Blue Mar Trading was formed by Gaspar Viero in 1995.
The business was born out
of his love for his native Brazilian culture. He began working with local
artisans to create beautiful designs that incorporate all the exquisite and
rare gems of his country. Gaspar works closely with the families who work hard
to supply our product and considers it fundamental to support them with as much
work as possible. He has long supported a number of non-profit organizations
both in his native Brazil and abroad.
Gemstone art collection is a division of Blue
Mar Trading corporation.
Mineral Hardness: Scratching
is an easy way to gauge mineral hardness. In 1812, the Austrian mineralogist
Friedrich Mohs ( 1773-1839 ) devised a scale of mineral hardness from talc(1)
to diamond(10) that is still used today. Any mineral on the scale will scratch
only those minerals, with lower hardness. (1) Talc, (2) Gypsum, (3) Calcite,(4)
Fluorite, (5) Apatite, (6) Orthoclase, (7) Quartz, (8) Topaz, (9) Corundum,
(10) Diamond. <br> Today, the common definition of a gemstone is any
precious or semiprecious stone, rock or mineral.
The explicit definition of
a gemstone is a precious stone: diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald and precious
opal.
Semiprecious stones are any other rocks,
minerals, or petrified material that is not classified as precious and which is
used in jewelry or collected. Some semiprecious stones include: agate, topaz,
carnelian, and jasper, lapis lazuli, jade and turquoise.
