Beach Precious Stones

Beach precious stones, are often a great surprise for beachcombers. Yes, there is a good number of beach rocks and pebbles that are gemstones (minerals or not),semi-precious or even precious (more rarely though). This is because rocks found on the beach are no different than rocks found anywhere else – they could have been formed underground and could be identical with rocks and minerals found in mines. The changing geological conditions (through millions of years) that followed the formation of the particular beach rocks have brought them to the surface of the earth. High tides have facilitated the formation of smaller stones and pebbles and also their travels from one part of the sea to the other. Beach gemstones are also often referred to as sea gems or ocean gemstones.

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The beach precious stones in the picture above are semi-precious beach pebbles (agates and amethyst) which were carried ashore by the waves. There is an incredible variety of beach stone gems that could be found while beach combing for shells. Especially jasper-agates come in an infinite number of color and patterns.
You should remember that gemstones found on beaches, or anywhere else, would be considered valuable either because of:
a) their characteristics, the physical properties and the rarity of the particular beach stone gems or
b) because of their aesthetic value and their metaphysical properties, attributed by people and which may change over time and from one culture to another. Also, fashion plays a very important role, as it creates popularity of particular gemstones, which consequently increases demand in the market.
Amethyst, for example has always been highly valued through the ages by spiritually oriented people and still is, as it is considered to be the stone that protects you from getting drunk and clears your mind so that you could make good desicions. It has also been considered as a mineral with one of the highest aesthetic values. You have probably noticed that it has been used by jewelry artists and other expert crafters (of all times in history) for some of the most enchanting creations, like royal crowns and gowns. It is considered by most gemstone merchants a semi-precious stone due to its properties. However, since the time it became widely available in the market it's monetary value has fallen.

Tips
1. On the beaches of the world you could see some multi-colored or some scenic sea gemstones, the kind that are made into extraordinary and expensive art pieces or jewelry, much more precious than low quality diamonds.
2. If you want to be able to identify rocks and minerals and other semi-precious gemstones you should read the information this site gives you on identifying beach rocks and also learn about the different geological categories beach rocks belong to according to how they were formed, as well as the different mineral types. Examples of such minerals and organic stones found on beaches are moss agates, petrified wood and amber. Usually, the previously mentioned beach stones have organic inclusions. Keep in mind that jewelry artists and designers may consider a rarely beautiful moss agate gemstone much more valuable than a transparent quartz stone. For collectors of transluscent stones, though, organic inclusions in them are considered flaws.

Precious Stones has the most extensive and diverse range of jewellery in Brisbane including-

Antique, vintage and heirloom

Modern, contemporary and bespoke items

Diamonds - all cuts, carat weights, from modern certified white diamonds, to coloured diamonds and also old cut (antique) diamonds.

Gold and silver

Natural gemstones: ruby, sapphire, tanzanite, emerald, peridot, garnet, amethyst.. The variety is amazing.

Stones Used In Jewellery

amethyst

a valuable purple stone that is used in jewellery

aquamarine

a green-blue stone used for making jewellery

baguette

a diamond or other stone cut in a long narrow shape

beryl

a valuable stone that has a transparent green, blue, or yellow colour

carbuncle

a red jewel

crystal

a piece of crystal used as a jewel

diamond

a very hard clear colourless stone used in expensive jewellery and for cutting hard objects

emerald

a bright green stone used in expensive jewellery

garnet

a dark, clear, red stone used in jewellery

gem

a beautiful expensive stone that is used to make jewellery

gemstone

a gem

jasper

a stone that is usually red or brown and is used to make jewellery and ornaments.

jet

a hard black shiny stone used for making jewellery and ornaments

jewel

a hard, coloured, and usually valuable stone that has been cut and made shiny

Precious Stones

Group of precious and semiprecious stones —both uncut and faceted— including (clockwise from top left) Diamond, uncut synthetic Sapphire, Ruby, uncut Emerald, and Amethyst crystal cluster.

A Precious stone or gemstone is a piece of Crystal (mineral), which, in cut and polished form, is used to make Jewelry or other adornments. However, certain Rocks or Organic materials those are not minerals. Mineral are used for jewelry and are therefore often considered to be precious stones as well. Most precious stones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their Luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone. Apart from jewelry, from earliest antiquity Engraved gems and Hard stone carvings, such as cups, were major luxury art forms. The carvings of Carl Faberge are significant works in this tradition.

Precious Stones and Jewellery Glossary

alexandrite

Named in honor of Czar Alexander II of Russia, alexandrite is actually a very special variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. It exhibits an exotic and highly prized optical property known as color change. When held in daylight, it appears greenish, but when held under the warm lights of candles or incandescent bulbs, it appears reddish. Even more exotic is the doubly special cat’s-eye alexandrite. This variety of chrysoberyl exhibits both color change, and a special property known as chatoyancy. The most well-known source of alexandrite was Russia (Urals); however these deposits have played out. Notable sources now include Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania

alloy

An alloy is a mixture of two or more elements in solid solution in which the major component is a metal. Most pure metals are either too soft, brittle or chemically reactive for practical use. Combining different ratios of metals as alloys modifies the properties of pure metals to produce desirable characteristics. The aim of making alloys is generally to make them less brittle, harder, resistant to corrosion, or have a more desirable color and luster.

almandite (almandine garnet)

Almandite is a member of the garnet group of gemstones. It is one of six species recognized by gemologists. The dominant hue is red, but the overall color may be modified by a little violet. Chemically it is an iron-aluminum silicate, but is rarely pure in nature. Almandite is very popular in jewelry since it is hard (7.5) and durable. Important sources include Brazil, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and the USA.

amber

Amber is the generic name applied to various types of hardened, fossilized resins. It is one of the oldest organic gem materials known to man. Scientists often refer to amber as succinite or retinite. Many variety names are found throughout the world (rumenite, simetite, burmite, etc.). There is no clearly defined consensus on what constitutes amber versus copal (baby amber), since scientists are still debating the relevance of chemistry, age, and other factors. Some of the oldest amber has been dated back to the Carboniferous period – nearly 320 million years ago. This makes even Baltic amber (approximately 30 million years old) young by comparison. Amber is extremely popular in jewelry, but is also prized by collectors for the variety of plants, animals and insects that are often found within. Sources of amber are varied, but include China, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Myanmar, Rumania, the USA and many countries bordering the Baltic Sea.