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The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC is home to such weird and wonderful world. One of the jewelry collection of the finest collections in the Museum of Natural History. Here you can see beautiful crystals and minerals in their natural form, and some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry of all creatures. It crowns worn by royalty, worn by convicts huge diamond earrings French Queen Marie Antoinette.

All are very impressive and beautiful, but it is even more mysterious than the rare earth emerald green. The Smithsonian is home to the fabulous emeralds known, and we are very happy that they have in this country.

An emerald that Hooker Emerald is the legend, which was once part of the belt of a Turkish sultan. Another fine example of emerald jewelry, diamond necklace combines the Spanish Inquisition. It is a spectacular double row of diamonds, ending in a pendant with emeralds.

There is also a magnificent 37.8-carat emerald called Esmeralda chalk, which is set with diamonds found in mines in Colombia. The Mackay Emerald Necklace is studded with diamonds and is a great example of how a stone like an emerald, which often contains errors or inclusions, it remains a beautiful piece of jewelry with precious stones.

The collection of the Smithsonian is not to be overlooked, not only for the incredible selection of emeralds can in it, but because it is an opportunity to be near, some chains made of precious stones such as the fabulous world can be, most of us! It can probably never have something like that, but we can dream, can not we?

Although quartz is the most common mineral on Earth, but also provides endless fascination and beauty experts and casual observers. Is it in the atmosphere of almost all geological data and at least part of almost all types of rock. It is also varied in terms of varieties, colors and shapes. This species occurs because of the abundance and widespread distribution of quartz. A collector could easily have hundreds of quartz specimens and no two are the same because of many categories.

Quartz is usually clear, but granite is white and gray clouds. It can also be dark (as in quartz). Many varieties of colored gemstones rare quartz. Examples include purple amethyst, citrine yellow, rose quartz and pink. Since quartz is so resistant to weathering eroded due to its chemical composition and atomic bonding, building and other minerals in a rock. Palette of colors, and alluvial sand consists mainly of quartz grains.

The use of crystals for healing crystal or gem healing, has mental health, physical health, mental energy of the chakras, "whose followers energy healing New Age, psychic healing implicated in was Atlantis and Crystal Healers and long used to relieve pain, stress, Depression, anxiety in the mind, body and spirit worship. spiritual healers to ensure that this important approach to alternative medicine, health.

For spiritual healers, no stone is as essential to their craft as quartz. It contains all the features you are looking for, what is the best crystal healing. Part of this belief, they will put in quartz from its scientific properties that make it useful in electronic devices. From this one truth, Crystal Healers make huge leaps in logic. They believe that their formation of crystals in the harmony of the human body, the "program" of the crystal can easily, that acupuncture needles coated with quartz align more effectively, and has the ability to send and receive energy.

The Victoria-Transvaal is a 67.89 carat stone, brownish-yellow pear-shaped. Which fell from a crystal of 240 carats was discovered in Transvaal, South Africa. The first cut produced a 75 carat stone of the 116-facet measures 1 x 1 ³ / 8 inches, a recutting retained the same length and width, but reduces the depth better proportions, making it lighter. The diamond was found in several Hollywood films, including a Tarzan episode appeared in 1952 titled Tarzan's Savage Fury, and in major exhibitions in the United States and Canada.

The chain of the brothers Tree Gold, Inc. was developed, and consists of a yellow gold chain with 66 round diamonds of ten drops of reasons cut surrounded each group two marquise diamonds, a pear-shaped diamond and round diamonds (total weight of the 106 diamonds 45 carats). The setting of these stones makes them look like little angels! The necklace was donated by Leonard and Victoria Wilkinson in 1977 at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
Other colored diamonds in the Smithsonian Collection include the 8.30-carat diamond Shepard. This stone is from South Africa and was captured acquired by the Smithsonian Museum, in exchange for a collection of small diamonds that had been as contraband by customs authorities of the United States. Diamond is the name of the Smithsonian employee who helped facilitate the transaction.

A rare red diamond is in the Smithsonian as well. This is the De Young Red, a 5.03 carat diamond cut bright red. The most important aspects of the crown-shaped kite is divided into two halves, so brilliant and more brilliant than a standard round cut. The stone is not pure red but has a slightly brown, they seem like a fine red garnet and indeed, if they make a purchase such a sale.

Red Diamond is the third in the world, after the Moussaieff Red (5.11 carats) and the Red Diamond (5.05 carats).

The word fire is often used to describe a diamond, but what do you think? The ancient Greeks believed the fire in a diamond symbolized the eternal flame of love. Fire in a diamond is the scattering of light that appears like a rainbow flashes of color. In general, you can see the fire of a diamond in places like restaurants or clubs where the lights are low. The amount of fire depends on how the stone is cut with facets. older diamonds appear as if they had more fire, because he is bevelled with steep angles of the crown and flat table.

Other functions that are used to a diamond to be assessed include the brightness and luster. Brightness required brightness and contrast in the diamond and refers to the way light is reflected to the viewer, or the return of the light in the diamond trade. For many jewelers, the most important quality of a diamond, and that's what people respond to cry when more than a diamond.

The diamonds have the communication quality scintillation counter. Scintillation refers to the way light is scattered when he moved the stone. Since the scene is the quality of the scattering of light when the diamond is in a fixed position, the scintillation is observed when moving the diamond into the light. The qualities are closely connected, while the fire is another attribute.

The shape of a diamond is cut determines how much fire and brilliance, and often we may have a compromise for an attribute or another make. Which side is the best way forward? For the most part, most of the diamonds sparkle and shine everything in place to cut off the fire. When shopping for a diamond remember that even investment. But what really matters is if you want. Properties such as brightness of the fire really pale in comparison, a very important!

Diamonds are the hardest substances on earth, in fact, the diamonds and diamond dust to cut diamonds. Other gemstones are hard, but not as hard as diamond. Diamonds and other gemstones are measured by the Mohs scale. Construction of 10 (hardest) to 1 (most). Is somewhat arbitrary and not linear. The range is 9-10 higher than those between 8 and minerals 9.Harder naturally tend to have more durable and not easily scratched. Are a good choice for jewelry because of its ability to make changes in the elements, or resist arbitrary zero or shock. Talc, with a Mohs hardness of 1, the softest mineral and can be scratched with a fingernail.

Quartz is the most common gem mineral (citrine, amethyst) and ranges between 7 and above. Rubies and sapphires are nearly as hard as diamond, with a scale of 9 on the Mohs scale.

People mistakenly believe that diamonds are indestructible, and it's not true! Pliny the Elder in his Natural History said that "these stones are subjected to the anvil, and at once so far withstanding that the recovery of iron and the split very hard place." The intention is, however, you will probably break the diamond, rather than the anvil!

Many diamonds to cut notches, to avoid scratches and damage. Apart from the princess cut, a square diamond with sharp corners, most corners of square diamonds rounded. A sticking point of a diamond-shaped square or rectangular, accidentally lost to a surface and a chip or a scratch.

Your diamond should be protected in a velvet soft lined case when you wear it. Do you have the configuration of the periodic inspection and stone were checked by a professional. Your diamond is an investment not only in money, but a necessary investment in yourself or your relationship and of little value of care to keep forever!

Where the first diamonds used as gemstones for jewelry recognized? The first indication of this was in a Sanskrit document dated around 300 BC found. You have to be related to the gods and used to decorate religious icons and statues. In India, only kings, the highest caste, whose owners have activated.

Although diamonds in the east and west of India, which were much appreciated, are in their natural crystals, polished been traded or increase the brightness and luster of them. The first association of diamond cutters has been created in 1375, and it was then that the practice of cutting stones and developed facets.

Diamonds have always been the province of kings and queens. In fact, in the 13th Century have Louis IX of France decreed that only royalty could be diamonds, a dictation, which disappeared about 100 years later. In the late 15, used as wedding rings.

The largest diamond ever found was 3106 carats of diamonds in 1905 in a mine by Thomas Cullinan, where the stone was discovered in the property. Was cut into small pieces, the largest in the 530 carat Great Star of Africa diamond, by the Asscher Brothers, a famous diamond cutting company today. It is also called the Cullinan Diamond I, and is the headquarters of the Cross in the United Kingdom. A small stone Cullinan diamond is called Lesser Star of Africa. It weighs 317 carats and is part of the imperial crown condition. Both jewelry can be displayed as part of the British Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. The rest of the Cullinan diamond was cut into 11 stones lighter weight and a number of fragments.

During the Cullinan diamond is the largest diamond ever discovered, there is a rumor that the man who discovered the diamonds of the diamond is broke, before he sent to the owner of the mine. This diamond, if the rumor is true, it was 5000 carats!

It is a spectacular diamond Smithsonian Collection called the Blue Heart Diamond. Fans of the movie Titanic might think the "Heart of the Ocean Diamond" was founded on this rock, and may have been too! However, this diamond has not been thrown into the ocean, but it sure is in the Smithsonian!

Eugenia has been called the Blue Diamond, but it is uncertain that the Empress Eugenie for the owner of each stone. Cut in Paris 1909-1910, but the origin of the stone - Africa and India - is unclear.

This is a huge heart-shaped diamond of 30.82 carats blue weight. The current provision is enclosed in a platinum ring with white diamonds. It moved between famous jewelers - such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels - and owners until it from Harry Winston in 1959 bought and mounted the diamond on her ring current setting. Winston sold the ring Marjorie Merriweather Post. Mrs. Post gave the ring to the Smithsonian and it remains there with other famous blue diamonds, including the Hope Diamond and the Heart of Eternity Diamond.

These famous blue diamonds have recently undergone a process of classification and analysis, classify their colors and to determine the origin of the color. The Hope Diamond is classified as a luxury gray-blue. The Heart of Eternity is classified as a luxury bright blue. The blue diamond heart is still not classified, but some experts believe that the category of "extravagant luxury good or Deep Blue, Deep Blue. Blue diamonds are of particular interest to scientists not only because of the color and impurities, which creates, but because the Blue Diamonds also a static property that have unique among the colored diamonds and other makes.

It is not usually found with fine jewelry at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. But in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution precious stones, it is a precious necklace with diamonds and emeralds.

This line is spectacular double diamonds and emeralds ending in a chandelier of emeralds. Unfortunately, there is little information on the origin of this chain. The large Colombian emeralds and diamonds, the most likely reduction in India in the 17th Century. That would one of the earliest examples of cut gems in the collection of the Smithsonian. In fact, there are only legends about this chain. Show that sometimes used by French and Spanish royalty. In the 20th Century by the Maharajah of Indore, whose son sold the chain to Harry Winston bought in 1947. Winston later sold the chain to Mrs. Cora Hubbard Williams of Pittsburgh. It was bequeathed to the Smithsonian in 1972.

Emeralds are a form of glass known as beryl. Beryl crystals are usually clear, but if they impregnated with chromium or vanadium, to achieve various degrees of green. The purest green are the rarest emeralds and many people prefer an emerald that has a blue-green.

Before 16 Century, the only known occurrence in the Egyptian emerald mines of Cleopatra. But were discovered after emeralds in Colombia, was the "gold standard" emeralds. Colombian emeralds have been discovered by archaeologists among the objects of the tribes, like the Incas, Toltecs, Mayas, Aztecs, and the lesser-known Chibcha Indians. Emeralds are among the rarest gems and can be more expensive per carat than even the most beautiful diamonds! This is a hard mineral with a Mohs hardness of 7 or 8 (compared to 10 in a diamond). Although most of the emeralds in Africa, Russia and Africa are found, there were discoveries of emerald in North Carolina!

Is there someone who is not heard from at least the famous Hope Diamond? Many people are surprised to learn that this is not a famous stone diamond clear, but it is a brilliant blue stone, surrounded by white diamonds and suspended from a diamond necklace.

Appears for the first time in history in the mid-1600s, when it purchased from a merchant named Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who was sold the stone to Louis XIV of France. At that time there was a 112-carat stone, described as having a beautiful violet color. Was named in a stone of 67 carats and the blue color was carved French. During the French Revolution the diamond in the looting of the crown jewels were stolen. Appeared in 1812 but once again re-edited and became George IV of England, the stone had bought to sell to pay debts. The exact function is unknown, but the diamond is next found attached as an entry in the collection of Henry Philip Hope, whose name is on the diamond today.

Finally, the stone was one of the Cartier jewelry firm in Paris and purchased by Evalyn Walsh Maclean of Washington, DC. He was in his claim that the stone has been restored and was the necklace that we know today. It was built by Henry Winston, who bought the property in 1947 and Mrs. Maclean was finally part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution purchased.

There is a long legend of the curse of the Hope Diamond said that the story was taken over by an idol in India. True or not, many who have owned the Hope Diamond of luck, including the Hope family, who would have gone bankrupt in the possession of the diamond. It is possible that the whole concept of the original curse with Pierre Cartier who sold it to Mrs. Maclean with the story of a curse, because he, that the objects are surrounded by bad luck meant for them. Unfortunately, the first son of Mrs. Maclean died at the age of 9 in a car accident and his suicide mission girl of 25 years. Her husband was declared insane and was institutionalized until his death in 1941. Was part of a curse?

Our love of diamonds and admiration of their fire and brilliance has been too many cuts of diamonds. Although we still see some of the oldest types of diamond cuts - like the round and emerald cut, more cuts today, some of them patented by their designers and hundreds of thousands of dollars in installation costs.

The most popular cut for a diamond ring is still the round brilliant. It was the 17th Century in Venice developed. It is always better when the raw crystal is in an octahedron formation. Although 50% of the stone is broken in the process, often two stones can be carved into an octahedron. More unusually shaped stones are used for fancy cuts like a marquise, pear or heart-shaped diamond. The first was 17 brilliant facets on the top of the stone and were called for two cups. This represents an improvement on the stone with 33 facets and is called Triple Brilliant.

In the 19th Century with the development of better tools for stone cutting, more innovations in diamond designs developed. In 1919, Marcel Tolkowsky combines the art of cutting with the science of light and refraction and published his book, Diamond Design. These relatively recent geometric calculations were the forerunner of much of diamond work today and led to a more accurate mathematical models of the technique to improve the fire and brilliance of diamonds.

There are now cuts such as princess cut, trillions, oval, pear and heart-shaped. Some stars innovative cutter or diamond-shaped butterfly! A patented cut, the Ashoka diamond, a rectangular section with rounded, polished stone and requires a three-carat or more. Diamond is a beautiful (and expensive). Tiffany has also called the diamond cutting patented Lucida cut. It is the lucky one whose fiancee is one of the coveted stones!

Many people will use the term carat size of a diamond, and as carat size increases, the carat weight. But the keyword is not the weight. Carat refers to the weight of a diamond and corresponds to about 200 milligrams, less than selling to ¼ oz A dog Karat also be divided into 100 points. So a three fourths carat también 75 points.

The heavier the weight of one carat diamond is the rarest is done. The price of diamonds rises exponentially with the weight of diamonds, one carat diamond is so much more than a half-carat diamonds, there are also other qualities such as color and clarity, the same cost.

The cut of a diamond dogs affect the size of her looks, so depending on how its cut, two diamonds of a carat rough dog. If a stone cut to flatter, then look larger, while a stone is less deep, but can emit more sparkle and have. One might be tempted to a flat stone, so you buy the appearance of a large rock or heavy may have. However, a diamond is to shine a little flat and dull look in May cut. The carat is important, but there is no other point of sacrificing the qualities that the diamonds that are supposed to be a stone of two carats may be laid. A nice carat diamond of extraordinary brilliance and scintillation is the best option, both personally and in terms of investment.

A dog always improve small diamonds with baguettes, Trillian or small stone of the same form of photography. As mentioned above, two small stone not cost as much as a single stone unweighted, they may increase the importance of the ring that you buy without a double cost.

The groom to be smart to do your research before buying his fiancée a diamond ring! There are more styles and cuts of select than ever before. Cut, color, clarity and carat - not enough to be educated about the four Cs of diamonds. Now there are all kinds of sizes of diamonds and settings to choose from.

The most popular model is still the round brilliant. It is one of the first cuts ever developed and now on precise mathematical equations based on a rock with fire and brilliance could dream that just create succinctly before.

However, many brides want something completely unique. There are many traditional cuts to choose from. A pear shape is just that - more than at one end to the other. Or choose an oval, emerald or diamond-shaped heart. There are other cuts with unique aspects, such as the Diamond Princess Cut Square.

Some cuts are patented, as the elongated Ashoka diamond or diamond Asprey and Garrard Eternal cut. Courts of other brands and patents are:

Elara - square diamond with rounded corners
Asscher - a square diamond with rounded facets that gives an unusual complexity to the diamond
Couples diamond - this diamond is cut to either a heart or circle of arrows to reveal the interior. It is really a rare diamond to display the image correctly requires precise cutting.

The price of a diamond rises exponentially with carat weight. A one-carat diamond costs much more than 10 diamonds, 10 points and the cost of two-carat diamonds of more than two times more than one carat diamond (with the same quality in other areas).

One way to improve a ring with embellishments such as baguettes or trillions. A loaf of bread is a small emerald-cut diamond can be placed on both sides of the foundation and one trillion, a triangular diamond, which is also a good improvement of the central stone.

Precious stones in all colors of the spectrum. While sapphires, rubies and emeralds, which come first to mind when one thinks of a colored gemstone, there are many other beautiful colored gemstones to consider. Among the gems associated usually with one color, there are gradations and variations thereof. A sapphire, for example, blue comes in many different colors, depending on where it comes from. But sapphires in pink, yellow and green come.

The precious jewels of color in the deep, rich colors. While sapphires range from light blue, almost black, are the most valuable a rich, deep blue. The same applies to Ruby. Although they also vary in color from light to very dark and cloudy, the highest color value is a pigeon blood, a blood-red rubies, which degraded formerly known as Burma.

The most expensive emeralds are a deep green, although emeralds come in a wide range of colors, from yellow-green to blue-green. All colored gems and stones clear, professionals rely on cut and polished to show the colors of all shades and brightness.

In general, the deeper and richer the color, the more valuable the stone. The best amethysts is a dark purple. An amethyst-colored just is not so valuable.

But many people prefer these shades lighter or darker in color. And they tend to be more affordable. A little more light amethyst color is much easier than the "ideal" color to get, but still a beautiful stone.

Oddly enough, diamonds are, how they are classified colorless. The less color, the higher the degree of diamond. Unless, of course, like a color or a pink diamond canary diamond. It is almost as valuable as diamonds almost colorless.

There are millions of minerals that exist on earth, but few of them are like precious stones valued and used for decoration. Many of them are estimated in the colors that are often used for jewelry. Or is likely to be cut and polished to be used as a gemstone.

It is often a matter of changing taste and occasion. In imperial Russia and the Victorian era malachite minerals and other opaque minerals were highly valued as a gemstone jewelry. It is often a by-product of copper mines, and is distinguished by a light green color, swirls with concentric rings of color through them. It's like a great value because it is easily accessible and not as expensive as emerald or ruby. But there is an entire room devoted to the Russian Museum, the Hermitage in testimony of his chance in the privileged class of the population malachite.

There was some evidence that malachite was mined in Egypt since 4000 BC It is a soft pearl and is easily carved display. Is beautifully polished to a shine, rich. But that's not very popular in the U.S. as a gemstone.

Very often, certain minerals are not simply be used as gems, but for its beauty, people use them as such at all. A moon rock is like a jewel. It is relatively soft, with a score of 6 on the Mohs scale minerals, compared with the hardness of a diamond of 10 If a type of mineral orthoclase, but if you have a translucent quality, milky, that means moon rock.

Other minerals that exist but simply not appreciated by the very stones. The most common minerals, quartz is like one used for jewelry and decoration can.

What exactly are the gems and precious stones? We know that some of the most often - emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. But they are, how they were doing and why we place so high?

International Gem Society defines a gem as "a mineral that was chosen for its beauty and durability, then cut and polished for jewelry of the people."

Most gems are minerals. Others, like pearls or amber, are produced by living organisms. In general the jewelry is a color, the other natural elements that we reflect as beautiful or useful. Emeralds mirror the lush, sapphires are the color of the sky and rubies are a rich red blood cells. There are color variations in all these jewels, of course, and diamonds, but those are the colors traditionally associated with them. Diamonds can come in colors as well, canary diamond and pink variants greatly appreciated.

Most gemstones are hard and durable, in spite of the beads easily damaged, such as opals and moonstones. Normally a rock strong enough to use as ornaments, but others, too soft to wear, are prized by collectors. The beads can crumble over time, even if they only remove the dust from them. And if you spray hair spray or perfume on them, they can also damage pearls.

Opals are making for their beauty and fire and estimated exquisite jewelry, but they are extremely sensitive to damage. It can break easily if dropped. And there is a story of a woman with an opal brooch for a party. When was the heat of the game to snatch experienced a sudden drop in temperature as a glass, which cools heated and then quickly break down.

The earliest forms of jewelry, terms, early humans, of course, like shells or bone fragments. The first graves have also shown that prehistoric man their dead with flowers and pearls buried in ivory. These primitive grains were to make at least one hour.

Primitive man found that pieces of turquoise, which of course occurred in areas of Turkey and North America. The pearlescent swirls found inside an abalone shell, or as ornaments were used.

They could have found the earliest types of precious stones in natural crystals such as quartz or diamond. Crystals are solid substances where the molecules are arranged symmetrically, and usually divided into one of six ways:

Isometric or cubic crystals are shaped like blocks and symmetrical. An example of an isometric crystals of pyrite. It is also known as fool's gold because it has a yellow metal such as gold or copper.

Square, where the crystals are like four-sided prisms and pyramids are formed. An example of a crystal is tetragonal zirconia.
hexagonal crystals are like hexagonal prisms or pyramid shaped. An example of this type of glass is a beryl, which includes such gems as emeralds and aquamarine.

Orthorhombic crystal. An example of a topaz is orthorhombic. Topaz can come in a variety of colors, but the most valuable is a dark amber color. At one point, the topaz was much more valuable, until rich veins, it is in Brazil, which devalued the market.

monoclinic crystals are short and stocky, his face tilted at each end. monoclinic gypsum crystals.

triclinic crystals are usually flat with sharp edges but no right angles. Each crystal has three axes of inequality. An example of a triclinic crystal is feldspar.