Special optical effects in precious colored gemstones
Whenever we look, up above the world so high, it seems as if our eyes are being witness to a great scintillating wonder.
Painters of the Renaissance like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo were painters who were inclined towards creating masterpieces. Their paintings show such captivating blend of colors, creating shades on the canvas which are heartwarming
The playful choice to create that thoughtful picture of Monalisa is still a classic amongst renowned artful conceptions.
Similarly, such magical designs of man’s thoughtful mind are also evident in jewelry. Humans have embellished themselves with beautiful shiny gold and silver jewelry. In addition, colored gemstones setting has been the most sought over since centuries.
Since very long, human civilizations around the world couldn’t have been able to resist the charm of such adornments. The treasure chests of kings and queens have been full with such precious extravaganza.
Talking about colored gems, each one of it is a unique specimen of its kind. Together with color and clarity, optical effects in gems give them a distinct value.
Let us go through some of fascinating wonderful effects below:
1. Adularescence- This is an optical effect which appears hazy, cloudy like. An internal movement of sheen is seen inside the stone. A perfect example of this effect is moonstone.
2. Asterism- Just like a star with its six rays. This effect is best seen in a non-faceted gemstone. Specimens are ruby, garnet, and sapphire.
3. Chatoyancy- This effect resembles a cat’s eye. As the stone moves sideways, a thin bright shiny line across the stone makes it look intriguing. An example of this effect is seen in alexandrite.
4. Iridescence- This change-in-color phenomenon is very commonly seen in soap bubbles, butterfly wings, and sea shells. It is an optical effect which comes in effect as angle of the view is changed. A thin film of air or liquid facilitates such characteristic in a gemstone.
Stones lesser in value like andalusite, labradorite, spectrolite etc, are counted as specimens of this optical effect.
5. Luster- This term usually refers to surface sheen or brilliance of surface of gemstone. Pertaining to the degree of reflection of light, gemstones like diamond is a remarkable example. It has an ability to disperse light of different colors. As compared to diamonds, pearls lack that crisp luster form whereas they exhibit a smooth, silkier-looking luster, called as orient.
6. Play of color- Opal’s playful characteristic of multi-color display could best explain this term.
Therefore, the above described are terms used to describe the various detracting yet impressive optical effects seen in lesser known gemstones.
Loose Tanzanite and
Loose Ruby at angara.com
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