_Crystalline Form_: Monoclinic.
_Hardness_: 6.5-7.
_Lustre_: Pearly. Translucent to subtranslucent.
_Refraction_: Double.
_Chemical Composition_: Silicate of Aluminium and Lithium.
_Chemical Symbol_: Li A1 (Si O_{3})_{2}.
_Specific Gravity_: 3.5-3.20.
_Dichroism_: Strong.
_Properties_: Electrical. Unaffected by acids. Under the blowpipe flame
expands and melts into a clear or opaque glass, indicating lithia by
colouring the flame red. Kunzite exhibits phosphorescence under
Radium.
_In the Zodiac_: Spodumene and Kunzite are under the Heavenly Libra.
Hiddenite may be under the zodiacal Taurus.
_Where found_: United States of America, Madagascar, Brazil, Sweden,
etc.
TOPAZ
_Crystalline Form_: Orthorhombic.
_Hardness_: 8.
_Lustre_: Vitreous. Transparent to translucent.
_Refraction_: Slightly double.
_Chemical Composition_: Silicate of Aluminium.
_Chemical Symbol_: [A1(F,OH)]_{2}SiO_{4}. (Penfold and Minor.)
_Specific Gravity_: 3.4-3.65.
_Dichroism_: Distinct.
_Properties_: Becomes strongly electric by friction, heat and pressure.
Infusible alone before the blowpipe flame, but with Borax melts into
a bead. Changes colour when heated.
_In the Zodiac_: The Topaz is under the Heavenly Scorpio.
_Where found_: Brazil, Ceylon, Mexico, United States, Australia, etc.
TOURMALINE
_Crystalline Form_: Rhombohedral.
_Hardness_: 7-7.5.
_Lustre_: Vitreous.
_Refraction_: Double.
_Chemical Composition_: Varied, but all varieties include silicate of
alumina, boracic acid, iron, magnesia, lime and soda, sometimes
lithia in small quantity, with fluorine and trace of phosphoric acid.
_Chemical Symbol_: Professors Penford and Foote refer all
varieties of Tourmaline to
(H_{6}Na_{6}Mg_{3}Al_{2})_{3}(Al,Fe)_{6}(B,OH)_{4}Si_{8}O_{38},
_Specific Gravity_: 2.39-3.3.
_Dichroism_: Strong.
_Properties_: Becomes charged by heat and friction with positive and
negative electricity. Before the blowpipe flame the darker varieties
fuse easily but the lighter more tardily.
_In the Zodiac_: The Tourmaline family is under the Heavenly Gemini.
_Where found_: Brazil, Russia, California and other parts of the United
States, Ceylon, Australia, etc.
TURQUOISE
_Crystalline Form_: None.
_Hardness_: 6.
_Lustre_: Waxy.
_Chemical Composition_: Dr. Smith gives the composition as a complex
phosphate of Aluminium, iron and copper.
_Chemical Symbol_: Dr. Smith gives Penfold’s formula as
[Al(OH)_{2}Fe(OH)_{2},Cu(OH),H]_{3}PO_{4},
approaching nearly to H_{5}Al_{2}PO_{8}.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account