Various varieties of chalcedony began to be mined and used to create jewelry and household utensils many centuries ago. This is one of the first stones that is familiar to man.
Being a variety of quartz, chalcedony has many subspecies. All of them have similar properties, the main of which is their amazing appearance, thanks to which you want to twirl these stones in your hands and examine them again and again. In addition, all varieties of chalcedony are quite heavy. In any case, they all deserve to talk about them thoroughly.
Incomplete list
Experts say that making a clear list of all the varieties of this stone is not easy. It is known for sure that the list will contain at least one hundred items. The following varieties are best known:
- Agate is a solid layered mineral, a type of chalcedony, which has a pattern in the form of horizontal and concentric stripes.
- Onyx - chalcedony with a pattern in the form of parallel straight stripes, less often - smoothly curved.
- Sapphirine is a mineral with a rich blue color.
- Carnelian is a chalcedony beloved by jewelers, painted evenly in shades of orange, brown or red.
- Chrysoprase is a surprisingly beautiful stone, a semi-precious variety of chalcedony, evenly colored in apple green or bluish green color.
- The heliotrope is a dark green mineral with spots of saturated red and yellow shades.
- Mirikit is a semiprecious stone, a type of gray chalcedony, decorated with spots of red shades.
- Stefanik is a surprisingly beautiful stone of white or light gray color, decorated with a scattering of red dots.
- Plasma is a rather rare variety, a stone of a dark green hue.
- Sarder is a mineral, a type of chalcedony, a stone painted evenly in red-brown tones.
- Prasem is a light onion-green stone.
- Dendragate is a chalcedony with a unique pattern resembling a wood pattern.
There are other varieties of chalcedony. This list is far from complete and not final. It presents what enjoys the greatest attention of specialists.
Where do the stones come from
Almost all over the world chalcedony is mined. Varieties of stones are found in Canada and the USA, in Latin America and Africa. Hindustan is rich in chalcedony.
In Russia, these stones are mined in Siberia and Chukotka.
Deposits in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic are the oldest on the planet. Sometimes prospectors find simply huge nuggets. Large size is not uncommon for this mineral.
Chalcedony in jewelry
Quality stones have long been loved by jewelers. Absolutely all varieties of chalcedony are opaque. Those that have a uniform color, similar to a thick liquid, are of the greatest interest. For example, carnelians have been used by jewelers to create exquisite jewelry for hundreds of years. These stones are considered semiprecious, however, they happen to appear in tandem with gold, platinum, diamonds.
Byron still sang the beauty of a carnelian. He was struck by the deep gray color of the mineral and its foggy radiance. Agates, christ-images, onyxes are no less valuable for jewelers.
Bijouterie
Varieties of chalcedony are also used to create jewelry. Moreover, both on an industrial scale and in masterwork.
Today, many craftsmen work with chalcedony. These stones do not need to be cut - their charismatic irregular shape and intricate pattern are beautiful in themselves. All this gives the stones a unique charm. To create wonderful jewelry, simply polished saw cuts are often used. Polished pieces of stone have high decorative properties. This is especially true for those varieties that have an unusual pattern and color.
Decor Elements
This stone was also loved by decorators. It is easy to work with it, it does not give chips, does not crack and lends itself perfectly to a grinder and a cutter. From chalcedony create figurines, accessories, ritual paraphernalia, all kinds of decorative elements.
Some of them can be called art objects, and not just beautiful crafts.
In addition, chalcedony sometimes becomes the material for creating decorative tiles, countertops, vases, sinks and much more. Details from this mineral are incredibly beautiful in the form of inlays for inlaying.
Varieties of chalcedony in astrology
From time immemorial, people believed that minerals have mystical properties. Chalcedony was no exception. It was believed that he has mystic power.
Today, astrologers also attribute to him a number of properties. For example, it is believed that this mineral belongs to the sign of Virgo. Astrologers claim that it is most useful to those born on the 18th and 22nd lunar days. It is also believed that this mineral protects those born under the sign of Sagittarius.
Are chalcedony treated?
From ancient times, a number of healing properties were attributed to these stones. For some reason agate was always considered especially mystical. Lithotherapists are prescribed to wear chalcedony to those who suffer from nervous exhaustion, depression, sleep disorders.
Unfortunately, there is no scientific justification for the fact that chalcedony is being treated. However, this applies to the therapeutic effect of absolutely all stones. In any case, no serious studies have been conducted on this subject.
However, one cannot argue with the fact that a necklace or bracelet with intricate stones, presented to a tired and upset woman, can significantly improve her mood? If you like chalcedony, be sure to get at least a small trinket with this cute gem. May she bring joy.
How to distinguish a fake
Before buying, pay attention to some important points. Chalcedony is easily affected. For example, they can change color to almost any other. They absorb the paint well, completely changing the shade and preserving the transitions from dark to light tones. Heating to high temperatures also affects color. From some rocks in this way you can get stones that are very similar to carnelian.
Sometimes it looks pretty good. But true connoisseurs prefer the natural palette. In addition, unscrupulous sellers often simply hide this fact.
The photo above shows colored chalcedony. And if some of them look more or less believable, then bright pinks are more like plastic.
Another type of fake is also common. For example, a highly regarded variety of chalcedony, which jewelers call "grapes." Nuggets are a cluster of red-brown balls and have high decorative properties. For the purpose of falsification, grinders simply grind such a form from low-quality rock, passing it off as a natural original. This phenomenon is especially common in the Far East.
Well, of course, do not forget about the certificate. In most cases, this is a sufficient guarantee of quality.
Selection rules
In order not to doubt the quality of the purchase, treat it carefully and responsibly. Remember that natural stone cannot be perfectly smooth. This applies to both shape and color. Screaming shades are a sign of fake. And just coloring natural gems is not the only way to cheat! The stone may generally be made of plastic or glass.
All varieties of chalcedony have a low temperature. If you take the nugget in your hand, it will not heat up for a long time. He also has a relatively large weight. It is much heavier than plastic and glass.
Chalcedony Care
Buying natural stone is not all. Absolutely all chalcedony needs care. Varieties of green stones, for example, are afraid of high temperatures. And black ultrasonic cleaning is contraindicated.
There are general rules for all minerals. Jewelry with chalcedony should not be stored in the bulk, because the stones can be damaged on the sharp edges of more durable gems. It is recommended to remove jewelry during sports - the effect of sweat adversely affects this stone. In no case should you clean chalcedony with acetone, alcohol, aggressive chemistry. Their wonderful coloration may suffer from this. And noble translucency will turn into a banal turbidity.
If the product is stained, it is best to clean it with soap and water. After completing the procedure, traces of the solution must be carefully washed off with running water.