Gems Exercise: Use the information that can be found in the websites: http://www.tradeshop.com/gems/index.html and http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~eps2/wisc/306c.htmlTo answer the following questions:1. What is a gem and what are some specific characteristics of gems that make them different from other minerals?2. What properties of light determine the optimal way to cut a gem and why is the top facet usually designed to be the largest?3. Describe how the critical angle works in gems4. Explain how fire works in a gemstone – what properties of light and the mineral createthis effect?5. What properties determine a gem’s durability? What property can still result in breakage and how might that occur? (you might have to think/ research this one…)6. Describe 6 things that increase a gems’ value7. What are inclusions? Describe how they are responsible for star sapphires and cat’s eye forms of chrysoberyl minerals. 8. Placer deposits are a term which describes economic minerals transported by stream action – what effect does that have on the appearance of the mineral as found?9. Where do diamonds from and what rather amazing things have to happen to get them to the surface?10. What percentage of diamonds mined are not gem quality? What might some uses of bort or carbonado be and what properties of diamond make it useful for that?11. List and briefly describe what sets the value of diamond gemstones.12. Describe 3 ways to treat a diamond in order to improve it’s appearance.13. What is the difference between a diamond stimulant and a synthetic diamond? How might you tell them apart from the real thing? Also look at the page on gem substitutes athttp://www.tradeshop.com/gems/substit.html and discuss different methods to distinguishreal from fake gemstones14. Check out the movies (CNTL+Click on the Gems Pages sheet to view it) about 6 different environments gems are often found. Describe the different tectonic settings youmight find each in and what about each of these settings provides a unique chemical/physical environment for the formation of certain gemstone
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