healing

Tanzanite is a very rare gemstone first discovered in 1967 in the east-African country of Tanzania, near the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanite belongs to the Zoisite family, and its official name is ‘Blue Zoisite’, a calcium aluminium hydroxy silicate, Ca2Al3(SiO4)3(OH). The jewellery store Tiffany’s unofficially renamed Blue Zoisite ‘Tanzanite’ a short time after its […]

Ammolite is a rare iridescent gemstone formed from the fossilized shell of Ammonite, a marine invertebrae animal that became extinct on Earth around 65 million years ago.  It is called a biogenic gemstone as it is made from natural processes.  Other biogenic gemstones include pearl and amber. The primary composition of Ammolite is aragonite. However, […]

Stibnite is a lustrous grey metalloid which commonly occurs in small deposits in hydrothermal veins. It forms in long prismatic crystals, but can also form in blades. The largest deposits of Stibnite come from China, with smaller deposits in Japan, Peru, Mexico, Romania, USA and Alaska. The chemical composition of Stibnite is Antimony Sulfide (Sb2S3). […]

Calcite is a common mineral found on every continent and in almost every colour.  The most beautiful golden specimens of Calcite come from Mexico and the USA, with stunning Calcite/Cavansite deposits found in India. The chemical composition of Calcite is Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), containing impurities such as iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc or cobalt, giving the […]

Vera Cruz Amethyst is so named as it originates from the Los Vigas Mine, in Vera Cruz, Mexico.  The crystal is now quite rare, as the mine was shut down many years ago. Amethyst is quartz (SiO2) with aluminium (Al) and iron (Fe) impurities, giving quartz its vibrant purple/violet colour. Formed in silica rich liquids […]

Sugilite, pronounced Soo-gi (as in give) lite, is quite a rare mineral found primarily in South Africa, with smaller deposits found in Canada, Japan and Australia.  It is a rather new mineral, found in 1944 in Japan by Kenichi Sugi (after whom it is named) and then becoming a global favourite in the late seventies […]

During the growth phases of a crystal over thousands/millions of years, fluid may become trapped inside the crystal – creating a fluid bubble.  These crystals are often referred to as enhydros. The fluid bubble is made up of the fluid that surrounded the crystal at the time it became trapped, thus if could me a […]

Red Phantom Crystals are Quartz (silica dioxide) that contain Iron Oxides, such as Hematite, represented as the chemical composition SiO2 + Fe2O3.   The hardness of the structure of these crystals varies with Hematite having a hardness of  5.5-6.5 on the Mohs scale and Quartz rating as a 7 (Diamond is 10). Quartz is the second […]

Brazilianite is a sodium, aluminium, phosphate hydroxide mineral  (NaAl3(PO4)2(OH)4 and has a medium hardness of 5 on the Mohs Scale ( Quartz is 7, and Diamond is 10).  Brazilanite’s name is derived from its original country of origin – Brazil, but other deposits are also found in New Hampshire, USA. Brazilianite forms in crystals, often […]