Editorial material shelf
Biological and fossil-resin gem materials rather than single mineral species.
Keep each chapter’s scientific identity: a family, species, variety, trade label, rock and fossil are different kinds of names.
Organic gem material
Pearls form within mollusks, making them a different kind of gem story from a crystal grown in rock. Their soft luster comes from layered structure rather than a high-polish crystal face.
MASAYUKI KATO · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Display crop
Organic gem material
Amber is fossilized plant resin, often glowing yellow to brown when light passes through it. It brings an organic geological history to a collection alongside crystalline minerals.
Anders L. Damgaard - www.amber-inclusions.dk - Baltic-amber-beetle · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Display crop
Biogenic gem material
Precious red coral is biological skeletal material, not a red silicate crystal. Species, dyeing, impregnation, imitation and responsible sourcing all need their own documentation.
Géry PARENT · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Display crop