There is more to gemstones than just being jewelry items. They are regarded as lucky when worn specific to an individuals birth month. Before we deal with this aspect in detail lets see the classification of gemstones.
Classification and Characteristics of Gemstones There is a tri-level classification of gemstones namely, groups, species and varieties. Simply put, rubies which are red in color belong to conundrum species which in turn belong to hematite group. Others like emerald, aquamarine, goshenite, heliodor and morganite, all of them belong to that variety known as beryl. There are over 150 different species available.
Gemstones display all characteristics of crystals like dispersion, refractive indices, hardness, and specific gravity etc. They also possess characters like inclusions, fractures and cleavage which play upon their quality and values. However gemologists include all gems into the precious list.
Hardness is another important characteristic of gemstones. Simply put, hardness means resistance to scratch which is measured in Mohs, a system developed by an Austrian mineralogist F. Mohs. The scale of hardness reads from 1-10 with higher number indicating the hardest. If talc is at the bottom with just 1Moh, diamond has 10Mohs. Other popular gemstones like feldspar, topaz and sapphire having Mohs of 6, 8 and 9 respectively.
Birth Stones US Geological Survey lists gemstones classified as birth stones. It is believed by most people that wearing birthstones brings luck to their lives. It is not surprising that all societies have this kind of faith with regards to gemstones, albeit with differences here and there, looking at the romancing tryst every society had with these stones. The list is in the order of calendar months with each month having at least one gemstone specific to that month. One can find a list of birth stones on official website of USGS.
Buying Gemstones USGS cautions buyers against unscrupulous sellers as more and more of them are trying to push through synthetic gemstones as genuine pieces to unsuspecting, inexperienced buyers. Gemstones are measured by size and carats. (1carat=1/5th of a gram.)
When buying gemstones, watch out for:
1.Heating alters the color sometimes improving clarity 2.Irradiation darkens colors 3.Impregnation with wax, resins etc fills cracks, flaws 4.Fractures filled by injecting plastic 5.Differential colors in center and surface indicates diffusion treatment
Always buy from reputed sellers who produce certificates by Gemological Institute of America to prevent a lucky stone turn unlucky.
Dr. Ignatius Piazza may not be the first person you would have run to for help supporting your charitable endeavor, but he stands ready to help. Rarely in an age of increasing individualism and personal isolationism is it that a successful businessman adopts a systematic to, in the words of Dr. Ignatius Piazza, “help those who help others." And yet, that is exactly what Dr. Ignatius Piazza has done.
Dr. Ignatius Piazza runs a large firearms training resort in the Nevada desert. The Front Sight Firearms Training Institute is a roughly 45 minute drive from the Las Vegas strip. Dr. Ignatius Piazza, a former chiropractor who opened the institute in 1996, has trained tens of thousands of people to correctly and safely operate firearms. The institute offers training courses in handguns, rifles, shotguns and submachine guns. The institute also offers training in martial arts and other forms of self-defense. Dr. Ignatius Piazza is himself a certified combat master in four different firearms, making him more than qualified to offer training courses. Dr. Ignatius Piazza is also the creator of a reality show airing on Versus (VS) network entitled “Front Sight Challenge". Piazza hired a producer and director himself and sold the completed product to Versus network after three months of filming. The show places 40 law enforcement officers in competition against 40 citizens aged 15 to 65. The competitions on the show are designed to test the contestant’s skills with a variety of firearms, including handguns, rifles, shotguns and submachine guns.
This combat master, firearms trainer and reality television producer would seem to be an unlikely candidate to be bitten by the philanthropy bug. Despite that, Dr. Ignatius Piazza displays proudly on his site that he has donated over 5 million dollars in cash and benefits to various charities. As soon as you log on to this site, you are greeted by an encouraging letter from Dr. Ignatius Piazza himself. He says that, “As [Front Sight Firearms Training Institute] grew in strength and size each year, our ability to support other organizations that create a positive difference in the world grew as well. We are now in a position to assist any organization that promotes or defends the freedoms enjoyed in our great country or any organization that works diligently to improve the lives of all men, women, and children. If yours is such an organization, please contact us as we stand ready to help those who help others." As he says in his opening address to the user logging onto his site, Dr. Ignatius Piazza is prepared to help any charity which is helping others. He extends an open invitation to any charity which, “has a website and a proven track record of helping others," and he promises to, “personally respond to your request within one week."
So if you have a charitable organization and need a little help achieving your humanitarian goal, send Dr. Ignatius Piazza an email and maybe you, too, can use Dr. Ignatius Piazza’s fulfillment of the American dream to help others.
Both Alan Ross & Jayden Adams are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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Jayden Adams has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family, tax and Bad Breath. Article by Jayden Adams, Editor-in-Chief International .For more information, about Ignatius Piazza and Front Sight go to:. Jayden Adams's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.