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TOURMALINEOverview : Tourmaline is a bright and beautiful gemstone that can be found in just about any color. The word "rainbow" is used figuratively to describe tourmaline. In reality, tourmaline's diversity in color is not limited to the seven colors of the rainbow. Tourmaline can be colorless to just about any color, hue, or tone known to man. Protect tourmaline from scratches and sharp blows. Also avoid large temperature changes. |
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TSAVORITEOverview: Tsavorite is the name given to the rich green variety of grossular garnet. TsaVorite is probably the King of Green Gemstones. The gem was first discovered in Tanzania in 1967 by Campbell Bridges. Tsavorite is among the most expensive of all garnets, with prices similar to those fetched by fine Demantoid. The attractive green color of Tsavorite is caused by the presence of chromium and vanadium. |
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TUGTUPITEOverview: Named in 1915 after the tenth-century Norse mariner and explorer Leif Ericson, Tugtupite is a rare beryllium silicate first found at Ilímaussaq. Tugtupite is composed of Sodium, Aluminium, Beryllium, Silicon, Oxygen and Chlorine As Tugtupite has a highly active fluorescence, it even fluoresces in normal sunlight. |
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TURQUOISEOverview : Turquoise is a vibrant light blue stone often seen in southwestern jewelry. It is reasonably priced and quite lovely. The name turquoise may have come from the word "Turquie", French for Turkey, because of the early belief that the mineral came from that country . Another possibility could be that the name came from the French description of the gemstone, "pierre turquin" meaning dark blue stone.Chemically, a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum, turquoise is formed by the percolation of meteoric or groundwater through aluminous rock in the presence of copper. |
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UNAKITEOverview: It was named for the Unaka Mountains in the Southeastern U.S.A., where it was first discovered. Unakite is often referred to as epidotized granite and is a mixture of pink feldspar, green epidote, and quartz. Opaque granitic rock with main parts of aggregate being quartz and feldspar as well as greenish epidote. Very compact and hard. Its spring colors and compact, hard structure make it a nice stone for jewelry. |
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UVAROVITEOverview: Uvarovite is named after the Russian mineralogist Count Sergei Simonovitch Uvarov. Uvarovite develops in a metamorphic environment in serpentines with chromite and in metamorphosed limestones.Uvarovite is the only consistently green garnet and has a beautiful emerald-green color. Uvarovite's gemstone characteristics are outstanding, but its rarity and the very small size of its crystals make it practically unknown as a faceted gem. |
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VANADINITEOverview: Vanadinite is a Lead Chlorovanadate. It is almost always found in the oxidation zone of lead deposits in arid climates. Vanadinite is part of a chemical series with two other minerals, Pyromorphite and Mimetite. The name reflects its vanadium content. |
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VARISCITEOverview: Variscite is a relatively rare phosphate mineral that is named for Variscia, the medieval name of Vogtland, Germany. Variscite from the Clay Canyon deposit near Fairfield, Utah was first identified in 1893. This is a relatively soft stone that is easily damaged by acids, heat and rough handling. Variscite's bright color comes from traces of chromium. It is also known as Utahlite, Barrandite, Bolivarite and Lucinite. |
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