Precious gemstones are found all over the world. Many of them come from within the Earth’s core and are sent up to the surface from Kimberlite Pipes. These are ancient natural pipes that were created through volcanic activity. Many of the gems that are found have beautiful colours and diamonds are one of the hardest substances known to man. A lot of the gemstones are used in jewellery items and they are often cut into smaller gems. It can be difficult to clean the rough cut gems and this is where equipment pieces like a Large Ultrasonic Cleaner from companies like www.hilsonic.co.uk/ can help.
Here are some interesting facts about gemstones that have been found around the world.
According to some researchers, diamonds are thought to have formed deep within the Earth over three billion years ago. The sapphire is a much younger gemstone, having formed only about 150 million years ago.
A jade was considered the most valuable gem in China, while lapis lazuli was prized by the Egyptian Pharaohs. One of the oldest extra-terrestrial gems is the peridot, a green gemstone that was favoured by Cleopatra. In spite of the fact that it is mined from under the Earth, it has been found on meteorites and in mineral samples collected from space.
Amber is one of the softest and lightest gemstones on the planet. As it is so light, it can float in salt water even when it is submerged in water with a high salt content. The stone is formed from the sap and resin that have been fossilised from prehistoric trees which have been preserved over thousands of years. For a fossilised sap to be considered amber, it must have aged at least 30 million years in order to be considered an ancient gemstone.
Diamond is the hardest gemstone in the world. Diamonds can only be scratched by another diamond. On the Mohs hardness scale for gemstones, it measures a ten, which means that it has the highest level of hardness of all gemstones. The reason diamonds are suitable for everyday wear in an engagement ring is that not much can damage the actual stone, and therefore the ring can last for years.
