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Popular gemstones and cabochons:
Amazonite
Parrot Wing quick guide: 1" = 25mm 1/2"=13mm 1/4"=6.5mm
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The thing that got me into this whole business was a mineral specimen--a crystal so beautiful that it expressed all the loveliness of the earth--a Heart of Stone. The specimens on these pages are top quality and uncommon. Each is one of a kind. Click on the light green buttons to go to the stone of your choice:
Madagascar Celestite The above photos are all of one specimen. (To see captions, place your cursor at the center of each photo. To enlarge a photo, click on it) This gorgeous hunk of celestite from Madagascar lives up to its celestial name. Its crystals are a lovely medium blue with a touch of grey, and are found on the front, top, side, and back of this specimen. Some of the crystals are a lighter blue, and most of them are gemmy, very sparkly, which is fairly rare in celestite. The piece has two large crystals that are more than an inch long, and other chunky crystals that are 3/4" wide. Some of the crystals jut out of the specimen, while others peek out from within a little "cave" in the front. The piece is 5" in length, 3-1/4" high, and 2-1/2" wide. It weighs 1.8 lbs. What's especially unusual about this piece is that most of the crystals are transparent, some clear enough to read through, although they retain their blue color. Even with this clarity, they are still mysterious, with phantom-like clouds, silvery and sparkly inclusions--looking more like some magical blue quartz than common celestite. All in all, this is a marvelous specimen. GM 1400 $110.00 Web special: $88.00!
Mystical Qualities of Celestite: Celestite derived its name from its
celestial color, which is considered unique in all of Nature. Known as the dream
stone, it can add a calming, soothing aura to a room. When it's held or gazed
upon, it can provide a balm to the spirit, and a sense of peace and relaxation
to the mind. This piece can literally "light up" an entire living space. People
who are sensitive to celestite say that after just being in a room with celesite
for a while, they emerge feeling quietly energized. Because of its blue color,
this stone is also associated with the throat chakra, and is said to help to
clear one's communication skills and aid in personal expression.
The above photos are of one specimen. (To see captions, place your cursor at the center of each photo. Click on the photo to supersize it.)
This rare stone is called dioptase, a less than romantic name for a crystal so
beautiful it takes your breath away. When I purchased this stone, I was
captivated by the color and size of the dipotase crystals. I bought
it from a dealer from Soestdijk in the Netherlands. He said that it came from
the Sumeb. I recently researched the Sumeb, also known as the Tsumeb, meaning
"place of the green frogs." It is located in Namibia, and is one of the richest
mining sites in the world. Mystical Qualities of Dioptase. New Age experts consider dioptase to be a tremendously powerful healing stone, extremely useful in balancing internal energy and stimulating all the chakras. It can be used to calm both body and mind, open the heart, and become more spiritually attuned with Nature. It is said to be especially helpful to people who feel a deep connection with the Earth.
The Germans named this unusual type of hematite "Glaskopf," or glass-head, referring to the rounded, almost bubbly botyroidal surface and glasslike metallic luster. These magnificent specimens are from the Sahara, in southern Morocco. The hematite surfaces gleam as though polished (although they're not), and some of them look as though they been carved and faceted. When you handle them, your hands come away rouged with what the Moroccans called "the dust of the Sahara." But I think it just might be the red dust from the iron ore in which this mineral is found. Nevertheless, the concept is very exotic! This piece features a froth of small, shiny
black hematite bubbles spilling down a mountainside. The shiny botyroidal
formations are found on the top and one side of the specimen, while areas of the
reddish-ore bottom have a spray of microcrystalline sparkles, and the other side
has a tiny cleft filled with more microcystalline material.
Click on photo to see detail. GM 1700 $48.00 Glaskopf Hematite
This specimen has the heft you associate
with real hematite, and is crowned by smoothly rounded botyroidal formations in
a very pleasing arrangement. The surface of this piece is so highly reflective
that it was nearly impossible to photograph. In some lights, the surface is
brand-new-bowling-ball black, while in other lights its metallic luster gives it
the silvery sheen you see here. Reddish ore forms the underside. Mystical Qualities of Hematite. This mysterious stone, containing both light and dark at once, is said to have a soothing, grounding effect that helps restore one's sense of self. It can be helpful in clarifying one's thinking, and helping to focus on a creative or intellectual goal. Proponents also claim that it can help to balance one's yin and yang energies, which can be particularly valuable to women.
More pages of mineral specimens follow.... next The more you buy, the more you save on shipping! For orders totaling more than $200, ground shipping in the continental U.S. is FREE! Think of how much you'll save on the cost of shipping ROCKS! If you'd like to check out, or check up on your order, click:
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Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Heart of Stone Studio Gemstones
Cabochons
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The specimen
pictured above (showing both sides) is dominated by absolutely gigantic crystals, averaging about 1 inch
(2.7 cm) wide, the largest I've ever seen on this size of celestite. Their color
ranges from a translucent smoky blue to a gemlike, deep, clear blue. This is a very strong and impressive piece.
While it rests comfortably on a surface, its upfolded form conveys the
impression of flight. Measures:
5" (12.5cm) wide, 3.75" (9.5 cm) tall, 3" (7.5cm) deep. Weight: 2.4 lbs.
GM 1401 $110.00 Sorry, Sold!
