Gem Identification at Home – Summary

Unit 7: Gem Identification at Home – Gem Detective Words

Time to be home detectives! These words describe the simple tools and tests we can use.

• Gunk – Sticky or dirty stuff on something.
• Bristle – Stiff hairs on a toothbrush.
• Tweezers – Small tools for picking up tiny things.
• Reasoning – Thinking carefully to solve a problem.
• Thermal conductivity – How well something moves heat.
• Heft – To feel how heavy something is in your hand.
• Opaque – When you can’t see through something.
• Translucent – When some light goes through, but it’s not clear.
• Transparent – When light goes through completely, and you can see clearly.
• Luster – How shiny or reflective a gem’s surface is.
• Adamantine – A super shiny look, like a diamond.
• Sub-adamantine – A little less shiny than adamantine.
• Vitreous – A shiny look like glass.
• Facets – Flat, cut sides on a gemstone.
• Junction – Where two parts meet, like the edges of gem facets.
• Molds – Shapes used to make fake gems out of glass or plastic.
• Concave – Curved inward, like a tiny bowl.

International Gem Society

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