Knowledge Column

In order to let more people know about polishing and grinding, Honway update the knowledge column from time to time.

光譜石

A gems with unique optical effects – Labradorite

Gemstones / By

Labradorite gets its name from the Labrador region in Canada, where it was first discovered. The stone contains a variety of metal element crystal minerals, giving it a unique play of colors known as labradorescence. This phenomenon causes the stone to shimmer with vibrant colors. Labradorites that display a full spectrum of colors are called “Spectrolite,” which is especially rare and valuable. Labradorite typically appears in gray, brown, or black, while gemstone-quality labradorite can exhibit iridescent colors such as red, yellow, blue, and green. When choosing labradorite, stones with a beautiful and large area of labradorescence are the most desirable. Due to its well-developed cleavage, labradorite is prone to breakage, so it should be set in jewelry with protective designs and handled carefully to avoid impact. There are almost no imitations of labradorite, but syenite rocks have a similar luster and are often counterfeited, but the quality is not as good as gem-grade labradorite.

日長石

A sparkling gemstone – Sunstone

Gemstones / By

Sunstone, discovered by mineralogists in 1837, is primarily composed of oligoclase from the plagioclase series. Initially, it was very expensive due to its rarity, but it became more widely available after new deposits were discovered in Norway and Siberia. Its name comes from the fact that when viewed from a certain direction, the gemstone will shine with a bright golden brillience, which is a phenomenon known as “Aventurescence”. This shimmer is due to the presence of fine mineral inclusions within the gemstone, such as chalcopyrite, native copper, annite, goethite or hematite, which reflect golden to brownish-yellow light. The color of the gemstone is influenced by the amount of inclusions; the more inclusions it has, the deeper the color. When selecting sunstone, it is best to choose one that is evenly covered with metallic shimmer. To maintain it, avoid impacts to prevent damage along the cleavage planes.

Moon stone

A gemstone that radiates moonlight-like sheen — Moonstone

Gemstones / By

Moonstone is a renowned phenomenon gemstone. In addition to the basic 4Cs(carat, color, clarity, cut), the optical effect is a crucial consideration. High-quality moonstone is semi-transparent, while lower quality ones appear milky and turbid with less adularescence. The best moonstone display a vivid blue sheen when viewed from the front; if this effect is only seen in parts, the gemstone’s value decreases. Moreover, moonstones exhibiting both cat’s eye effect and blue sheen are extremely rare and valuable!

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A gemstone that glows at night — Fluorite

Gemstones / By

Fluorite comes in various colors due to its exposure to different minerals during its formation process. Its unique color change and fluorescence are also caused by trace amounts of transitional or rare earth elements. There are two main directions for selecting fluorite for collection: one is choosing faceted gemstones, and the other is selecting phenomena stones such as fluorescence, phosphorescence, color change, etc. Fluorite plays a significant role in industries such as metallurgy, optics, and electronics, special lenses in laboratories are also made from fluorite, which have excellent dispersion resistance.

符山石

The Versatile Crystal Gemstone — Idocrase

Gemstones / By

Idocrase is a gemstone with a highly variable crystal form, resembling other minerals such as tourmaline, fluorite, zircon, and garnet. This resemblance led to its name “Idocrase,” meaning “mixed form” in Greek. Another name for the gemstone, Vesuvianite, comes from its discovery near Mount Vesuvius, Italy. Idocrase is quite durable and does not require special care, but it should be protected from prolonged exposure to sunlight (UV rays) to avoid fading.

Diopside

Gem in the Ceramics Industry—Diopside

Gemstones / By

Diopside possesses a high birefringence, so when viewed through its faceted surfaces, you can see a clear double image of the underlying facet edges. In the gemstone world, it is considered a relatively affordable green gemstone with a high cost-performance ratio. In industry, diopside is a commonly used raw material in ceramics, stabilizing the firing process and improving the quality of the ceramic products.

硬水鋁石

The Color-Changing Gemstone—Diaspore

Gemstones / By

硬水鋁石（Diaspore），英文名來自希臘文，意指「分散」，因其加熱後會爆裂四散。這種水合鋁氧化物礦物屬斜方晶系，與針鐵礦為異質同構礦物，晶體呈扁平狀，聚晶呈片狀或鱗狀晶簇，解理發達，破裂面常有珍珠光澤。硬水鋁石通常為無色、灰色、淡黃色，稀有紫色也可見。觀賞價值高的變色硬水鋁石，產自土耳其，商業上稱為「舒坦石」（Zultanite），其變色效應不亞於亞歷山大石，變色效果包括綠色、粉紅色、黃色和紫色，變色效應強的大克拉數標本極為稀有，難以估價。

在工業上，硬水鋁石廣泛存在於鋁土礦、紅土和某些岩石中，可用作耐火材料和鋁的提煉。硬水鋁石硬度高，不易刮擦，但因解理發達，需避免碰撞和接觸刺激性化學物質，如家用清潔劑和香水，這些可能會損害寶石。

Charoite

Gemstone Like Twining Dragons — Charoite

Gemstones / By

Charoite, a rare purple silicate mineral, is characterized by its radiating fibrous metamorphic structure, which resembles a group of entwined dragons, hence earning it the commercial name Purple Dragon Crystal. The other name, Charoite, is derived from its discovery site along the Chara River in Russia. In terms of color, the only gemstone similar to it is Sugilite, but the two can be differentiated by their crystal structures. A gemstone with a similar fibrous structure is Seraphinite, though its composition is entirely different from that of Charoite.

解理說明

Why is “cleavage” important in design?

Science Classroom / By

Cleavage refers to the property where a crystallized mineral breaks along weaker planes within the crystal structure under external force, forming smooth surfaces. In the gemstone industry, the cleavage characteristic is utilized by striking along the cleavage plane before cutting and polishing. Cleavage is classified into five grades based on the degree of perfection: perfect cleavage, good cleavage, fair cleavage, poor cleavage, and no cleavage. Cleavage is not only a critical factor in gemstone design but also serves as an important indicator in gemstone identification. Cleavage is an inherent property of gemstones, and even perfectly crystallized diamonds have cleavage planes.

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