Taking its name from the Latin rubellus, meaning "reddish," rubellite was rare in the ancient world. Its unique properties set it apart from other hard, red gemstones, generically known then as "ruby" or "carbuncle." That distinction was lost during the Dark Ages but revived in the Enlightenment, as science undertook its quest to understand the nature of things. For two and a half centuries, rubellite has had a part of that great unraveling.Today "rubellite" refers to the pink to red variety of tourmaline, a large group of borosilicates. Coveted most for its endless combinations of vivid colors, just a handful of species -elbaite, liddicoatite, rossmanite -form rubellite, which is found as large, gemmy, euhedral crystals in pegmatites across the globe.With articles covering history, culture, science, and localities, our expert authors explore the fascinating world of rubellite and its complicated mineral family. Extraordinary imageryilluminates their stories, enticing readers into the paradox of rubellite and its tourmaline brethren.

Often dubbed the "crystals bible," this comprehensive reference guide to the spiritual and healing qualities of 455 sacred stones has become the go-to book for looking up the properties of gems and minerals. Each entry includes vivid color photographs for each stone to aid identification and to showcase its beauty, as well as listing its scientific information, its element and chakra correspondences, and the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of each stone. Illustrated by gorgeously lit, clear color photos to aid quick identification, the book offers an illuminating alphabetical journey through the mineral kingdom, stone by stone. This new edition of The Book of Stones, the best-selling guide to some of Earth's most beautiful natural objects, is revised to include 76 new entries. The book begins with two introductory chapters detailing advice by authors Naisha Ahsian and Robert Simmons on how to work with crystals and stones--including the concept of crystal resonance and the scientific observation that living organisms (such as ourselves) are liquid crystalline structures. Each entry begins with the stone name and photo, plus its elemental and chakra correspondences, as well as keywords that indicate its properties. Next comes a description of the crystal structure, hardness, history, and known locations of each mineral, plus any relevant legend or lore from the past. Each author then offers their own take and personal insights on the subtle energy properties and spiritual applications of the stone. The entries conclude with summaries of the spiritual, emotional, and physical healing qualities of the stone, and an affirmation for evoking its potential benefits. The book's presentation is straightforward enough to make it an excellent introduction for beginners, yet the level of detail and the depth of research make it an invaluable resource for the most experienced stone practitioners.

Since early 1989, a gem dealer I've known for years has been calling me every few weeks to brief me on mounting mayhem in Colombia's lucrative emerald market. The troubling gist of these calls is always this: There is a full-fledged turf war going on between that South American country's bustling drug and gem trades for control of its emerald ex port business. According to this dealer and several others, anywhere from two to four thousand emerald industry people, mostly miners and deal ers, have been murdered since 1980. No doubt the gem sector, itself never gun shy, has retaliated in full and in kind. After all, the two groups have banded together in an intermittent alliance against a common enemy-Communist guerillas-with results the CIA would envy. I mention this bloodshed because of something the gem dealer once said to me: "I bet you never think of what a gem has to go through to get to a jewelry store:' He's right. I tend to think of colored stones as things of beauty, not objects of gruesome power struggles between mining kingpins and drug lords. Can you blame me, or anyone with insider knowledge, if a gem sheds any connection with its past once sculpted by a cutter into the glittering mar vel we see in a jeweler's showcase? Like Odysseus listening to the sirens' song, we become victims of an aesthetics-induced amnesia.

A guide to the identification, structure, and uses of precious and semi-precious stones, novelty stones, agates, and crystals.

"Gems and Gemstones" features nearly 300 color images of cut gems, precious and semiprecious stones, gem-quality mineral specimens, and fine jewelry to be unveiled in the new Grainger Hall of Gems at the Field Museum in Chicago.

This fascinating work provides a truly stunning visual guide to the beautiful world of gemstones. It brings together a wealth of information in clearly worded text accompanied by a dazzling collection of color photographs showing gems in their natural and cut states. From subjects as diverse as identifying and collecting minerals and advanced testing, to ethical sourcing of gems, every aspect of gemstones is covered, and is presented with a wealth of research in easy-to-understand sections, making it a must-have reference work for anyone who wants to delve into the exciting world of gems.