A Hand-book of Precious StonesRothschild, Meyer D.
Science
A Hand-book of Precious Stones
Rothschild, Meyer D.
Precious stones
Silica 64.2
Alumina 29.4
Lithia 6.4
Acids do not attack spodumene, and under the blow-pipe it fuses to a
white glass.
This mineral is found in Sweden, the Tyrol, Ireland, Scotland, and the
United States.
DICHROITE.
Dichroite is sometimes known under the mineralogical names of
cordierite and iolite, and commercially as _saphir d’eau_, or water
sapphire. This stone is remarkable for pleichroism, sometimes showing
three different colors in as many directions, and when properly cut has
often the star formation of the corundum star-stones.
Water sapphire, as the blue specimens are called, is 7 to 7.5 in
hardness, specific gravity 2.56 to 2.67, transparent to translucent,
and frequently full of flaws. It is partially decomposed by acids,
melts with difficulty before the blow-pipe, is vitreous to greasy in
lustre, and is composed of:
Silica 49.
Alumina 32.
Ferrous oxide 7.
Magnesia 9.
Besides the _saphir d’eau_, which is blue, dichroite occurs colorless,
bluish-white, yellowish-white, yellowish-gray to yellowish-brown,
indigo to blackish-blue, and violet. This mineral is found in Ceylon,
Spain, Norway, Sweden, Tuscany, Greenland, and Bavaria. Sapphire is
harder and much heavier than dichroite.
IDOCRASE.
Idocrase or vesuvianite was first found amongst the ancient ejections
of Vesuvius, and it is still found at Vesuvius in hair-brown to
olive-green colors.
Vesuvianite is 6.5 in hardness, 3.35 to 3.45 in specific gravity,
transparent to opaque, lustre vitreous to greasy. It possesses strong
double refraction, is attacked by acids, and melts readily under the
blow-pipe. Vesuvianite consists of:
Silica 37.75
Alumina 17.23
Sesquioxide of iron 4.43
Magnesia 3.79
Lime 37.35
In colors, this mineral shades from brown to black, yellow, pale-blue,
and green, and it is found at Vesuvius, Alps, Piedmont, Mt. Somma,
Etna, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Hungary, Urals, and the United States.
Transparent or strongly translucent specimens, in handsome green or
brown varieties, are used for jewelry, principally, however, in Turin
and Naples.
Chrysolite and green garnet are sometimes substituted for vesuvianite.
The first has a greater specific gravity and is more vivid in color,
and the latter is also heavier and harder.
EUCLASE.
Euclase is very brittle, and therefore is rarely used as an ornamental
stone.
This mineral has the hardness of 7.5; specific gravity, 3.1; lustre,
vitreous to pearly; it is transparent to semi-transparent, doubly
refractive, is not acted upon by acids, fuses under the blow-pipe to a
white enamel, and is composed of:
Silica 41.2
Alumina 35.2
Glucina 17.4
Water 6.2
Euclase occurs in Brazil, in the neighborhood of Villa Rica, and also
in the Urals, in colorless, pale green, blue, pale yellow, and white
colors.
SPHENE.
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