Sandra I. Smith

Gold and silver have long been esteemed as the king and queen of metals, for good reason. No other members...

Carat, karat, caret, and carrot are all pronounced the same, but each has a different meaning. Carat and karat, of...

Do you know why that piece of jewelry that goes around your arm is called a bracelet? Or why a...

"My birthstone is emerald," a potential customer recently told me. "But I don't like green," she continued, "so I never...

Although gemstones are hard substances, they aren't indestructible. Some can be ruined by contact with certain chemicals, while others break...

Nature lavished her finest blues upon sapphires, the "Gem of the Heavens." Although the word "sapphire" itself means blue, the...

Silicon dioxide, better known as quartz, is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth. Mineralogists divide quartz into two...

Which is the best to buy: natural, enhanced, imitation, artificial or synthetic gems? The answer depends on how you plan...

Currently identified with love, diamonds are the gemstone of choice in engagement, wedding, and anniversary rings. Contrary to popular belief,...

Two gemstones bear the name jade: nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite, first known as yu, was treasured by the Chinese for...

Lapis lazuli, as lovely as its exotic name, has decorated humans and enhanced their art for thousands of years. Normally...

The minerals grouped as jasper belong to the quartz family. Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth....

Moonstone and sunstone, seemingly opposites because of their names, are in reality closely related members of the feldspar family. Formed...

Amber's warmth and rich glow convinced our earliest ancestors that it was petrified sunlight. Later, others believed it to be...

Many gemstone owners enjoy wearing their treasures. Few things can ruin that enjoyment faster than the discovery of damage such...

Beryllium is a hard and shiny metallic element. Extremely rare, it's prized in industry for its high melting point and...

Do you know what diamonds, rubies, and emeralds are? "Jewels" is the answer most people offer. It's an accurate answer,...

Prized for its sky-blue color, turquoise has been used in amulets and jewelry since antiquity. The oldest known piece of...

Quartz, the most abundant mineral, is also one of the most diverse minerals known. It's found in a rainbow of...

Every substance on Earth falls into one of three groups: animal, plant or mineral. Minerals are compounds of elements, like...

Like many gems, rubies are known by several names. One of its earliest titles was ratnaraj, which is Sanskrit for...

My cats like to participate in most of my activities. Their "assistance" generally involves batting supplies off my desk. When...

The fragile opal first flashed its fiery colors at mortals millennia ago, igniting a love affair that has survived the...

Tourmaline is one of the most unusual of all gemstones. Unlike other gems, which we often identify with a single...

Long associated with Spring and birth, gloriously green emeralds have an extensive history of healing and supernatural powers. Green is...

Pearls don't need polishing or faceting to reveal their natural beauty. That's why pearls were among the first gems worn...