As you shop for a citrine gemstone, you will see its hardness referenced. Indeed, you will find that all minerals, whether jewel quality or not, are assigned a hardness factor. Where did that come from and what does it mean?
The mineral hardness scale was established by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in the early 1800’s. He based the scale on ten common minerals ranging from talc, the softest mineral on the scale, to diamond, the hardest. Each mineral on the scale will scratch the mineral below it and will be scratched by the mineral above it.
1. Talc.
2. Gypsum
———————————————–fingernail
3. Calcite
4. Fluorite
5. Apatite
———————————————–knife blade and glass
6. Feldspar
7. Quartz
8. Topaz
9. Corundum (i.e. ruby and sapphire
10. Diamond
Fingernails have a hardness of about 2.5. Knife blades and glass show up on the scale at about 5.5. Metal files have a hardness of about 6.5. Quartz stands at 7 on the scale.
Quartz occurs in many varieties. Rock crystal is colorless quartz. Amethyst is purple. Milk quartz is white. Rose quartz is rose-red or pink and more often found in mass rather than as crystal. It gets its rose coloring from the presence of manganese. Smoky quartz is smoky brown to black in color because of the presence of small amounts of radioactive materials such as radium (it irradiates silicon atoms). Quartz cat’s-eyes are formed when quartz crystallized around preexisting materials. All of these, whether raw or polished, are quartz and therefore have a hardness of 7.
The quartz gems are the best known among semi-precious stones. They produce a greater variety of gemstones than any other mineral. The transparent varieties come in a rainbow of colors from clear to yellow, green, brown, pink, blue, violet and black.
This brings us to citrine. Citrine is a beautiful, warm quartz, yellow and transparent, and resembles topaz. Because it is a quartz, citrine is well-suited for jewelry. With a hardness of seven, it will be relatively scratch resistant. When that hardness is combined with the striking luster and brilliance of a citrine gemstone, the result can be breathtaking beauty.
Gems have been highly prized minerals since prehistoric times. The Cro-Magnon ornamented their bodies with lavish strings of jewels. Egyptians used jewels for both decoration and identification, reflecting ones rank in society. Gems were thought to have mystical powers.
We treat gems in much the same way today. When we want to look our best or bring a striking look to a special occasion, we choose jewelry that befits the circumstance. One of the most beautiful choices available for any budget is the citrine gemstone. Looking beautiful (or handsome!) just makes you feel better. Dress yourself up with a new bit of citrine gemstone jewelry. You will be glad that you did.
The citrine gemstone is said to encourage and stimulate a happy, optimistic, and sunny outlook. It is supposed to repel negativity — not a bad quality in this day and time! Please investigate these wonderful gems further at Citrine Gemstone [http://citrinegemstone.net] or discover beautiful blue gemstones at Blue Topaz Gemstone [http://bluetopazgemstone.net]. Visit the sites today!
