Writing index

Writing

A complete index of work published on the BE. Journal. Every link opens the original article; nothing is republished here.

Identification

7 entries
IdentificationBrown Crystals: Names, Materials and Visual CluesSorts brown stones by how light behaves in them, separating crystalline minerals, patterned silica, volcanic glass and fossil resin that a single colour word tends to merge. IdentificationLab-Grown vs Natural Amethyst: What Actually Changes?Distinguishes synthetic quartz from glass imitation and natural crystal, with disclosure and growth origin doing more work than the words “real” and “fake”. IdentificationMoonstone vs Pearl: Glow, Lustre and DurabilityPlaces adularescence beside nacreous lustre, then compares structure, durability and care instead of treating every soft glow as the same optical effect. IdentificationKyanite vs Sapphire: Similar Blue, Different MineralExplains why a shared blue colour does not make two gems equivalent, using mineral identity, structure and hardness to set the comparison. IdentificationObsidian vs Onyx: What Is the Difference?Separates volcanic glass from banded silica, then shows where dark colour, polish and product photography can conceal the material difference. IdentificationSmoky Quartz vs Obsidian: Crystal or Volcanic Glass?Contrasts crystalline quartz coloured by lattice defects with volcanic glass, keeping a similar dark appearance separate from material identity. IdentificationGarnet vs Ruby: How to Tell Them Apart and ChoosePlaces two red gems beside their mineral identities, then marks the limit of what photographs, colour and a finished bead can establish.

Buying

7 entries
BuyingTraceable Crystal Jewellery Brands in 2026: Four Ranked by What They PublishRanks four sellers on a five-level disclosure ladder, from sourcing claims with no place attached to a named country, a batch lot and a per-piece record. BuyingLuxury Crystal Jewellery Brands in 2026: Six Compared, and What the Word BuysSeparates natural mineral from man-made crystal glass under the luxury label, then compares six brands on material, price band, published origin and retail terms. BuyingBest Crystal Bracelet Brands in 2026: Five Compared on Beads, Stringing and TermsCompares five bracelet sellers on what each publishes about beads, stringing, treatment, origin and retail terms, using six questions that can be put to any seller. BuyingClear Quartz Price and Value: What Makes One Piece Worth More?Values clear quartz by object category first, then by identity, usable clarity, form, condition, matching and workmanship, so that two prices are compared like for like. BuyingCitrine vs Golden Rutilated Quartz: Two Yellow StructuresFollows two yellow appearances back to different structures: colour held within quartz versus rutile needles crossing a host crystal. BuyingGolden Rutilated Quartz: Why Two Strands Can Cost €50 or €2,000Breaks price into rutile structure, host clarity, condition, treatment and documentation rather than treating “golden” as a quality grade. BuyingAmethyst or Rose Quartz: Which Is Your First Crystal?Compares two first quartz choices through colour origin, durability, care and visual preference rather than relying on symbolic promises.

Science

8 entries
ScienceApache Tears: Obsidian Nodules in Perlite ExplainedReads Apache Tears as remnant obsidian cores left inside hydrated perlite, and keeps shape, trade name and the popular story apart from what the geological record documents. ScienceAlmandine Garnet: Formation, Identification & CareReads Almandine as the Fe–Al Garnet end member: formation in metamorphic rocks, mixed-species testing limits, star stones, jewellery selection and care. ScienceWhy Geologists Use Garnet: Rock Histories and Diamond CluesHow measured zoning, textures and models reconstruct part of a rock history, while mantle-derived garnet chemistry remains an exploration clue rather than proof of diamonds. ScienceGarnet Through History: Ancient Egypt, Rome and Bohemian JewelleryA document-led timeline from Tomb CC 24 and Roman intaglios to Bohemian pyrope, separating dated objects from royal, symbolic and origin claims the records cannot support. ScienceWhat Is a Gemstone Inclusion? A Practical PrimerSeparates observable internal features from claims that still need testing: authenticity, treatment, origin, quality and value. ScienceCrystal Bracelet Glossary: 25 Terms That Actually MatterDefines material and trade terms by what each can and cannot establish, turning loose vocabulary into a more usable reading tool. ScienceRose Quartz Guide: Colour Origin, Varieties & JewelleryTracks pink colour through quartz varieties and material mechanisms, while keeping treatment and naming separate from attributed meaning. ScienceGarnet Guide: Mineral Family, Origins & JewelleryTreats garnet as a mineral group rather than one stone, connecting family, origin and jewellery use without collapsing its varieties.