Alexandrite: The Birthstone for June The month of June is celebrated with three special birthstones alexandrite, moonstone and pearl. As you would guess, alexandrite takes the lead in terms of value, rarity and class; making it our gemstone of focus this month. So, what is it? Why is it so special? Alexandrite is the rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl (chemical formula BeAl2O4 + Cr) that changes colour in different
Painite: The gem from Myanmar Painite is a rare borate mineral only found in Myanmar (Formely Burma). Its colors range from orange-red to brownish-red owing to traces of chromium and vanadium. It has a white streak, transparent appearance and vitreous luster. It is formed as hexagonal or prismatic crystals and has a relative hardness is 8. Painite contains calcium, zirconium, boron, aluminum, and oxygen alongside the traces of chromium and
Diamond: The April Birthstone The month of April is characterized by many things, but in the mineral world, one mineral truly stands out; Diamond. Diamond is the irrefutable birthstone for April above opal and sapphire which are also recognized as April birthstones. Let us take a quick look into the sparkling, precious and at the same time hardest natural substance on earth. Diamond is a crystalline form of pure carbon
The Geological History of The Victoria Africa Falls Victoria Falls, locally known as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ meaning “The Smoke that Thunders” is a waterfall located at the Zambia/Zimbabwe on Zambezi River. The Falls’ history is represented by a series of incredible geological events spanning for over 180 million years. Let’s go down the geological journey of the great “Mosi-oa-Tunya”. Volcanic Eruptions and Gondwana Splitting Effect It started with successive volcanic eruptions that
The Mountain with the Coolest Lava on Earth Ol doinyo Lengai, (which means “Mountain of God” in the local Maasai language), is an active volcano located on southern shore of Lake Natron in the greater Arusha Region. The mountain is a stratovolcano standing at 2870m above sea level, built up by several layers of hardened lava shaped nearly to a perfect cone. Apart from its regular eruptions, the volcano is
