All about Crystals by Dan Dennis

Hello friends, and welcome to my blog! Today I’m going to talk about what I love the most, gems ….. and some things you just might find pretty interesting about them too!

One of the best reasons to watch us here at The Jewelry Channel is because of the many beautiful gems you will see during the course of a day. As Head of Talent, I take pride in knowing that all of our hosts are quite knowledgeable about the gems they are selling. Whether it’s facts, fiction or folklore, you can always find a new tidbit or two to pick up on while you’re watching our network, and our fine jewelry bargains --- well---they speak for themselves.

So enjoy my blog and remember to keep it tuned to The Jewelry Channel all day all the time. Where else can you get fun facts, happy faces, and such beautiful jewelry all at the same time.

Remember my motto that I live by every single day:

“It’s always a good day, when you learn something new”

Learn something new every day by watching us here on The Jewelry Channel.

Dan Dennis

“Did You Know That…”

Did you know that

There is a mineral crystal that you can actually make disappear? It’s true! If you put a cryolite crystal into a glass of water, the crystal will disappear right before your eyes! The reason this happens is because cryolite refracts (bends) the light that enters the glass the exact same way that water does. So, when the cryolite crystal is in the water, it appears to be the same to the naked eye as the water itself.

Did you know that

Quartz crystal geode section

Certain crystals can tell time. Have you ever heard of a watch with a quartz movement and wondered what it was all about? Well, quartz is a very hard mineral with crystals that vibrate very rapidly when they are exposed to electricity. Long ago it was discovered that these vibrations were so precise that when measured, they kept perfect time, right down to the second. That is where today’s quartz movement watches got their start.

Milarite crystal fingers

The gem Milarite has crystals that grow so long and thin that they resemble the hair of a human being. This has caused it to also carry the name “hair pyrite.” Don’t go running for the brush and comb too soon, however: these hairs aren’t the soft and manageable variety. They’re hard and brittle, and could slice your hand in a heartbeat. Don’t worry about it too much though: at 5.5 on the hardness scale, it’s a pretty soft mineral, and there’s little chance you’ll come in contact with it any time soon.

Did you know that

Agate crystal with geodes

A geode starts its’ life as a hollow rock with a bubble of water or air. The bubble slowly fills up with minerals that are dissolved in the water, and eventually, they form crystals around the inside of the bubble. What’s left of the rock gets worn away over time, leaving a rock full of crystals when it is finally cracked open. Did you know that geodes are sometimes known as “Thunder Eggs?” Besides the agate (pictured above) amethyst is also often found in geodes.

Did you know that

Sulphur Crystals

You can find minerals in your own bathroom? Yep, just check it out! Talcum powder is made of talc, which has the dubious distinction of being #1 on the MOHS Hardness Scale. In some cases, being #1 is a good thing, but not in this case. Talc is the softest and most easily scratched mineral of all. It is generally extracted from huge mines across the U.S.A.

Got any shampoo in there? How about some bubble bath? Both of these contain minerals like sodium and sulphur.

Switch on the bathroom light, and you’ll find the copper wires bringing the electricity to the filament made of a mineral called wolframite. The filament lights up the glass bulb which is made of quartz.

Even your bathroom mirror, made of glass from quartz and backed in silver, plays its’ part in the crazy scenario of “minerals in the bathroom.”

Did you know that

Halite (A.K.A. “Table Salt.”)

There are approximately 3,000 different varieties of minerals, but only about 300 of them are actually ever put to use in our everyday lives. Many of these are found in tandem, and it takes scientists known as mineralogists, to separate and identify each one. A few, such as halite, are edible. You might know halite by its’ more common name: table salt. Others, such as a nasty substance called yellow orpiment, are deadly poisonous. Remember that if you’re at a party, and some server says “Yellow orpiment, madam?” Be sure you turn him down.