Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Aventurine is a variety of quartz that has a spangled appearance due to sparkling internal reflections from uniformly oriented tiny inclusions of other minerals.  Aventurine quartz is named for the type of glass discovered in Italy at the beginning of the 1800s; it was called Ventura because the glass was discovered by accident or luck. A…

Aquamarine’s name derives from the Latin for water of the sea named because of its seawater color. Aquamarine is a blue-green variety of beryl, at its best quality it’s a sky blue color. Beryl is a mineral. The name Beryl is derived from the Greek beryllos, applied to many green stones. One of the best known…

At Gemstoneindex you can find information on gemstones, minerals, jewelry, birthstones and more. It is intended as a guide to the beautiful and fascinating world of gemstones. Throughout history gemstones have been admired and worn as amulets and talismans; believed to have powers to protect against evil, disease, and as safeguards of health. Gemstones have…

Amethyst’s name derives from the ancient Greek amethustos, meaning “not drunk.” It was believed to guard or protect against the drunkenness. Amethyst is one of the most highly valued stones in the quartz group. Ancient Mesopotamia civilizations highly valued amethyst and so did the ancient Egyptians. Amethyst has been used in jewelry for thousands of…

At Gemstoneindex you can find information on gemstones, minerals, jewelry, birthstones and more. It is intended as a guide to the beautiful and fascinating world of gemstones. Throughout history gemstones have been admired and worn as amulets and talismans; believed to have powers to protect against evil, disease, and as safeguards of health. Gemstones have…

Amazonite is also called Amazon stone.  The name is derived from that of the Amazon River, from which certain green stones were formerly acquired, but it is doubtful whether green feldspar occurs in the Amazon area. Amazonite is one of the most common feldspar minerals. It can be colorless, white, and cream to pale yellow,…

Howlite was discovered in 1868 by a Nova Scotia chemist, geologist and mineralogist named Henry How. It is a calcium borosilicate hydroxide. It is usually white in color with veins of other minerals running through the nodules. They are easily distinguished by its inferior hardness – turquoise Moh’s hardness being 5-6 and Howlite – Moh’s…

The name garnet comes from the Latin word granatus, meaning “seed,” because it often resembles small round seeds (similar to the red kernels of the pomegranate)when found. Garnets are isomorphous, meaning that they share the same crystal structure. This is a group of six differently colored minerals with similar crystal structures and related chemical compositions.…

Sardonyx is a variety of agate with reddish-brown and white bands. It is a member of the layer stones. Sard is the brownish-red variety of chalcedony. Sardonyx has straight bands of white, together with bands of brownish red sard thus, the name sardonyx. Sard takes its name from the Greek “Sardis,” the capital of ancient…

There are two different minerals known as jade.  They are “nephrite”, which is an amphibole, and “jadeite,” which is a pyroxene.  Nephrite is the most common and widespread.  It is formed of a mat of tightly interlocking fibers, creating a stone tougher than steel.  It was used in China and New Zealand for tools and…