Getting Stoned: A Podcast About Gems and Minerals

The Baton Rouge Gem and Mineral Society held a fun gem and mineral show at the Blue Bonnet Nature Reserve. The theme was 'Rockin in the Swamp.' I went and had a blast, added gems and minerals to my collection, and bought some for my small jewelry business.

This episode introduces a local group and a local artist. I have videos, photos and more info in this blog post:

https://gettingstoned.online/f/getting-stoned-br-gem-show

Today I want to compare Moissanite with Cubic Zirconia. Both gems are man-made and I have, in the photo along with the audio, one of each. I do want to point out that my camera wasn’t able to pick up the brilliance of the Moissanite as well as the cubic zirconia yet to the naked eye, both gems were dazzling.

Also, my moissanite is much smaller than my cubic zirconia. The Jewelry Shopping Guide had a blog post comparing both with the aim to determine which one was the better diamond alternative.

Both gems have natural versions that are very, very rare, Cubic Zirconia is made up of zirconium oxide while moissanite is made from silicon and carbon. Chemically, moissanite is related to the diamond since both of those gems have carbon.

The origin of moissanite--a gem from the stars--is what sets it apart from cubic zirconia. Moissanite is also the second hardest stone. However, both of the lab gems will cloud up and become hazy over time although moissanite is better able to resist this than the cubic zirconia.

Regarding affordability, both gems are cheaper than diamonds, but moissanite is more expensive than cubic zirconia. The Jewelry Shopping Guide pointed out that a high-quality moissanite carat can cost around $400 while similar cubic zirconia will cost $20-$40. See the difference?

While both of these gems are lab-created, it’s better to think of them like that instead of fake diamonds. I personally used to look at heat-treated minerals a fake, but in reality, you can say that about Moldavite since that was once an entirely different mineral before it collided with the earth and was transformed by the heat of that collision.

It’s something to think about--and both gems are beautiful.

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Davemaoite is a new mineral that has never been observed in nature before. The reason for this is that it is a lower mantle mineral which would typically fall apart once out of a high pressured environment.

Link to article by UNLV

https://www.unlv.edu/news/release/research-brief-first-ever-interior-earth-mineral-discovered-nature

Today on Getting Stoned, I want to talk about an interesting use for diamonds--as time capsules. I saw a post on LinkedIn about diamonds being used as a time capsule and wanted to learn more.

In 2003, a research team at the University of Maryland found that diamonds can be natural time capsules. They preserve information about the cycling of sulfur between Earth's crust, the atmosphere and the mantle around 3 billion years ago.

Some of the findings revealed isotopic signatures which can give us a look at aspects of Earth's early history such as the evolution of the atmosphere. The study found that diamonds in Botswana had a distinctive ratio of three isotopes of sulfur that show that these diamonds went through an almost complete geochemical cycle that started 3 billion years ago. During that time, an ancient volcano was spewing sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gases into the atmosphere.

I'll include the link to the article for further reading--it's a fascinating story of how diamonds give us a look at our planet as it was billions of years ago.

In 2019, the Independent reported that a stash of diamonds older than the moon was discovered near the Earth's core. That's a hell of a jazzy headline right there. The article said that the diamonds have been there for over 4.5 billion years until they were brought to the surface through a volcanic eruption in Brazil.

An international group of scientists studied the gems and said these gems were perfect time capsules that gave them insight to the period of time just after Earth was formed--a time when there was a lot of violent geological activity.

They were able to extract helium gas from 23 of the diamonds and pointed out that they were from an unseen reservoir known as the transition zone--between 410 and 660 kilometers below the surface of the earth.

I think that looking at diamonds as a type of time capsule is pretty unique. Imagine if they were able to talk--what type of stories would they be able to tell us?

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/ancient-diamonds-earths-core-time-capsules-billion-years-old-a9060921.html

https://www.astrobio.net/geology/diamond-time-capsules/

About Getting Stoned.

Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. The mission of this podcast is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

Sometimes I interview guests and other times I’m sharing something neat I found. If you enjoy this podcast please feel free to subscribe to my new YouTube channel, Getting Stoned Online

I also have sponsorship opportunities starting at just $1 per month. Sponsors get early access to Getting Stoned podcasts and free access to my online gem library filled with digital art and ebooks that I’ve created. Visit my website, gettingstoned.online to learn more.

Today I want to tell you about this company I found while scrolling through TikTok. I have become slightly addicted to the app and have learned a lot from it. Tons of jewelry artisans, gemologists and mineral lovers fill my feed with dazzling content and I stumbled upon one company, Eterneva, which has a unique product.

Eterneva specializes in lab grown diamonds from your loved one's or pets ashes or hair. This may sound morbid at first, but I think it's a neat way to honor a loved one.

Their prices range from $3,000 to $50,000 depending on the carat weight of the stone and its color. I invited them to come on to the podcast via Instagram, but so far no response. I admit, the podcast is in its beginning stages--it’s not even a year old. However I would love to know the inspirational story behind this company.

When you bring a human element such as a story, it makes a product much more endearing--creating an emotional connection. The idea of memorializing a loved one by turning them into a gemstone is unique. Eterneva also offers grading, engraving and jewelry setting for your diamond.

Links

Eternava.com

About Getting Stoned.

Getting Stoned is a podcast about gems, minerals, and fun conversations that may go off-topic--but that’s perfectly fine. This podcast's mission is to encourage folks to explore the wonderful world of crystals, gems, minerals, and the various ways they are used in life, technology, and more.

For more information on sponsoring, merch, and YouTube, visit gettingstoned.online.