinds of
rock. But sometimes a piece of corundum has a tiny bit of another
mineral, either titanium or cobalt, mixed in
jeweled crown of the Holy Roman Empire
natural opal
polished opal
it- and then it is a clear, blue stone called a sapphire. And, sometimes
a tiny bit of a mineral called chromium is mixed into a piece of
corundum. That makes it a dark red ruby.
Beryl is a rock that has eight or more flat sides. It is usually found
in large chunks of granite or, sometimes, limestone. When a tiny bit of
chromium is mixed into a piece of beryl, it makes a beautiful,
deep-green stone called an emerald.
One of the most beautiful of all precious stones is mostly just a
mixture of sand, water, and the gas called oxygen. This stone, the opal,
is often found in large patches near the top of the earth’s crust. Opals
come in all colors of the rainbow, plus black and brown. When they are
cut and polished, they sparkle with many colors and glow as if there is
fire locked inside them.
cut and polished ruby
natural ruby
natural sapphire
cut and polished sapphire
The size of a diamond is measured by its weight in carats. This
one-carat diamond is shown actual size, compared to a penny.
natural emerald
Precious stories are called gemstones. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies,
sapphires, and opals are the mostcut and polished emerald
cut and polished diamond
precious gemstones, but there are others. The
natural diamond
gemstone called a cat’s-eye is a beautiful, rich brown
with a golden stripe running through it. Jade is usually a deep, glossy
green or milky white. Zircon is a flashing, brilliant gemstone that may
be pale red, brown, green, violet, or colorless, like a diamond.
Turquoise is bright sky-blue or blue-green. These, and many other
mixtures of minerals that are gemstones, are used in jewelry and
beautiful works of art.
