Hmmm...Seashells
1) The study of Mollusks- the critters who make most seashells- is called Malacology.
2) The color known as Royal Purple was originally created by crushing the flesh of a certain few species of Murex snails.
3) Some Mollusks- especially those of the Conus family- have a poison so powerful that it can kill humans. They use this neurotoxin primarily for hunting fish. So be careful when handling seashells on the beach. (AFAIK, no bivalves- the ones with 2 shells, like clams, oysters or scallops- are poisonous.)
4) Almost any mollusk can produce a pearl, not just oysters. Essentially, a pearl is a defense response to parasites or grit lodged between the mollusk and its shell.
5) Scallop shells were used as badges by some Crusaders
Jewelry Design
1) The best deal in jewelry is in estate sales, the second best is in custom work...along as you're dealing with a reputable jeweler or doing it yourself long term.
2) You HAVE to educate yourself. There are all kinds of manmade and treated stones- going back centuries- and some of those are legit practices and some are shady. For example, most aquamarines are heat treated to achieve that bright pale blue- in their natural state, they are sea foam green. Hence the name.
3) in addition, there are lots of stones that look like other stones, and over the course of human history have been misidentified- deliberately or by simple mistake. Classic example: the Black Prince's Ruby is actually a spinel.
4) Zircons and Cubic Zirconia are 2 different things. Zircons are a natural and beautiful stone that comes in a wide variety of colors, including a diamondlike colorless white. CZ, OTOH, is a man-made stone created specifically to mimic diamonds.
5) Some stones change color. Amethyst, for instance, can permanently fade over time due to sun exposure. Other stones, like alexandrite, appear to change color depending on what kind of light source you have them under.
6) Some diamonds are fluorescent.
1) The study of Mollusks- the critters who make most seashells- is called Malacology.
2) The color known as Royal Purple was originally created by crushing the flesh of a certain few species of Murex snails.
3) Some Mollusks- especially those of the Conus family- have a poison so powerful that it can kill humans. They use this neurotoxin primarily for hunting fish. So be careful when handling seashells on the beach. (AFAIK, no bivalves- the ones with 2 shells, like clams, oysters or scallops- are poisonous.)
4) Almost any mollusk can produce a pearl, not just oysters. Essentially, a pearl is a defense response to parasites or grit lodged between the mollusk and its shell.
5) Scallop shells were used as badges by some Crusaders
Jewelry Design
1) The best deal in jewelry is in estate sales, the second best is in custom work...along as you're dealing with a reputable jeweler or doing it yourself long term.
2) You HAVE to educate yourself. There are all kinds of manmade and treated stones- going back centuries- and some of those are legit practices and some are shady. For example, most aquamarines are heat treated to achieve that bright pale blue- in their natural state, they are sea foam green. Hence the name.
3) in addition, there are lots of stones that look like other stones, and over the course of human history have been misidentified- deliberately or by simple mistake. Classic example: the Black Prince's Ruby is actually a spinel.
4) Zircons and Cubic Zirconia are 2 different things. Zircons are a natural and beautiful stone that comes in a wide variety of colors, including a diamondlike colorless white. CZ, OTOH, is a man-made stone created specifically to mimic diamonds.
5) Some stones change color. Amethyst, for instance, can permanently fade over time due to sun exposure. Other stones, like alexandrite, appear to change color depending on what kind of light source you have them under.
6) Some diamonds are fluorescent.
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