What are some of the birthstones?
5 examples
5 examples
What is the birthstone for July?
Ruby. Old tales state that rubies gave people health and wealth. They also stated that they gave the person wisdom.
What is the birthstone for October?
Opal. These gems have many different colors, so people thought they had the powers of all the other gems.
What is the third rarest gemstone?
Black Opal. Black Opals are known for their creamy white color with explosions of other colors. The most valuable black opal sold for $763,000.
What is the hardest mineral?
Diamond. Diamond is a mineral that is the hardest on the Moh's Hardness Scale. This mineral can cut through anything.
What is the birthstone for June?
Pearl. This is the only gem made by animals. Oysters and other shellfish produce a pearl when sand gets inside them.
What is the second rarest gemstone?
Alexandrite. Alexandrite is commonly known as emerald by day ruby by night. In the sunlight it is blueish green. In dimmer lights, it appears reddish purple. It was discovered in 1830.
What is one of the most toxic minerals in the world?
Cinnabar. Cinnabar is a dark red mercury sulfide mineral that provides most of the world's elemental mercury. When cinnabar is oxidized it creates two toxic compounds that cause irreparable harm to the nervous system of kids.
What is the lightest rock?
Pumice. Pumice is an igneous rock that is so light it can float on water.
What is the birthstone for April?
Aquamarine. The name of this gem means sea. People once thought it helped sailors sail safely.
What is the rarest gemstone?
Painite. Painite is the rarest gemstone and mineral on Earth. It holds the Guinness World Record for it. Painite was discovered in 1951.
What is another one one of the most toxic minerals in the world?
Hutchinsonite. Hutchinsonite is a form of arsenic sulfide with thallium and lead that can be found in hydrothermal vents. Thallium salts do not have a taste and are very poisonous, and can even be found in rat poison.
What is the softest mineral?
Talc. Talc is a mineral that is the softest on the Moh's Hardness Scale. It is often used as a lubricant because it has a greasy feeling.
What is the heaviest mineral?
Osmium. Osmium is the heaviest mineral. It is highly toxic and is twice as heavy as lead metal.
What is the birthstone for August?
Peridot. The native people of Hawaii thought that these minerals were the tears of their sun god.