Elrequisitium

Tag: gemstones

  • Ancient Scandinavia and Gemstones

    Ancient Scandinavia and Gemstones

    Scandinavia,home of the mythical gods Thor and Odin, is often overlooked but rich in history and beauty. It has magnificent natural scenery and a rich cultural heritage. Despite its importance, it is often overshadowed by famous civilizations such as the Incas and Mesopotamia.

    Gemstones have long fascinated civilizations around the world, serving as symbols of strength, beauty and spirituality. In ancient Scandinavia, these gemstones had significant cultural and practical significance, woven into the tapestry of Norse mythology and everyday life.

    Types of Gemstones

    The ancient Scandinavians created a variety of gemstones, each with their own unique properties and meanings. Here we are going to tell you a few.

    Amber 

    A fossilized tree resin, amber was prized for its golden glow, symbolizing warmth, protection and sunlight.

    Garnet

    This deep red gem was associated with protection, strength and courage, often associated with the god Odin.

    Quartz

    Clear or colored quartz was used in jewelry and ceremonial objects, representing clarity, strength, and spiritual connection.

    Fossilized Agate 

    This banded stone was used in jewelry and decorative objects, representing a connection to the earth and the cycles of nature.

    Jade

    A symbol of good luck, prosperity and fertility, jade was highly valued, reflecting the importance of agriculture and fertility in Scandinavian society.

    Use in jewelry and patterns

    Gemstones were expertly crafted into a variety of jewelry forms, such as brooches, pendants and armlets, as well as ritual objects such as ceremonial cups and amulets. They believed that their presence at burial sites ensured protection and guidance in the afterlife.

    The legacy of gemstones in Scandinavia

    The importance of gemstones in ancient Scandinavia influences modern culture, influencing jewelry design, art and spiritual practices. The mystery surrounding these precious stones is a testament to the region’s rich cultural heritage.

    I hope you find this article informative and interesting! If you have any further request let me know. I would love to create it.

  • Midgets of Adam’s peak

    Midgets of Adam’s peak

    Ever been fascinated by the dwarves of the lonely mountain?

    With their crafty ways. And their skill at crafting…

    Dwarves have been associated with mining since the most ancient of times. But we never expected to come across remnants of this ancient tale in Sri Lanka.

    There we were sitting around tea, at a local shop, when the topic of holes drilled into gemstones turning up at the river bed came up. I was intrigued. Modern technology achieves this feat with great pride. Then how did they do it back then?

    At first the story was unintelligible and it just went past me. Upon repeatedly inquiring of the tale, I grasped its gist.

    The story centers around Adam’s peak, a site still famous to this day for attracting the pious and adventurers alike.

    Under the influence of a local divinity named Saman, gemstones were spread around the mountain. Literally sprinkled around the mountain!

    Copy Of How To Climb Adam's Peak In Sri Lanka

    A Midget race, wandering the face of the earth at the time, caught wind of these gemstones and arrived at Ceylon, to try their luck. They offered their services to the king at the time, and he agreed.

    And their work was phenomenal. They diverted the flow of the rivers to mine for gemstones underneath at the rock bed. They had the skills of gem cutting, polishing, & faceting.

    They were probably craftsmen as well.

    They brought prosperity upon the nation and themselves. And so the days passed by. They intermarried with the folks of Ceylon and passed down their knowledge to them. And so the days passed by. To bring about the end of their stay in Ceylon. 

    A new king who had had enough of their crafty ways and cunning, banished them from the Land. and they left, taking away most of their precious knowledge. 

    The little knowledge they left behind, was instrumental in giving Ceylon a reputable name in the ancient world for its gemstones and craftsmanship. 

    Where did they leave to? Are they still wandering about? Did they even exist, or were they just a creation of the mind? That does keep me wondering…. 

    Would that keep you wondering as well?

  • What are Gemstones?

    What are Gemstones?

    Silent in the glance.. yet empowering…

    Providing the wielder, that desired touch of magic….

    “You are your own unique brand indeed… 

    risk taking… overcoming the fear of failure….

    To dive into the deep unknown…”

    The words above are a glance of some of the feelings which a gem in your possession can inspire…

    “ dumb jeans in their silent kind, more than quick words do move a woman’s mind”

    William Shakespeare

    Symbolified as tokens of love, royalty, wealth from Tutenkhamen to Queen Victoria, the history of gemstones extends to the Neanderthals who used hematite to decorate their shells. All ancient cultures had some references to gemstones in their society.

    So do you ever wonder, of the journey undertaken by a gemstone to end up in jewelry?

    It all begins in the dirt, where a miner has identified the presence of a previously untouched entity, in the midst of all the mud and other stones. And you would not recognize the stone in this initial state.

    ^ this is a licensable photo. We should sell our own somewhere. Good looking miners can be posed.

    Some stones do appear colorful and as shiny as they look in jewelry… but this is rare…

    A majority appear darker with multiple inclusions in them. If you are lost at inclusions then don’t worry. We’ve written an article discussing this.

    Here are examples of rough stones found in Kalu ganga, a river in Sri Lanka, famous since ancient Times for its sapphires.

    The rough stones are then cut to form the basic shape, such as square, oval, round…

    This depends on the original shape of the gemstone. Some stones can be cut into two, to make perfect pairs for earrings. It is cut in such a manner, so as to preserve weight, color and to slough off the inclusions.

    It is definitively a topic of its own to discuss the procedure which help you get the best possible cut for a gemstone.

    Once the basic shapes are formed, the stone is then faceted and polished. This is the sparkly stone in your jewelry.

    In the midst of this process since stones undergo treatment, in order to improve color or clarity. 

    As gemstones exchange hands, they maybe recut, to adjust shape as the owner sees fit.

    Finally the gemstone ends up in the hands of a jeweler who has seen it to be the perfect match for an accessory they had in mind.

    And with the stone set up in the jewelry item, and held firmly it is put up for sale awaiting its rightful owner…. To claim it for their own.

    And there you have it! This was just a brief overview in gemstones.

    We are hoping to expand on this, so it can prove as a valuable resource for those interested in purchasing jewelry, those running jewelry stores, gem businessmen hobbyists out there.

  • Why are gemstones costly articles?

    Why are gemstones costly articles?

    For a gemstone beauty alone is insufficient, rarity and durability are equally essential properties.

    Eg:- Spharlite is a stone whose brilliance approaches that of diamond but is far too soft to be of equal value

    Fine garnets are far more pleasing than bad rubies. But the rubies still hold value[elaborate more on garnets and rubies]

    Additionally many gems are said to have cultural and historical significance further increasing their value.

    An Italian superstition holds that sapphires are used in amulets which are worn as a protection from eye problems and melancholy and what more even Mary ‘The queen of Scots’ wore sapphires in her pendant to protect from sore eyes

    The labor intensive processes of mining and refinery adds to their overall value.

    ‘Digging grounds to find

    Shiny things to be loved

    Shouting ‘hard to do’

    Sweating, never mind’

  • Mining Town

    Mining Town

    I wrote a part of this while I was at the bus stop in this mining town.

    Hope of a Miner

    Is the dynamic nature of this science in the mind of the people here? They spend their time rock hunting, mining, knowing that that one particular stone, whatever that is, when found, is going to make their lives better. And so they continue to mine. Some their whole life, some just a portion of it.

    Gem Rush

    Some just try it for the gold rush in their veins and after their hard work is met with great failure, pack up and leave. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. What’s even sadder is when they don’t know the value of some of the stones they find only to end up back into the river.

    Friendly Town

    Upon entering the town, the general atmosphere feels friendly, with people laughing about, buses moving about, children going to the temple on Sunday, with their mothers behind them. It does feel safe.

    Fertility

    Vegetables, paddy is a specialty of this region…The soil is perfect with the alluvial deposits brought down. How do you get alluvial deposits here? You need dead organic matter of some sort to make soil fertile right? How is mountain soil fertile? Or hills for that matter

    [link out of here]

    Disease

    There is a high prevalence of diabetes and its related complications in this region. I was listening into the conversation between the bus-conductors, and they remarked at the incompetence of the neighboring state hospitals in facilitating transfers, starting antibiotics and how they relied on local common knowledge.

    Remote & Rural

    They complained about the exorbitant prices kept by the local businesses, as there was a scarcity of shops in the town. And to overcome this, they purchase bulk items from the main market whenever they get the time.

    I had to wait for an hour at the bus stop, for my friend from the town to pick me up. This gave me a chance to talk to the locals. It was a bike ride through the town. I avoided filming it and taking photographs just so that I could take the best out of it. The morning air was cold, fresh and promising.

    Wage Work

    There were numerous small shops sparsely located in between large estates of trees. Estates included rubber, tea and woods. The river runs along the main road at most separated from it by 100m. It is evident that almost everyone here tries their luck when the water levels go down. I could hear the general complaint by local investors that the women were keeping their men away from searching for gemstones in the river, thinking it would be better to send them to work in a construction site or estate as it gives them a daily wage. If they spent their time mining they would only get paid if they find something.

    The Mysterious Black River

    I had glanced upon the Kalu-Ganga a multiple number of times.. each time I thought to myself why the water appeared so yellow and murky. I tried searching for historical references to the river. Starting from Adam’s peak in the mountains. Known as Kaanha Nadi in the past. Ancient past. Kaanha is an ancient Paali word for darkness.

    [I will expand on this later]

  • The Rock Cycle and Gemstones

    The Rock Cycle and Gemstones

    It all starts with magma. The red hot liquid stuff inside the earth. Hotter and hotter as you go inside. Why, I wonder? As magma cools, rock is formed.

    What’s a rock in the first place? Hard substance? Nope…

    It’s a solid substance with certain molecular arrangements, keeping the particles bound together.

    You’ve probably heard of this before! Igneous, Metamorphic & Sedimentary rocks.

    But where do we begin? We can start from the weakest and follow its way to the strongest of the three. Sedimentary rock. Delicate. Used in construction. Sandstone. Wears down over time. Like the pyramids! 💀☠️

    This sediment is washed down by water.

    Water!

    Another driver of this natural cycle. Sediment builds up in the rivers as they take them into the deep sea.

    Sediment builds over time, then descends downwards.

    Closer and closer to the magma. Increasing in temperatures & pressures to form metamorphic rocks.

    Marbles is the word for metamorphic rock.

    As one Raja said to the other:
    Oi! Have you lost your marbles?
    Spending all this on your Rani’s Tomb?

    Some of this can descend to become magma again. All this descending stuff. [improve this transition] Did they find marbles in the deep sea? How are we mining it here on land? (intro music plays) bring in the tectonic plates…

    Nature’s got it. [!] Nature’s trains. Powered by convection currents. Now keeping that in mind let’s get back to our magma.

    Magma rising cools down to form igneous rock. Cooling magma causes crystallization of rock. The speed of crystallization determines the size of the crystals. Fast cooling makes smaller crystals, while slow cooling makes larger crystals!

    Where exactly do gemstones fit into this picture? Igneous rock.

    Pockets of magma, containing special compositions of ions cool down to form gemstones within the veins of the rock. Corundum, topaz, garnets, quartz. A slight change in composition, just a tiny bit. And it brings about all the change in its value.

    These are some families of gemstones [move out to another article with link]

    • Corundum (Al, O)
    • Beryl (Be, Al, Si, O)
    • Quartz (Si, O)
    • Spinel (Al, Mg. O)
    • Topaz (Al, Si, O, F)
    • Garnet (Si,O)
    • Tourmaline (Al, Si,O, Boron, other metal ions)

    We’ve made a fun chart here trying to point out the elements responsible for forming some of those gemstones out there. Have fun figuring it out!

    And here’s a picture from John Farndon’s book Rocks, minerals and gems.