Learn about the different types of red stones for beaded jewelry.
If you want to wear natural red beads, there are a few types to choose from, ranging from semi-precious to highly valued, as well as many different shades of red. If you want beads that resemble rubies, but you can't afford them, there are types of semi-precious stones that closely resemble them. You just need to know the difference.
Garnet
Garnet is such a dark shade of red that looks almost black; it gets its name from the ancients, who thought the small pieces of garnet looked like pomegranate seeds. It was pronounced as "granate," and the name eventually evolved into the word "garnet." The garnet mined in the United States is used to make sanding tools, but the kind you can wear comes from such other countries as Mexico and India.
Ruby
Ruby stones are a deep red, but not quite as dark as garnet; the ruby is actually a red form of sapphire. It is the second-hardest stone, after the diamond. The word "ruby" is a derivation of "ruber," which is Latin for red. They are mined in several countries around the world, including Myanmar, Australia, some African countries and the Carolinas in the United States. Rubies are highly valued for their bright red color and hardness.
Carnelian
Carnelian's colors range from reddish orange and translucent to an opaque brick red. It can change color in sunlight, so a bracelet made of genuine Carnelian beads should not be left in direct sunlight. This stone gets its name from the Latin word for "horn," because it slightly resembles skin, and is a type of chalcedony stone. It is mined in a few different countries, including the United States, Australia and Brazil.
Red Jasper
Jasper is another type of the chalcedony, which is opaque and slightly softer than carnelian. Red is the most common color in jasper, and gets its color from iron oxide. "Poppy jasper" has patterns of large red spots. Jasper has been popular in jewelry since ancient times because people believed it to have healing properties. Red jasper is mined mainly in the western area of the United States.
Tourmaline
Tourmaline comes in several different colors, but the most common of these is red. The shades of red Tourmaline range from light pinkish red to almost black. "Rubellite Tourmaline" is a deep pinkish red, and has a higher value because it resembles ruby and looks the same in both artificial and natural light. It is mined mostly in Brazil and Africa and some parts of the United States.
Spinel
One of the colors of opaque Spinel is red, which comes in varying shades. "Spinel rubies" are special kind of Spinel that is a translucent red, and resembles a ruby. It got its name from the Greek word for "spark." The identifying trait of Spinels are the streaks running perpendicular through the stone. It is mined in a several countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar and Thailand.
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