Gemstone Mining
Natural Inclusion Gems or Lines
If you take a close look at those stunning gemstones, you will realize that they reveal a world of their own – a world of inclusions or lines, as some would say. If you are intrigued by these inclusions and want to gain some gemstone information that can help you understand inclusions better, then keep reading!
What Are Natural Inclusions?
Inclusions in gems mean any material that got trapped inside the gemstone during its formation. With newer and newer discoveries, inclusions of different types have been found in gemology over the past many years. These inclusions are mainly formed by crystals of other minerals, fluids, gas bubbles, needles, or fractures.
Are inclusions, good or bad?
Many gemstone buyers often have this question in mind: whether inclusions in gemstones are good or bad? Well, there are several people who may tell you that inclusions are bad, but the truth differs.
Though having fewer inclusions is certainly a good thing in diamonds, but many colored gemstones have inclusions and that’s not bad at all. Remember that as long as the gemstones are natural and haven’t gone to many chemical gemstone treatments that hint at their synthetic forms, they are good to buy.
Nevertheless, having inclusions is good or bad totally depends on the type of the gemstone and its species. A sapphire gemstone with no inclusions is often seen with a feeling of distrust. It could be a synthetic stone or merely a glass imitation. A Star Sapphire without a group of inclusions will not create the asterism effect. This effect occurs due to the presence of small, needle-like inclusions of the rutile mineral.
A Kashmir Sapphire without inclusions wouldn’t produce its highly popular velvety luster or haziness effect. A Moonstone without inclusions means you won’t be able to see it glow like the moon. While inclusions in these gemstones are sought after, having a big inclusion which is visible to the naked eye is a big no.
As a matter of fact, finding coloured gemstones that are absolutely free from inclusions is an extremely rare care. Think of it this way: gemology states the presence of other materials in a gemstone as an ‘inclusion’ and not as a ‘defect’. This implies that inclusions are not always bad. At times, they even make a gem all the more exquisite and valuable.
Viewing Inclusions
What is the purpose of looking at inclusions? Well, these tell a lot about the formation of the gemstone and are helpful in identifying different species. However, viewing gem inclusions is a tricky task. You need to be an expert, or at least have to understand how can that be done to be able to do it in a better way. More often than not, a microscope is used to observe the type and quantity of inclusions in a stone.
When you are able to identify the right type of inclusions in a stone, you will be able to determine if it is natural or synthetic. Thus, the true value of a gemstone, highly depends on the clarity and inclusions that it has.
Complete Guide to Axinite Gemstone
The Axinite gemstone is called special gemstone because it is composed of minerals such as calcium aluminum borate silicate minerals that is rare to find in the composition of a gemstone. The Axinite gemstone is a rare color gem which exhibits distinguish brown and red color that altogether provide this stone a new look.
The material of this Semi-Precious gemstone is unmatchable, however, it can’t be confidently said about this stone that this gemstone is free of flaws. The brilliant cuts and awesome colors make this stone rare.
It is extremely hard to be worn as jewelry because it is a bit brittle and the size of the stone is huge and most of the times it is greater than 10 carats. The reason behind the curiosity and popularity of this stone among people is due to
its triclinic crystal structure in which crystal basically appears flat. Generally, all axinite have same similar structure with bit change in its chemical composition. The axinite gemstone is a slightly hard gemstone its hardness can be counted between 6.5 moh scale to 7.0 moh scale.
Axinite minerals are pleochroic gemstones that encompass ability to exhibit different varieties of colors when it is observed or seen from different angles. The pleochroic property exists only in double refractive index stone.
A single refractive index stone does not ability to have this property because of single refractive index. Apart from being pleochroic the axinite mineral also have another excellent property piezoelectronic means the ability of generating current by a gemstone when it is heated or cooled rapidly or instantly. This kind of feature or property is found in only few gemstones.
Origin of Axinite Gemstone: The axinite gemstone is discovered from the places like Mexico, Brazil and France. Besides this countries like USA, Sri Lanka, Russia, Tanzania. The mineral basically forms under the cavities and mines of granite.
Colors of Axinite Gemstone: The axinite stone belongs to pleochroic family. Therefore, the above stone has the capability of displaying different colors. Since, all axinite stone will have the similar crystal structure but due to small changes in the chemical composition of the stone it produces different colors ranging from violet, brown, red, golden color. The other colors that may reflect due to chemical compositions are purple, black, and gray to blue, yellow orange.
Shapes and cuts of Axinite Stone: Axinite gemstone is found in different cuts and shapes of gemstone including Oval cut, cushion cut, round cut and pear cut.
Healing Properties of Axinite Gemstone: The Axinite stone is related with the root or base chakra of human body which aids an individual to evaluate his/her inner truths. The stone also helps in resoving mental conflict and disputes. The axinite stone is known to be related with Capricorn sign thus, wearing this stone can prove helpful for those ascendants who belong to this zodiac sign. The stone with the help of its properties will enhance the mental and physical strength of its wearer. Thus, this stone should be worn for the betterment of the health.
Question: Where does name Axinite Derived from?
Answer: The word axinite is composed of word “Axe” thus; the name of axinite is derived from the word “Axe”.
Question: What is the chemical composition of Axinite Stone?
Answer: The Axinite stone is composed of calcium aluminum borate silicate minerals
Question: What does term pleochroic stands for?
Answer: The term Pleochroic stands for the ability of the stone to display different colors.
Question: What are the different colors Axinite stone displays?
Answer: The colors like yellow, reddish, brownish and golden are few colors of axinite stone.
Question: What is the hardness of the Axinite Stone?
Answer: 6.5 to 7.0 on moh scale.
Question: What does the term piezoelectric gemstone means?
Answer: Piezoelectric gemstones have the ability to generate an electrical current when heated or cooled rapidly,
Question: Can we say Axinite gemstone a piezoelectric gemstone or not?
Answer: Yes
Question: Does Axinite stone have single refractive index?
Answer: No
Question: Does Axinite stone have double refractive Index?
Answer: Yes
Question: What does the Axinite stone called?
Answer: The Stone of Truth
Question: Axinite stone attached to which Human Body Chakra?
Answer: Root or base chakra.
Different Techniques of Gem Mining
Gemstone mining is the method of excavating precious gemstones and distinct minerals from venerable mines and oceans spread all across the globe. Mining is an extremely rigorous process that intake plethora of hard work and labors. A gemstone miner has to exercise intense labor inside these mines or oceans to eventually obtain exceptional stones and minerals. Since, these distinct gemstones are spotted inside mines, oceans, volcano or dense forests; thus, in order to accomplish the task of obtaining these stones some distinguish techniques are essential such as:
Open Cast Mining: In this technique in order to obtain gemstones the upper layer of the mines or minerals need to be removed because gem bearing rocks are preserved inside this layer. And, then, gem bearing rocks are washed by high pressure water pipes to retrieve the gem gravels. The gem gavels are again cleaned by the high pressure water pipes and after that these gem gravels is taken to the gemstones treatments planets. Opal cast mining is an old approach of retrieving gems and minerals. Moreover, this useful technique is used in the countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka, U.S.A and Brazil.
Under Ground Mining: Another technique that is used to mine gems and minerals from the alluvial and pipes termed as Under Ground Mining. There are different sub techniques used under the term of underground mining.
Tunneling: This approach is employed when gems are surfaced inside the outcrop of rocks To retrieve the gems blasting is done near the outcrop of rocks and mines and tunnel is dig till the extent of gem bearing rock with either the use of axes or blasting.
Block Caving: Under this technique group of tunnels is simultaneously drawn from the main shaft into the pipe that would go deep around 600 ft. till the mother root, where gems and minerals have been reserved. At the mother rock a series of blast is performed to drift the gem bearing rocks into the tunnel that has been excavated by miners. After that, these gem bearing rocks is sent to the treatment planets.
River Digging: River digging is performed to collect the precious gems from the rivers. This is an extremely difficult process though requires professional workers to retrieve stone. There are mainly two techniques that is performed frequently
Dry Digging: In this technique the natural flow of river water is drifted intentionally for the sake of securing gems. In this technique, the flow of water is blocked at either end of the river and digs a canal to restore the water temporarily. Subsequently, the dry river will expose the gem layer and miners can collect the gems and minerals.
Wet Diggings: In wet diggings, there is no need to later the flow of river. Although, in this technique the gravel is obtained from flowing river and later with aid of sieve gems are collected.
Sea Digging: Except being discovered from rocks and rivers, the auspicious gems are also spotted from the deep sea. And, the technique that has been used to excavate the gems from the oceans and seas are termed as Marine Mining.
Marine Mining: To collect gemstones from the seas different techniques has been used since ancient times such as pearl stone is acquired by the divers who plunges deep inside the water to congregate auspicious stones. However, in order to gather these stones, they use special equipment’s like a basket and gearbox to cut these stones. Aside this technique, the other techniques deep sea dredging and land reclamation is used to gather gems and minerals from sea. Diamond and coral is retrieved from sea by above mentioned techniques.
So, these are the list of gemstone mining techniques that is performed to collect promising stones.
Gemstone World 