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<\/a>Ren\u00e9 Just Ha\u00fcy<\/h2>\n
2022 was the bicentennial of the death of Ren\u00e9 Just Ha\u00fcy (2\/28\/1743 \u2013 6\/3\/1822). Not a name many of us know, but Ha\u00fcy was a French mineralogist and is important because he is known as the Father of Modern Crystallography. He studied crystal structure, applied his theories to mineral classification and wrote several books including the Trait\u00e9 de Min\u00e9ralogie.<\/p>\n
To honor him and the importance of minerals in our world, the International Mineralogical Association named 2022 the Year of Mineralogy.<\/p>\n
What are Mineralogy & Crystallography?<\/h2>\n
Mineralogy is the study of everything about minerals including their crystal structure, physical and chemical properties. Crystallography is the study of the structure and properties of crystals.<\/p>\n
How Minerals Are Formed<\/h2>\n
Minerals are formed in four main ways:<\/p>\n
\u2022 From Magma<\/strong> – Hot, molten lava cools and crystallizes to form minerals such as topaz. Gemstones<\/a> used for jewelry can be considered at the top of the mineral world. They are rare, valuable, popular and prized for their mineral colors<\/a> which can be quite vivid once they are cut and polished.<\/p>\n FYI \u2013 Not all gemstones<\/a> come from minerals, for example, pearls<\/a> and amber<\/a>. Gems can be precious meaning they are the rarest and most valuable. There are only four precious gems; diamonds<\/a>, rubies<\/a>, emeralds<\/a> and sapphires<\/a>. Gems that are also popular for jewelry but not as rare are called semiprecious\u2026think amethyst<\/a>, agate<\/a> and turquoise<\/a>.<\/p>\n The rating of precious or semiprecious was made long ago. Today, some semiprecious stones can be worth more than precious stones. Also, it doesn\u2019t take into account scientific classifications of minerals. For example, emeralds are a type of beryl<\/a>. Aquamarines are also a type of beryl.<\/p>\n The word diamond<\/em> comes from the Greek word adamas which means \u201cinvincible.\u201d That\u2019s certainly an accurate description given that diamonds have a Mohs hardness of ten!<\/p>\n According to National Geographic Kids<\/em> Weird but True Rocks & Minerals<\/em>, \u201cOn Earth\u2019s surface, diamonds are rare. But go down around 100 miles below the surface and it\u2019s a different story. Some scientists have estimated there may be more than a quadrillion tons of diamonds locked in rocks in Earth\u2019s interior.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 From Water<\/strong> – Chemicals in saturated water precipitate, or separate, into solids. An easy example is salt, halite, that\u2019s left behind after ocean water evaporates.
\n\u2022 Alteration<\/strong> \u2013 As minerals react, slowly or quickly, with their environment they form different minerals. Cuprite forms when it\u2019s exposed to oxygen.
\n\u2022 Metamorphism<\/strong> – Exposure to heat and pressure alters the chemistry of a mineral to become a different mineral such as rubies.<\/p>\nGlorious Gemstones<\/h2>\n
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Fabulous Diamonds<\/h2>\n