WikiJewelry and Gemstone Wiki - Concise dictionary definitions of terms relating to jewelry (jewellery) & gemstones. If you would like to know "what is turquoise?" or "what are minerals?", then Mochishop's wiki can help.
sapphire (n) the non-red variety of corundum. Sapphire at its most familiar is blue, though may come in a multitude of colours including brown, orange, yellow, green and violet. Orange sapphire has its own name padparadscha. Cf. Ruby.
schiller (n) a term meaning "twinkle" in German used to describe iridescence beneath the surface of a stone. Schiller is used more generically than other terms such as adulerescence (which refers to the iridescence in moonstones) or opalescnce (opal). Schillers may be hazy or cloudly. When they are clearly defined they may produce a cats eye effect.
semi-precious (adj) used to describe gemstones that do not belong to the "precious" category of gemstones (diamond, ruby, emerald or sapphire).
serpentine (n) refers to a group of rock-forming minerals, usually found in varing shades of green sometimes resembling jade.
soapstone (n) a rock composed predominantly of talc sometimes passed-off as jade.
Suzhou jade (n) named after Suzhou in China, this is a misnomer or miserpresentation: Suzhou jade is not jade but serpetine.
