Tag: Gem Monarchy
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Zeal of Zircons

The Misrepresented Zircon Zircon, chemically known as ZrSiO4, is the oldest mineral of the earth originating from all three different rock types: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Zircons also have an immense variety of facts such as: being in the tetragonal crystal system, being doubly refractive and having a high birefringence. Despite these facts, the most…
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Garnets: Mozambique the Capital

What are Garnets? Garnets in the gem-world are the most underrated gemstone, with the general population’s perception skewing due to the use of garnets to imitate other gemstones, yet is not as valuable. However, Garnets also have a certain beauty to them, allowing them to don some of the world’s most famous pieces of jewellery…
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Tourmalines from Africa

What are Tourmalines? Tourmalines are a type of gemstone from a group composed of boron-silicate minerals, coming in a variety of different colours. They also contain different elements such as magnesium, sodium, aluminium, iron, potassium and lithium. The individual minerals have different chemical compositions but share a common crystal structure, allowing for their plethora of…
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Ceylon Sapphires: The Pearl of the Indian Ocean

The Name: Ceylon Ceylon was initially known as Ceilão, a name given to Sri Lanka by Portuguese colonisers in 1505. The British then re-colonised the land in 1798, transliterating Ceilão into English as Ceylon. Sapphires found in Ceylon were originally famous because of the vibrant medium blue hues, however, there is more to the opinion…