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Real emerald vs fakes
One of the most beautiful and mysterious gems is considered an emerald. Royal stone and stars adore magnificent stone. The mineral is considered a symbol of power, wealth and wisdom. Emerald is able to change the life of its owner: it attracts luck and protects against disease. But a magical effect is possible only if the stone is real. Often unscrupulous sellers give out imitations as a natural mineral. To avoid cheating, it is important to know what a real emerald looks like, and by what criteria it can be distinguished from a fake.
What a genuine emerald looks like
Emerald is called “green ice”. This variety of beryl has a special cold shine and a green tint. The grassy color of the mineral is due to a small amount of chromium, which is present in its structure. Sometimes the role of chromium is vanadium, which affects the saturation and properties of beryl.
Those who want to buy a real stone should know what an emerald looks like and what characteristics of the mineral are key. The table will help to understand. Continue reading
Medici Family Treasures
The famous Italian family of aristocrats and politicians, who became legendary not only in their homeland, but throughout the world, left behind a considerable inheritance. In particular, many of the Medici were obsessed with collecting and understood a lot about elegant objects – paintings, utensils and jewelry. The latter will be discussed.
Little remained after the Medici clan died out: they sold something, plundered something, took it for debts or simply hid it from the eyes of the world in private collections. And the more valuable it becomes every golden item associated with a legendary surname.
One of the main treasures of the collection is a gemma pendant with the image of Girolamo Savonarola, the main enemy of the Medici family. It is made of carnelian and set in blackened silver. Pierrot Medici, nicknamed Gout, was collecting a collection of gems – examining them, he began to feel weaker pain in the joints. But, of course, the Medici collection also included gems depicting members of the genus. For example, a cameo on a sink called “Portrait of Cosimo Medici” encrusted with silver and gold, or an agate cameo in a gold frame “Portrait of Lorenzo the Magnificent” by Medici, now stored in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Continue reading