When we think of Hawaii, we think of sandy beaches, palm trees, the moon over the South Pacific, and warm trade winds. Right now as you read this, Kilauea volcano is erupting. What a lot of people don’t know is there are gems coming out of the volcano!
One thing that crystalizes is sulfur. When they talk of
toxic
gases that emit from volcanoes, sulfur is one of them. It comes out in a mist and like atoms will attach to each other and form crystals. These have a rotten egg odor that is very strong but dissipates over time. I have owned such crystals that were in abundance on the slopes of Hawaii’s volcanoes.
In some areas, the vents are still active with mist. Locals put wood planks over the openings and use them as saunas, with the sulfur acting as light treatments for supposed healing qualities.
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Also coming out of the volcanoes is a form of natural glass called obsidian. Obsidian is the solidifying of lava ash under heat. Visually black or grey, it can also have a golden sheen if enough gas bubbles are present.
The ancients used obsidian to make tips for arrows and spears, because it is easy to get a very sharp edge.
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But olivine is the main gem. The first European explorers, Captain Cook, saw a dormant volcano with shimmering crystals on its slopes. They named it Diamond Head, knowing that diamonds came out of volcanoes. The Hawaiian name for Diamond Head is Le’Ahi which derives from “lae” meaning browbridge, and “ahi” the dorsal fin of an Ahi tuna. Diamonds form in kimberlite ground, which won’t occur in Hawaiian volcanoes. What does form is olivine. These small olivine crystals are very light. Erosion and windswept beaches cause the olivine to congregate and gather in isolated beach areas where they form a swirl of green shimmering crystals. If you happen to be in the right spot at the right time and the sun is shining at the right angle, you will see an amazing phenomenon. I have!
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Now, I have held the olivine crystals, smelled the sulfur, and cut my fingers on these obsidian spears. Fantastic stuff.
You know this is how the
Earth
was made and how it is still growing. Remember, don’t think of volcanoes as destruction. Think that the Earth is alive! As the Earth grows, you will see more green beaches, smell more rotten egg smells, and find more obsidian to make sharp spears with.
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Written by Dan Lalonde
Lalonde Jewelers
The Gem Expert
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14kyg Chrysoberyl, Ruby, & Diamond Estate Brooch
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Chrysoberyl: (67) = 30.00ct tw Estimated Cabochons
Ruby: (9) = 5.50ct tw Estimated
.
Cost: $22,600.00
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Each newsletter we will feature clues about a specific gemstone.
Submit your guess here!
The participant with the most correct answers by December 2018 wins a diamond!
You must submit your answer by 7/18!
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Up until the early 1990’s, I was considered a collector’s gemstone. Because of my rarity back then, it was hard to find me in jewelry stores. But some African miners found large deposits of me and I became very popular in jewelry. Just like that gem from last quiz, mother nature creates my beauty and needs no help from man’s treatments or enhancements. I was first discovered in the mid 1800’s in a landlocked federal state inside a European country. I’m named after the mountain range there where I was found. I rank fairly high on the Mohs scale, usually between 7 and 7.5. Sadly, even though I’m quite attractive, I’m still “single”….refractive that is. Some miners have located my latest hiding spots in Tanzania, China, and Pakistan!
Who am I?
Last Gemstone Quiz Answer:
CHRYSOBERYL
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LaLonde Jewelers & Gemologists
91 Kercheval Avenue
Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236
(313) 881-6400
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