Comments on: Anyone Have a Good Resource for Stone ID’s? https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/ free jewelry tutorials, plus a friendly community sharing creative ideas for making and selling jewelry. Sat, 27 Jun 2015 20:44:07 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.15 By: Trish Linfoot https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-26372 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 00:19:55 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-26372 Seeing that you are in Denver—LAKEWOOD has a gem and mineral shop-Desert Gems-See Gay-she is the manager-she will most likely be able to ID for you. Also look into the School of Mines in Golden-there is an identification day one time a week

]]> By: Ricki https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16710 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:20:34 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16710 I love the comment about not going wrong with “jasper or agate”. I think some of the vendors I see at the various bead shows must have invented that comment – I hear it sooooo often. I am also looking for good information on stone identification and appreciate the suggestions about Rio Grande and the book from Rings & Things. I am going to look into both of them. That’s why I love this newletter!!

]]> By: pax https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16562 Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:03:30 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16562 Don’t forget about your local museums. They often have a gem room with many stones on display complete with descriptions. I love “browsing” through the galleries! Great inspirations.

]]> By: kim https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16526 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:10:55 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16526 The Crystal Bible is an excellent resource for looking up stones, very informative

]]> By: LAURENT C. BRISSON https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16521 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:14:40 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16521 My best advice for you is also to look-up in your area if it is possible to take a few GIA courses. You may not want to do the whole course, but pearls or diamonds, or general GIA stone course, and you can even do it via internet. Shows are also good as you usualy have people there to check and ID the stone you might have in mind, or just stone you want to have identified.
Good luck to you…

]]> By: Adrien https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16501 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:54:50 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16501 AGTA is the American Gem Trade Association. Their site is an excellent on line resource that I frequently use: agta.org/gemstones/index.html. It has lots of interesting stuff.

]]> By: Rain https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16474 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:13:19 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16474 Rings & Things publishes their own stone id book which is pretty helpful. It lists stones by name and by color, which is really great if you have NO idea what something is. I think it sells for about $12 on their website.

]]> By: Laura https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16461 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:49:08 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16461 Why don’t you join a Gem and Mineral club? There are lots of very knowledgeable people who will teach you so then you will know.

]]> By: Jan Bennett https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16438 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:10:03 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16438 I found that I could learn quite a bit about gemstone & jewelry components by watching JTV – Jewelry Television. I’ve learned a lot by some of the gemstone experts that have been on. Even better is their website, JTV.com. They have a lot of information on gems and jewelry.

]]> By: Nelson Jewelry & Gemstones https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16419 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:47:43 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16419 There’s really nothing like buying and handling different stones to learn about them. Before I started my business, I had boxes of beads, some with tags of the names and some without. I didn’t know any of the names of the stones. But as I purchased beads over time, I got to know them well.

I borrowed a lot of books from the library on making jewelry with gemstones and identifying gemstones and read many articles online. So much to learn!

You could go to various online bead stores and look over their products. Here are photos of all my gemstone beads: nelsongemstones.com/gemstone-beads

The pictures should help you identify these few stones. A lot of online bead stores have great photo galleries of their stones. And here’s a link to a free gemology course: bwsmigel.info

]]> By: Bev Carlson https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16415 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:32:43 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16415 Great information. It amazes me sometimes that the people selling stones do not seem informed. I have a place I purchase some stones and he jokes you can most often be right with agate or jasper. I’ve started learning some of the easier ones to identify malachite, lapis etc. Then add a few more Picture Jasper was my next one. Always ask when purchasing if you can.

]]> By: Kathy https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-16396 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:21:40 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-16396 Encyclobeadia is a good source

]]> By: Andrea https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-15988 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:57:06 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-15988 What a wealth of information you’ve given me! I can’t thank you enough for all your help. Yes, I know there are ‘less than desireable’ dealers out there and I will learn as I go along. I wasn’t even aware of the changes that can be made with turquoise or opals.
Off to the library and Rio’s catalog I go.
Thanks Sandie!
Andrea

]]> By: Sandie Bradshaw https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-15929 Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:05:28 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-15929 Get the Rio Grande Catalog – riogrande.com. Their gem section is invaluable. If I find a stone I can’t ID. I look in there. I use their notes on their stone as to which ones can be sonic cleaned and which can’t as well as other hints. Also have a little nail polish remover (Acetone) to test things like coral and lapis as a lot they are lower quality and dye enhance. Take a q-tip and test on a inconspicuous spot. If the if color comes off it has been dyed enhanced and is bone or a low quality stone made to look like the real thing. There are plenty of books on gem stones and semi precious stones in the library. I suggest that you check one out and read, read, read. Also on turquiose, if the price is too low, it could be turquoise dust epoxied together to look like a good stone. This is especially common in beads. You can’t grind or change the shape on this faux turquoise as the color is only on the surface. On opals you get what you pay for. Some of those are layered with reflexive foils or less expensive black stones underneath a slice of opal. Not worth much! Be wary. There are people out there that cheat on stone sales. Deal with reputable dealers only. As your jewelry gets more popular and sought after, it is very important that the stones are what you say they are! Good luck! I love to add stones with my enameling as accents.

]]> By: Andrea https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-15825 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:36:02 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-15825 Thank you for the suggestions La NomRah. We do have an actual beading show coming up and I will ask for some assistance there. No, I don’t imagine I’ll ever learn them all, lol, but hopefully I’ll get better at recognizing the more utilized stones. I’ll tap into Google more often as well.
Thanks!

]]> By: La NomRah https://jewelrymakingjournal.com/anyone-have-a-good-resource-for-stone-ids/#comment-15774 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:38:35 +0000 http://jewelrymakingjournal.com/?p=25776#comment-15774 This is a really good question and I can relate to your situation. Sometimes I have to get online and do some research. However, I would say don’t be afraid to ask questions at these shows and at supply stores. I’ve found most people are glad to help. In the past I have taken stones into the store that I shop at often and they have helped. It will take time and lots of touching, looking and learning to begin to be able to discern some stones from others. When I am stumped, which happens often enough, I often go searching on Etsy or Google typing in what I think it maybe, or just the color to see if anything similar comes up in the pictures. At the end of the day there are so many different stones that you probably won’t know them all, but I also find it helpful to read up on different characteristics of stones.

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