There is also, as you suggest red coral. Coral, calcium-based is much
softer than a silica-based gemstone.
On the Mohs scale of hardness, coral is around a 4, while quartz is a 7. If
it's easily scratched with a knife blade then it's softer than quartz (which
you jay not want to try). A steel knife plade is around 5 1/2 on the
hardness scale.
Due to the abundance of chalcedonies, I'd still lean in that direction.
Tom C.
From: "Shel Belinkoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: OT - A Jewelry Question
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2005 15:45:46 -0800
OK - thanks for your guess. Now, what else ~could~ it be, do you think?
Shel
"You meet the nicest people with a Pentax"
> [Original Message]
> From: Tom C - A Jewelry Question
>
> I'm guessing it's Carnelian, a variety of Chalcedony, which using a word
I
> like, is a cryptocrystalline form of quartz.
>
> http://www.gemhut.com/carneln.htm
>
> Tom C.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "Shel Belinkoff"
> >If you know something about jewelry perhaps you can suggest what the
red
> >stone in this item may be. Coral comes to mind ...
> >
> >http://home.earthlink.net/~ebay-pics/turqpendant.jpg
