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SILLIMANITEOverview: It was named after the American chemist and mineralogist, Professor Benjamin Silliman (1779-1824). Sometimes referred to as "Fibrolite", the crystals occur in groups, resembling fibers. Sillimanite is a transparent to translucent mineral that ranges in color from white to gray to brownish to greenish. |
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SINHALITEOverview: Sinhalite gets its name from Sinhala, the Sanskrit name for the island of Ceylon. It was thought to be a brownish variety of the normally green peridot, the gem variety of olivine. Sinhalite is rare mineral and known only from the gem gravels in Sri Lanka. Sinhalite has not enjoyed much success on the gemstone markets. |
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SMITHSONITOverview: Smithsonite was named after James Smithson, the benefactor of the Smithsonian Institute. Smithsonite is the new name for Calamine. It was renamed after the founder of the Smithsonian Institution, James Smithson in 1832. |
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SMOKY QUARTZOverview: Smokey quartz or Smoky quartz is the National Gem of Scotland. Smoky quartz commonly occurs in quartz veins where it crystallizes inside rock cavities known as vugs. Smoky quartz is a translucent grayish/brown quartz with natural irradiation. Smoky quartz can occur as secondary quartz crystals on cryptocrystalline quartz like agate.Smoky quartz sometimes forms with an etched pattern of lines, depressions and raised terminations. |
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SODALITEOverview: Sodalite was first discovered in 1891 at a deposit near Bancroft, Ontario by Frank D. Sodalite is composed of Sodium Aluminum Silicate Chloride. Sodalite is the most common mineral of the Sodalite mineral group which is composed of minerals with a similar isometric structure and related chemistry. Sodalite is a dark blue stone with white calcite interspersed. |
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SPECTROLITEOverview: Spectrolite is a trade name for Labradorite, owing to the spectal colors in the gemstone.Spectrolite is composed of Calcium Sodium Aluminum Silicate. |
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SPESSARTITEOverview: The name Spessartite is derived from Spessart, in N.W. Bavaria, Germany. Spessartine Garnets, also known as Spessartite, are the orange to red orange variety, often referred to as "root beer" colored Garnets. Due to its ideochromatic nature, spessartite is always some shade of orange. |
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SPHENEOverview: Its name comes from the word "sphen" meaning "wedge shaped", as it normally occurs in wedge shaped crystals. Sphene is also alternatively called Titanite due to its titanium content. Sphene is predominantly green or yellowish-green, though occasionally it is found in pink, black or brown and every color of the rainbow mixed. |
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