Any idea of what this really is? What are the inclusions?
i got no picture…if someone is calling a stone mos aquamarine -
they probably don’t know what it is…
if it has “moss” it can be any dendritic inclusion, or rarely
minerals that resemble mosses entrapped into minerals like bytownite,
benitonite, agates, quartzes, etc…wish i could see the example to
tell you for sure…a good way to test at home is by conducting a
simple specific gravity test. Most reference books on gems and
minerals give you specific gravities of most common specimens. To
test
the sg, you can look here:
http://www.minerals.net/resource/property/sg.htm, for the
directions.
r.e.r.
Dr.R.E.Rourke
If I had to take a guess it sounds like someones pet name for
Peruvian Opal. A nice transparent turquoise blue with black dendtites
are fairly common. The dendrites (fern looking inclusions) are
manganese oxide.
Dave Owen
If this has not been already mentioned, I think the term is moss
agate, not moss aqua.
if it has "moss" it can be any dendritic inclusion
I have a large aqua with dendritic (and other) inclusions of the
“moss” type, so it can happen. I’d presume that’s what it is.
Noel
There is a process where a piece of clearish chalcedony has some
sort of a chemical applied to the center of it. The stone turns aqua
colored and there is a brown moss formed in the center. I can’t
remember what it was called, but we did discuss it once before.
Rose Alene McArthur
You’re thinking about Fischerstone… named for George W. Fischer
who wrote a book about coloring Fischerstone starts out as
white agate from Oregon and ends up looking like gem silica. Some
was made with copper inclusions that were introduced during the
process by Paul Rabbitt and Vince King. Paul was able to take samples
of their material to Dr. Fischer in 1995, before Dr. Fischer’s death.
There are two articles by Vince King about using Dr. Fischer’s work
to create Fischerstone. You can read the articles in The Eclectic
Lapidary archives:
Dec 1, 1996 - Volume 1, Issue 1 Fischerstone
Jan 1, 1997 - Volume 1, Issue 2 Designing Inclusions by Vince King
The Eclectic Lapidary is at www.eclecticlapidary.com
These two quotes are from:
Chemically Induced Inclusions
George W. Fischer Ph.D._
"This book is the culmination of some twenty-five years of
personally supported research on the use of inorganic chemicals
to induce color and inclusions in gemstone."...
"Prior attempts to use dyes for gemstone colorations had proved
very disappointing. The fact that native color in gemstone is
derived from the presence of compounds of certain metals as
inorganic components (impurities) of the gemstone suggested that
the inorganic salts of these metals (dyes are organic1) might
serve well to induce color where color is lacking or needs
enhancing. A brief account of Easy Ways to Color Agate,in The
Agates of North America2 was encouraging. Then, in 1963,a series
of articles by John Sinkakankus, C.G. appeared in the Lapidary
Journal under the title,Color Changes in Gemstones. One of these
articles dealt with the impregnation of gemstone with chemical
coloring agents and further confirmed the probability that
inorganic salts of certain metals would be very effective to
induce color in gemstone. In the ensuing years, I have conducted
many hundreds of experiments on chemical coloration of gemstone,
using dozens of chemical compounds to induce color in more than
thirty kinds of gemstone. While the great majority of these
experiments were more or less failures, the results of those that
were successful have been very gratifying, and in some cases,
fantastic. The primary purpose of this book is to share with
other rockhounds and lapidaries the coloring processes I have
developed during these years of experimentation. "
If someone wants a sample of the material, I do have some in my
personal collection of rough that I’d be happy to share. (I should
have enough, assuming I don’t hear from the entire list!)
Carol J. Bova
There is a process where a piece of clearish chalcedony has some
sort of a chemical applied to the center of it. The stone turns aqua
colored and there is a brown moss formed in the center. I can’t
remember what it was called, but we did discuss it once before.
Perhaps “Fisherstone” is the name you’re trying to recall?
Hi,
What I have seen sold is Moss Aquamarine is the sort of “foggy”
Aquamarine that I have been told is mined in Africa. I also have
some samples of truly clear blue Dendritic Aquamarine from Brazil,
which has typical dendrite inclusions. Maybe if you could give us
some more details, like color of the stone, color of inclusions,
etc… it would be helpful.
Vera
Vera Battemarco
http://www.verabattemarco.com
At the Tucson Gem show I purchased some tubular shaped beads which
the vendor described as Moss Aquamarine. They are a pale transparent
to translucent greenish color with dark inclusions which look like
dendrites.
They are definitely greenish and not blue. The dark inclusions are
brownish/black in color. Some of the inclusions are just blobs,
others are string like.
The vendor was vague about the country of origin, but then we had a
language problem. He did have a sign in the area of the beads which
proclaimed “Moss Aquamarine.” I took a chance and got them as they
are well cut, and quite interesting.
Alma Rands