Insouciant Studios Orangerie Earrings Hypersthene Carnelian and Pink Spinel
Insouciant Studios "Orangerie" earrings handmade from genuine, natural faceted pink Spinel, oregon sunstone, petro tourmaline, carnelian, and gorgeous lively sable hypersthene beads. These earrings are both subtle and stunning, and elegant mix of soft colors that will move effortlessly from day to night and from jeans to formal wear. 925 Sterling Silver construction and earwires. Very lightweight. These earrings remind me of the colors of an orange tree in bloom-- deep brown bark, pale lavender-pink blooms, yellow immature fruit, and deep ripe oranges.
Measurements
Total Length: 2 1/2 inches, (6.2 cm)
Total Width: ~1/4 inch (8 mm)
Materials
Hypersthene is a chain silicate in the orthopyroxene series of the pyroxene group([Mg, Fe)2Si2O6]), with a hardness of 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale. The name is often used informally to refer to all minerals between the end-members of this series; gemologically, it refers more specifically to the brown-green colored version of the mineral, which often displays a rich bronze or copper sheen or schiller effect. It typically occurs in foliated masses. [Mindat.org]
Spinel (MgAl2O4) is a magnesium aluminum oxide mineral, with a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale. It occurs in a range of colors, from colorless to black, with red, lavender, blue, white and others possible. It has a long history of use as a gemstone. In nature, it is formed by high-temperature metamorphism of carbonates or schists, and is often associated with calcite, dolomite, garnet, corundum, diopside, olivine, and other dense minerals. [Mineralogy, Perkins]
Quartz (SiO2, Silicon Dioxide) is the second most abundant mineral of the Earth's crust. Quartz has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, an occurs in a variety of colors, from colorless to black. Some of the colors have their own gem names:
Purple: Amethyst
Yellow: Citrine
Yellow and Purple: Ametrine
Green: Prasiolite
White: Milk, snow
Brown/gray/black: Smoke
Pink: Rose
Orange/ Red: Carnelian
[Mineralogy, Perkins]