Gems of the Urals - All the most beautiful and interesting. Ural Gems
Russia is one of the largest suppliers of precious stones. And the main place for getting gems is the Urals. Here you can find many expensive minerals known throughout the world. Many stones from other countries cannot be compared with the Ural gems.
A bit of history
Active mining began in the Urals gems in the eighteenth century. Minerals found ordinary people, which all possible ways processed jewelry and cut them. In those days, the industrial capacity was not at such a high level to ensure the extraction of stones. Over time, all sorts of technical devices have already appeared that have made it easier for people to get precious minerals. Over the course of the century, so many deposits of various minerals were discovered that people were very delighted with the prospects that opened up before them. Russia has become one of the largest jewelry suppliers in the world. There is a great variety of precious minerals in the Urals. Many of them do not tolerate any competition, being the best of their kind or even unique.
The nickname "Black Prince" Prince of Wales and Aquatania - Edward owed his favorite armor. The great spinel was called the "Black Prince" from the nickname of its new owner. According to another version, Stone provided Edward with the ruler of Castile, Peter the Cruel, thanking him in this way for helping to return the throne. Peter lost most of his jewels by killing their owners. The same goes for the spinel that belonged to the king of Grenada.
For the sake of historical truth, let's add that Edward should have been called the "Dark Prince" because he was no different from his Castilian friend. He was probably even more cruel. His conscience weighed, among other things, three thousand cuttings in a chest, regardless of sex and age, of the inhabitants of his suburban city of Limoges, whom he ordered to be killed only because they had surrendered to the French.
The variety of gems in the Urals is amazing: diamond, emerald, alexandrite, topaz, malachite, tourmaline, jasper, agate, amethyst, jade, opal, jadeite, amber, demantoid, tourmaline, aquamarine, rhodonite, carnelian, pomegranate. These precious minerals and many others are found on the territory of Russia (especially in the Urals) in large quantities. Thanks to the Ural gems, Russia occupies such a high place among the world's jewelry suppliers.
Currently, the "Black Prince" is decorated with the crown of British kings. Passionate collector of rubies was another despot, Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Among his many valuables was a large selection of red gems. Ivan's successors also adored this passion.
Bad spinel was called Timur, robbed, like many other famous jewels, from the treasures of the legendary Nadir Shah. Its owners brought death and misfortune. The East India Company offered it to the British Queen Victoria after the suppression of the Sikh rebellion. Today it is adorned with the Royal Jewels of Great Britain.
Here is a list of the biggest pride of the Urals.
1. Ural malachite. It is the most valuable in the world. No malachite of other origin can be compared with it. It is one of the most popular precious minerals. It is often used as jewelry and to decorate objects (from caskets to columns).
Chemically, ruby is a type of alumina with a touch of chromium. Corundum is characterized by great hardness, giving only diamonds in this respect. Thanks to this recommendation, two centuries ago, thanks to the Englishman John Harrison, rubies were sent to our watches in the form of bearings. We add that corundum is also characterized by high resistance to high temperatures.
Rubies are not found in Poland, although according to old records it is known that they were found in the golden sands in the vicinity of Złotogoj centuries ago. So, from the story we went to the technique, but not to spoil the mood, let's stop here. Let's take a look at Grandma's box where a forgotten ruby and a forgotten story can be forgotten. Well, maybe not so colorful, but maybe no less interesting.
The healing and magical properties of malachite: improves vision, relieves headaches, helps get rid of insomnia and treats mental disorders. Malachite improves the functioning of almost all internal organs. To do this, you need to charge the water with the energy of the stone, leaving it for a while in a glass of water. In Russia, they have always believed that malachite can fulfill wishes. It is best to wear silver jewelry with this gem. Gold is too active and in combination with malachite can harm its owner. But silver will emphasize the necessary abilities and soften the properties of the stone a little so that they go only to the benefit of the owner.
It is resistant to acids and alkalis. Diamond is very different from other types of coal. Diamonds are formed in geologically stable areas of our planet. Their mines are located in Canada, Russia, Africa and Australia. When people begin to dig in such a pipe, impressive holes are erected on the surface of the earth. The Mir diamond quarry in Yakutia is most often mentioned.
Under these conditions, coal turns into diamond. 
Millions of years at great depths, diamonds fall to the surface of the earth during volcanic explosions - they are caused by kimberlite magma. Kimberlite is a volcanic rock that originated from the town of Kipburley in South Kipper. It can be said that kimberlite pipes are the medium for the formation of diamonds, and there is only one diamond place on our planet that is not associated with kimberlite rocks, which is the Kumdykul settlement in northern Kazakhstan. Therefore, when diamonds are sought, huge holes are created, the face of the Earth is decorated with impressive scratches.
2. Rhodonite. This stone is considered Russian. The very first mineral deposits were discovered in the Urals. In value, it is second only to malachite. All rich deposits of rhodonite in the world are located in the Urals. This gem has no equal. Translated from Greek, "rhodonite" means "rose". This is due to its coloration. The color varies from pale pink to dark cherry. Some rhodonite stones are very similar to rubies, they have such a red tint.
Thousands of kimberlite "pipes" have been found around the world, but only a few dozen are suitable for diamonds. Look for other unfavorable diamonds. 
The whole world was looking for diamonds, but Russia did not do it on its territory for a long time. There were attempts to search for diamonds in the Urals, but their resources were insignificant. Peaceful and Lucky, which almost all the inhabitants worked in the diamond mines, appeared in the area of eternal frost in these diamond mines. After some time, many diamonds were discovered in Yakutia. Having made this discovery, they sent an encrypted telegram to Moscow: We sank a peaceful pipe.
At the end of the eighteenth century, this mineral was called "eagle", as it was often found in the nests of eagles. People believed that if you attach this gem to the cradle of a baby, then the child will grow up strong, healthy, courageous and vigilant.
Healing and magical properties of rhodonite: protects against robbery, brings material wealth to the life of the owner, strengthens the immune system. Rhodonite is good amulet who cares about women's health. Its properties are especially useful during childbirth. The stone helps a healthy and successful baby to be born.
During this time, they dug a hole at a depth of 525 m, the diameter of which at the top was 1.2 km. However, this career is not yet exhausted, but just digging diamonds in it as it has grown to date is not worth it. According to unofficial data, during the operation of the 44-year-old Mir mine, 350 million tons were exported annually. cubic meters of kimberlite rocks, and diamonds - 17 billion.
Definition of Diamond Value Diamond is a cut diamond with at least 57 edges. Many legends and myths are created about diamonds - from snakes protected from diamond valleys to the power of mysterious diamonds. Medieval diamonds have been used for some time for medical purposes. Thus, in the early Middle Ages, Pope Clement tried unsuccessfully to use his diamonds. Later, more attention was paid to the value of the brilliant than to its mystical powers. To protect the mines from theft, their rumors spread that rough diamonds were poisonous.
3. Diamond. In 1829, a child found this mineral in the Urals while panning for gold. It was the first Russian diamond. It was so valuable that the boy, who was a serf, was released for his find. Now this gem is the most famous and expensive in the world. Diamond is the hardest of all minerals. It is he who is at the top of the Mohs hardness scale.
Today, diamonds are used as gemstones for jewelry or as talismans with mystical powers. To date, India remains one of the leading countries in the field of diamond processing. When people talk about "brilliance" they are referring to the amount of light a diamond reflects. It is characterized by diamond as a diamond that scatters light and how it reflects different color spectrums. Sparkling, also known as lightning, determines how a diamond shoots as it orbits a light source.
When light enters a diamond, it scratches and reflects back into the colors of the rainbow. Sanding has the biggest impact on how it interacts with light. This reflects mastery in turning a rough stone into a diamond. If the diamond is too flat, some of the light will be lost through the bottom of the diamond. If the diamond is too deep, some of the light will be lost at the edges of the diamond.
Healing and magical properties of the stone. Even the ancestors noticed that the diamond heals people from depression, and everything related to the psyche. And this is not surprising. The brilliance of a diamond is so bright and bewitching that it is impossible to remain indifferent to such beauty. Looking at such splendor, any nervous breakdown will evaporate into thin air. It is believed that a diamond gives its owner self-confidence, determination, courage and fortitude, contributes to the emergence of success in life, luck. And this is again connected with the appearance of the diamond itself. It seems so strong and majestic that its power extends to the happy owner of the jewelry.
A perfectly polished diamond will reflect most of the light through the top edge of the stone. Sanding is a characteristic that includes brilliant proportions, rib quality, etc. The quality of the shiny sanding has a rather strong influence on the gloss characteristics. Diamonds can be cut in a variety of shapes, it just depends on the craftsmanship. Each shape is designed to highlight certain brilliant characteristics. The optimal number of edges is 57, but before grinding, the jeweler must give the diamond a geometrically correct shape - a circle, an oval, a pear.
4. Alexandrite. Today it is one of the rare gems. The gem was named after Alexander II, as the mineral was discovered on the eve of the prince's coming of age. Now the search, extraction and transportation of precious alexandrite is subject to the same great control as the diamond. This makes it possible for everyone to understand the true value of this rare mineral. It is the Ural alexandrites that have a bright and saturated color. They are the most unique of their kind.
The quality of polishing depends on how the stone will glow. A round stone emphasizes the benefits of a diamond, while a rectangle or oval reduces the amount of reflected light. Traditional diamond grinding forms: round brilliant, consisting of 57 or 58 edges. Oval - oval shape. Marking - oval, with pointed ends. Pear - Pear shape - Rectangular shapes Price - Square shapes Radiative - Square or rectangular shapes with carved corners Asscher - Octagon Heart - Heart shape Kozhalka - Cushion shape.
Healing and magical properties of alexandrite: normalizes blood pressure, has a positive effect on the circulatory system and treats all diseases associated with it. This mineral is advised to be worn only by people with a strong spirit. Alexandrite is a very powerful gemstone with great energy, capable of subjugating weak-willed people. It will only bring them frustration and trouble. But alexandrite will give all its power to great personalities. But only after the owner has passed all the tests prepared by the gem. But the winner expects success, fame and incredible wealth.
Transparency, purity. 
Almost all diamonds have natural castings, impurities that reduce its transparency and at the same time brilliance. The main criterion for brilliant quality is its degree of purity, which is determined by a special scale. If we cut the needle into a piece of paper and then divide the hole by 4, we get a second number insert. The higher the number, the more noticeable the defect. The transparency of diamonds should be determined with a magnifying loupe 10 times. In Lithuania, diamonds are valued in accordance with the recommendations of the Blue Book.
5. Ural emeralds. Huge deposits of this noble green gem are located in the Urals. The first emeralds were found in 1830. And in 2013, a unique emerald was found in the Urals, weighing just over a kilogram. This is the biggest find in the world. Ural emeralds are the most beautiful. They have a very rich green color. This is what makes them stand out from all the others. The mineral is very fragile, so most often it happens with microcracks. You need to handle it very carefully, so the transportation of emeralds is very careful.
The color of a diamond can vary from full white to yellow or brown. Inexperienced eyes may not overlook these subtle shades, but this figure reflects the diamond's rarity and, of course, value. Diamonds of all kinds of colors have been found, but the most valuable are absolutely colorless gems.
By brightening a diamond with ultraviolet light, a small amount of diamonds glow or emit blue or yellow light. Fluorescence is caused by trace elements, usually boron, that are present in a diamond during its formation. Although fluorescence does not necessarily affect the value of diamonds, it is included in the diamond grading protocol.
Healing and magical properties of emerald: relieves headaches, joint diseases, treats inflammation of the bladder. Since the emerald is a delicate stone, he loves the same people. This is one of the few minerals that likes to choose its own owner. He will not help evil, ruthless and deceitful people. Emerald loves peace-loving and sincere people. It will be a reliable support for them in life, protecting them from the negative influence of society. Those who managed to make friends with this beautiful gem will soon feel how life is changing for the better. After all, the mineral attracts peace, tranquility and good luck. He also endows his master with worldly wisdom and helps to cope with difficult situations.
"Colored" diamonds are the most popular, but they are just one of the diamonds. Other category natural stones known as "Sparkling Diamonds". Although they are quite rare, they have been found in colors of every color spectrum. Magnificent diamonds are not graded on the same scale as "colorless" or "white" diamonds. Their meaning is determined by the intensity of the color, which ranges from light at the low end to bright at the top end. The more intense or stronger the color, the more valuable the diamond.
6. Fine amethysts. Experts say that amethysts from the Urals do not have worthy competitors in the world market. It remains only to take their word for it. Only Ural amethysts have saturation, colorful tone and impeccable brilliance. Among them there are a lot of rich purple stones that are valued above all.
Color intensity is a key factor when choosing a brightly colored diamond. 
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. One carat is 0.2 grams. Natural diamonds vary in size. Among the tiny grains are quite large crystals weighing hundreds or even thousands of carats, which are very rare. Usually large diamonds are cut into large quantity pieces, which gives smaller, but much best qualities diamonds. Karate is best known for the four basic terms that describe a diamond as it is easiest to understand just by looking at the gem.
Healing and magical properties of amethyst: strengthens the immune system, improves eyesight, heals alcohol addiction rejuvenates the body. Amethyst brings happiness to couples in love. It gives the owner all sorts of positive qualities, and also guarantees success in the professional field. Amethyst helps to reveal oneself, to show one's talents, to believe in oneself. This is the foundation of a successful career. The gem helps a person in his personal life. He gives loyalty to a partner. A family that has an amethyst amulet will never part. The mineral protects marital relations until the end of life.
7. Magnificent topaz. He gained great fame at the end of the eighteenth century. And the year of discovery of topaz in the Urals is considered to be 1772. Despite the rather high density, the gem is very fragile, it is transported carefully. Topazes come in a variety of shades. This mineral has a very diverse color palette. Stones can be pink, yellow, red, purple, brown, golden, colorless. But the biggest pride of the Urals are pale blue topazes, which are very rare.
Healing and magical properties of topaz: treats nervous diseases, colds, eye disease, improves sleep. Topaz is considered a stone of hope. It inspires confidence in its owner in situations that seem hopeless. He also patronizes honest friendships, attracts reliable and faithful people to life. Topaz contributes to a good mood and a positive attitude towards the future. He seems to show the world to his owner in a different light, revealing something that he had never seen before.
8. Various jasper. One of the main places for obtaining jasper is Russia. In the Urals alone, there are a lot of deposits of this stone. It is so diverse, has so many types, that it’s just that your eyes run wide when choosing jewelry from it. In the Urals, there are as many as eight types of jasper. The stone is almost never the same color. It has a lot of impurities, it looks very beautiful. The most impressive stone is the variegated jasper. This is the most exotic type of Ural jasper.
The healing and magical properties of the mineral: treats various diseases of the eyes, kidneys, stomach. Red jasper can treat women's diseases and has a hemostatic effect. The gem is able to protect a person from animal aggression. The one who carries a jasper talisman will never be attacked by a wild animal. The ancestors sincerely believed in it. Jasper attracts wealth, good luck and peace to the owner's house.
9. Amazing demantoid. This stone was found in the Urals in 1868. Demantoid is an exceptional variety of garnet. The mineral is very rare. The Ural demantoid is valued above the rest. An amazing play of light, transfusion with all the colors of the rainbow - that's what fascinates in a gem. In this regard, it is much better than diamond. The mineral is highly valued because of its rarity.
Healing and magical properties of demantoid: normalizes blood pressure, treats infertility. The mineral helps its owner to be confident, collected, act clearly and quickly. People wearing a golden ring with this stone never get delayed on the way, unpredictable events do not happen to them. They have everything going according to plans that are not violated by an unfortunate set of circumstances. Demantoid is a wonderful mineral that balances the life of its owner in every possible way, bringing happiness and peace to it.
10. Unknown mariinsky. This mineral was previously unknown. It was discovered only in 2012 in the Urals in the Mariinsky emerald deposit. The composition of the stone is very similar to alexandrite. But Mariinsky does not change its color under bright light. A new type of precious mineral will compete with such well-known stones as emerald and diamond. They will have to move to give way to a new, unknown, but extremely beautiful, unique stone - mariinsky.
about medical and magical properties stone experts yet know nothing. But soon, after long and careful experiments, everything will become clear. A mineral can have any ability. No wonder he showed up.
The Urals is a magnificent deposit of precious minerals. A huge number of wonderful gems have gathered here, which have unique magical and medicinal properties. Many Ural deposits are a real national treasure of Russia.
October 28th, 2012 08:43 am
Initially, the wealth of the "Ural Gems" was by no means revealed by industry and geology, but by small handicraftsmen - self-taught or, as they are also called, "miners". It was they who first saw the beauty and originality of the Ural gems, learned how to process these beautiful stones and gave us a wonderful, sparkling world of Ural gems ...
In remote villages, lost in the Ural taiga, in deep mines and mines, the greatness and celebrity of the gems of the Urals was born ...
Golden beryls, dark amethysts, which acquire a bloody hue under artificial lighting, bluish and colorless topazes, were mined in mines up to 70 meters deep ... Imagine how such mines were built in almost primitive villages of the Murzinsky district ...
The history of gem mining in the Urals, near the village of Murzinka. Amazing stones that can still be found on the dumps of abandoned mines and mines. Murzinsky Stone Museum. The work of miners, miners and cutters. Danila Zverev - the prototype of Danila the Master from Bazhov's tale.
Murzinka has produced many beautiful stones in more than 200 years of its existence. Here came across blue topazes weighing more than 25 kg, beryl crystals of high purity reached a length of 25 cm; there were years (for example, 1900) when more than 450 kg of cut aquamarine could be taken out of one mine on Adua. There was also a beautiful cherry-pink tourmaline, with which no tourmaline in the world can compete in purity and pleasantness of tone and which the French called in the 18th century. siberite. 
All these stones were mined by the peasants and partly cut by them in their villages, on primitive machines, partly they were taken to Yekaterinburg, where the main cutting industry was concentrated.
The most favorite (and now too ...) was "golden-green chrysolite", in fact it is a type of pomegranate, scientific name which is a demantoid (translated into Russian - “diamond-like”). After cutting, a demantoid, or as it is now often called “demik”, looks more beautiful than an emerald…
But the emerald was the glory and pride of the Urals at that time. This "Ural gem" was discovered in 1831 quite by accident in the roots of a tree uprooted by a storm ... Since then, emeralds have been mined in huge mines. Now the “dying” Malyshevsky mine is famous all over the world. 
Products from unusual Ural gems were hardly touched by fashion, time, or various directions of artistic style. From the Ural minerals were made before, and now various caskets, vases, beads, pendants, brooches, ashtrays, etc. One of my acquaintances, a “mason-mountainer” (Mikhey), specializes today in the manufacture of slides from the Ural semi-precious stones. I must say that his slides turn out to be uniquely beautiful ...
At first, only the treasury mined beautiful emeralds and the Madeira-colored phenakite that had previously met with them, quickly fading in the sun, and the famous alexandrite, whose green color changes to violet-pink in artificial light. 
The handicraft industry of the Urals was engaged not only in cutting transparent stone: since the 18th century. handicraft workshops for processing malachite, jasper, orlets, serpentine and selenite appeared around the Yekaterinburg cutting factory.
Since 1905, green translucent fine-grained vesuvian of the Southern Urals, as well as lapis lazuli and dense green jade brought from the shores of Lake Baikal, began to join these stones in small quantities. 
From soft golden gypsum, called selenite, they made elephants, which were dressed in the Urals alone annually up to 400 thousand pieces. After all, elephants "for good luck" had to be bought in whole herds, at least seven pieces.
In addition to these simpler products, Yekaterinburg handicraftsmen made leaves, berries, fruits, and whole baskets from various hardwoods, with which they usually decorated more valuable caskets, paperweights, dishes, etc.
in the photo: Decor of an old paperweight with Ural amethysts and nephrites 
In addition to these easy-to-manufacture products, Ural handicraftsmen made flowers on antediluvian machines (remember the “stone flower”?), Leaves, berries, fruits, which were used to decorate jewelry boxes, paperweights and other whiter large items.
The most famous and characteristic of the Urals (although Zaire is now more common) is malachite, which began to be mined in copper mines. There was a time when malachite was mined several thousand pounds a year. In 1835, a block of 250 tons was found.
Later, in 1913, while digging a well in the garden, they unexpectedly discovered accumulations of beautiful malachite weighing over 100 tons.
The second famous Ural mineral, little known in the west, is rhodonite, the old name is orlets. Rhodonite in such quantities and of such quality is found only in the Urals. Rhodonite (eagle)
This mineral is painted in crimson-pink color, with dark veins and spots of different colors, it is especially beautiful and easy to work with. A large deposit of rhodonite in the Urals is located near the village of Sidelnikova. This Ural mineral is used for larger items - vases, candelabra, bowls, caskets ...
And the third group of ornamental stones is jasper. Jaspers of any country cannot compete with this Ural mineral. Beautiful jaspers of different colors and shades of gray-green, red, cherry, are distributed mainly in the Southern Urals. Sometimes these are large rocks, from which pieces of jasper are broken out as a simple building material ...
The most beautiful and wonderful jaspers are found near the city of Orsk. These jaspers are distinguished by such a variety of patterns, colors, inclusions that they are called artistic jaspers.
Small in size (15 - 30 cm) polished sections of jasper, which simply cannot be called anything other than a painting. At first it seems that this is a picture skillfully made of stones, but this is a simple cut of an ordinary piece of jasper... And on these “simple” cuts there is an island with palm trees and the sea, a birch in a clearing, a bird on a branch, or like in this picture a waterfall in the mountains...
What is happening with the deposits of precious stones in the Urals today. The largest malachite in the world, malachite mining, malachite in dumps, search for stones and minerals in Nizhny Tagil, Vatikha mine, rhodonite deposit, Malyshevo, beryllium, emeralds, jewelry, illegal emerald market, subsoil development, mines, Rosnedra, hitniks in the Urals, Ural gems, demantoid green garnet, gokhran, alexandrite, artificial gems, synthetic gems, semi-precious gems.
MALACHITE
Malachite is one of the most beautiful minerals. The stone is bright, richly colored in various shades of delicate greenery. It is distinguished by a special, unique and infinitely diverse, but only characteristic pattern. Light polishing of a small cut of the stone is enough to bring out the natural beauty of the stone. 
RHODONITE
Rhodonite is a stone of the color of the dawn. In stone-cutting, rhodonite rock is used - “eagle”. There are unusually beautiful specimens. Rhodonite - brings harmony to family relationships. It has the ability to ignite and maintain in a person the love of life. The stone helps to develop hidden abilities and talents. 
JASPER
Jasper is the most common gem stone. The colors of the stone are diverse not only in the main color, but also in various combinations of shades. Various impurities form an infinite number of intricate designs on jasper. There are even jaspers with landscape drawings.
Jasper has special mysterious properties, it was considered a reliable amulet. 
MARBLE
Marble is a stone of discreet colors, but a variety of shades and color combinations. The stone is soft and is found everywhere in the Urals.
RHINESTONE
Rock crystal is an unusual transparent crystalline stone. Dazzling snow-white crystals fascinate with the brilliance of geometrically precise edges.
crystals rock crystal attract love, joy, luck and prosperity. 
LAPIS LAZULI
Lapis lazuli is an amazingly bright stone of the color of the blue starry sky with sparkling inclusions. This stone was called the "stone of the sky", and it was one of the most expensive stones. In ancient times, people saw in it a reflection of the highest heavenly powers. 
COIL
Serpentine is a green rock with a characteristic pattern resembling snake tracks. A very strong energy drink that gives a feeling of protection, peace of mind and peace. 
DARK AMETHYST 
SMOKY QUARTZ 
CHAROIT 
OPAL 
