Glossary A - B

acorn beads  

Type of antique Venetian glass bead. Bead has vertical ridges, but doesn't look much like an acorn to me.  

African trade beads

Used as currency for barter and trade in Africa, hence the name African trade beads or money beads. The Venetian merchant-traders initiated the bead trade in the 1200's, who brought the beads to exchange for various raw materials, particularly gold.  

agate

The name agate comes from the Sicilian river Achates, where it was mined in antiquity. Today the river is called Drillo, and remains a major source. It is a form of chalcedony . The ancient Egyptians used agate for seals and protective talismans. Earlier civilizations created eye beads by carving a hole through an agate disc, not so much as a means of stringing but to symbolize the lens of an eye. Eye beads protect from evil, and bring good luck.  

alexandrite

Alexandrite is named for Czar Alexander. Found in the Ural Mountains,it was discovered on his birthday, in 1830. It is very rare and valuable, as it appears different colors in different light. This is caused by differing absorption of light in doubly refractive crystals, called pleochroism .  

amazonite

Amazonite is a green variety of microcline that is suitable for carving and polishing. The perthite variety is a striped, veined or almost zebra-pattern stone, produced by lamellar intergrowths inside the crystal. The colored stripes are microcline and the white or clear stripes are feldspars. If there is more feldspar than microcline it is called antiperthite. Found in the U.S.A.,Brazil, India, China, Namibia, and Russia.Amazonite can be confused with jade or turquoise. It is worn for good luck, to attract money and positive outcomes.  

amber

Fossilized tree sap that is cut and polished and used as a valuable gemstone. Can contain preserved insects and other inclusions that add to its unique look and often fabulously increase its value. Brown amber is mainly found in Siberia. Butterscotch amber is mainly found in the Baltic region of eastern Europe.  

amethyst

Purple variety of quartz. The name "amethyst" is Greek and means "not drunk" due to a belief that it could ease the effects of too much wine.  

arsenic

Arsenic in its pure form is a deadly poison. However, when used to color glass, it chemically bonds with the glass very tightly, and poses no risk to the wearer at all.  

aventurine

A quartzite gemstone, usually green with mica inclusions. Blue aventurine is found in India near cobalt deposits.  

bauxite

An ore of aluminum, found in richly forested, humid, tropical climate, particularly Nigeria. It is a reddish-brown gemstone. In African cultures it is considered a sacred stone because the color symbolizes the life's force.  

bloodstone

Bloodstone is a type of chalcedony (a variety of quartz) of varying shades of green also known as heliotrope. This name comes from the Greek helio (sun) and trepein (turning). Iron minerals cause the characteristic red and brown spots, which are said to resemble blood drops.  

Bohemian glass

Bohemia is the country in Eastern Europe where glassmaking became an art form in the late 1700's and continues today. Today it is a part of the Czech Republic. My glass-making friends there prefer to be called Bohemian.  

Bohemian crystal

Bohemian crystal is glass with lead added to make it harder. The lead is chemically bonded with the glass, and poses no hazard at all to the wearer.  

Brazilian rock quartz

A variety of quartz found in Brazil, used for gemstones . See Quartz.