Girly Girl Beads Gemstone Guide
Here you can learn more about the gemstones we have used in our designs.
Although there are many various stones, here are a few listed.
Agate- There are many types of agate found all over the world. Agate is a type of chalcedony quartz that forms by filling a cavity in a rock. Varieties of agate are formed by the differences in shape and colors. The varieties in color can be anywhere in our color spectrum. Here are a few.
Agate-Golden - is a member of the quartz family that really blends the beauty of both earth and moon. It contains the rich dark brown colors of the soil.
Agate-Green - is a beautiful, almost translucent deep green stone.
Agate-Moss- is neither moss nor agate, but it can looks like both. This beautiful gemstone has a mottled moss-like inclusions is not regarded scientifically as agate at all. Though it has the same chemical composition, or has the intriguing patterns of agate, moss agate is found in fissures or as pebbles rather than in a layered form
Amber - is a special kind of fossil resin that contains succinic acid. It is superior in quality to any other fossil resins. Amber is a soft gemstone.
Amethyst- is found in a many different shades, from lavender to a deep purple. Amethyst is said to be one of the best selling gemstones in the world. Because amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety, it played an important role in the ornamentation of Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages. These stones are found in Brazil, Argentina, Namibia, Canada and the U.S.
Aventurine- is a form of Macrocrystalline quartz. It can be found in Brazil, India, China and Japan. Most Aventurine is reddish brown to yellow in color with shimmering metallic particles called mica throughout the stone. If there are any red or brown particles in Aventurine, it is caused by hematite platelets. Some specimens of true green have also been found naturally, but most green, blue and red gems on the market have been dyed.
Black Onyx- can be natural or dyed and has been valued by the Greeks and Romans. It is used in India to ward off the evil and used as a worry stone in the Middle East. Onyx can be found in Uruguay, Germany, Canada and the U.S.
Coral- most people think that any type of coral can be used for jewelry, but, in fact, only two species (Corallium rubrum and Corallium japonicum) are used to make the familiar red jewelry. Pearls and coral are chemically similar (both are over 90% carbonic limes) Coral can grow up to 40cm tall with branches that are only 4cm thick. It is from this small part of the coral that materials are harvested to create jewelry. At first glance the coral is naturally dull with a matte finish to it. Only after polishing coral, does the glossy luster come out. It has a wide range of color from red to white, blue to black and brown.
Denim Lapis- resembles denim and found in Afghanistan and Chile. It can be less expensive then Lapis Lazuli but the color makes it perfect for casual outfits.
Howlite- is named for Henry How, who was a 19th century mineralogist. He found this gemstone first in Nova Scotia. Its natural color is a white stone with either dark gray or black webs or streaks. It can be found dyed to imitate Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli.
Jade Gemstone - has been named for two different gem rocks - Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite is rare making it more precious than Nephrite type. There are several different colors of Jade. Jadeite can be found in varies colors, where nephrite is more a bold green, white and black.
Jade-Green - has the most verdant green you can imagine and is also the most valuable jade. True jade is either jadeite or nephrite (nephrite is stronger).
Jade-Mountain - vibrant mountain "jade" beads are as strong, beautiful and fascinating as the stone they come from. They're actually a high-grade dolomite marble from Asia. Over the ages, mineral remains of shells and skeletons of millions of tiny sea animals were metamorphosed into this strong, beautiful marble used for centuries by sculptors. Mountain "jade" beads are that marble dyed vivid, gleaming colors
Jade-New - a very pale colored stone that is actually serpentine.
Jasper - the name jasper comes from the Greek for "spotted stone. Jasper comes in so many unique forms. Many are named from their locations. Jasper is a rock composed of chalcedony, dense microcrystalline quartz and other minerals which make up the colorful bands or patterns throughout. It is found in Germany, India, France, Russia and the U.S. It is rare to find Jasper that is uniformly colored.
Brecciated Jasper
Lepardskin Jasper
Dalmatian Jasper - an off white jasper with scattered black spots.
Lapis Lazuli - is composed largely of blue lazurite. It also will have some pyrite and mica throughout it. This is the stone of truth and friendship and can be found from a true blue to deep blue to purplish blue to blue-green. This is one of the first stones to be used for jewelry. It is found in Afghanistan, Egypt, Canada and Chile.
Mother of Pearl - is the name given to the iridescent coating on the inside of mollusk shells. When an object gets inside the shell of a mollusk, it will protect itself by coating the invading object with the same material it uses to coat pearls. This is where the name creator (mother) of pearls comes from. Nacre is found in pearl oysters, freshwater mussels and abalone.
Obsidian, Snowflake- is a beautiful black and white gemstone. This gemstone is actually volcanic glass that has formed as lava quickly cools. Its snowflake appearance is produced by internal crystallites. Also referred to as flowering obsidian, snowflake obsidian is found mainly in Utah.
Pearls - have been used for personal ornament for thousands of years. They were probably one of the earliest gems found by prehistoric man, being naturally-perfect objects which required no additional craftsmanship. It is said that they were probably first found along the coastline of India. Pearls come fine-finished directly from nature. Because of their natural beauty, they are associated with the matrix of life and some say that the pearl helps balance one's bodily rhythms and hormonal levels with lunar cycles. Depending on the type of mollusk, pearls can be white, pinkish, brown or even black.
Peridot- is the birthstone of August and can be sometimes be confused with Emerald. Peridot is susceptible to acids and quick temperature changes. Peridot is found in China, Pakistan, Australia, Egypt, Norway and the U.S.
Quartz-Rose - "The love stone" is one of the most desirable quartzes. Quartz includes a large group of minerals based on silicon dioxide. Rose quartz is a macrocrystalline form. It is a milky pink in color and it is believed that the pink color is due to small amounts of titanium.
Quartz Smoky- a brown transparent quartz in color and is sometimes called smoky topaz. Smoky quartz is formed when rock crystal is irradiated. That usually can occur at high altitudes which is why its most notable sources are Brazil or Colorado.
Rhodonite - comes in colors of rose to a deep pink color but has black dendrite inclusions throughout. Its name is derived from the Greek word rhodon (pink). It is a very durable stone. Rhodonite does not polish well so it will have a flat finish to it. Rhodonite comes from Sweden, Australia, and the island of Vancouver in Canada. Rhodonite can also be found in Oregon.
Sapphire - actually has a range of beautiful colors, from blue to yellow to green to orange-pink. Sapphires and rubies are closely related, they both have corundum as their base mineral. The iron pigment in the corundum makes sapphire blue, while the chrome element in rubies makes them red. These gemstones are the second hardest of the most precious of gemstones (diamond, sapphire and emerald). The name sapphire comes from the Greek (for blue), and as late as the Middle Ages, the word applied to lapis lazuli.
Serpentine - gets its name from the word 'serpent' because it does resembles the skin of a snake. It is sometimes called New Jade and occurs in a variety of colors including red, green, brown-red, brown-yellow and white. Serpentine makes an exceptional meditation stone. Serpentine was carried in ancient Assyria to request the gods and goddesses to provide double blessings. Serpentine is found in New Zealand, China, Afghanistan, South Africa, USA, and England.
Sodalite – a deep blue violet sodalite which is accented with white streaks of calcite. A wonderful lapis lazuli look a alike. Comes from Brazil.
Tiger Eye - is so named because it resembles the eye of a tiger. Tiger-Eye is a microcrystalline quartz that pseudomorphs. It is golden to honey yellow in color. It is found in South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Western Australia and California.
Turquoise - has long been associated with gods and goddesses. Turquoise has been mined since the ancient days in Egypt. In ancient times, the Aztecs would use it to decorate ceremonial masks. It was used to ward off the "evil eye". Turquoise is the French name for "Turkish stone".
Unakite (Epidotized Granite)- is a granite gemstone that is named after the Unaka Mountains from where it is mined in the Southwestern U.S. This is a relatively new gemstone howver is being used in many jewelry pieces today. Those who have seen this stone usually love it and want more.