Dogs are only a part of our life, but for them we are their whole life. Saying goodbye to a dog is always very difficult, because over time they become full-fledged family members. Unfortunately, sometimes dogs get to people with a stone heart, and if they somehow "tolerate" young dogs, they can deal with them in the most heartless way when they get old. This is the story of Bella, a 10-year-old German shepherd from the UK, who was tied to a large rock by her former owners and thrown into the water, hoping she would drown.

 

Former owners tied Bella's leash to a large rock and threw it into the water, hoping she would drown.

 

Dog struggling to survive spotted by Jane Harper and her friend Joanne Bellamy

People walked by, walking their dogs

 

This is the stone that Bella's leash was tied to.

 

After being pulled out of the water, Bella was immediately taken to the local veterinarian.

 

Later she was placed in the care of the charity RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)

 

Bella was lucky to survive in icy water with a stone tied to her neck.

 

But the physical examination also revealed that she had other health problems.

  

Bella was cared for by the kind and helpful staff of the Radcliffe Animal Center in Nottingham, UK

 

Animal welfare charity and local police have launched an investigation to find those responsible for the atrocities against the dog

 

Bela spent 15 months under the care of a charitable organization, and during this time she completely recovered and changed a lot.

 

She found a new home, and retired couple Maggie Mellish and Charlie Douglas became its new owners.

  

The couple used to keep herding-type dogs, and now they are ready to give all their love to Bella, since their last dog passed away a couple of years ago.

 

Jane Harper and Joanne Bellamy, who rescued Bella, visited her to see how she was doing.

 

Bella is now 11 years old, and you could hardly find better owners for her than a couple of retired dog lovers

 

The story told by Maggie, Bella's new owner:

“Over the past 30 years, there have been 3 shepherd-type dogs in our family. Two years ago we lost our dogs Tia and Luna, and this year - my daughter Flame's dog. We missed them a lot. But a few weeks ago we saw Bella's story in the press and learned that she needed a new home, so my daughter Claire Luscher advised us to apply for her adoption.

We know she will need regular veterinary visits and are willing to pay for them. We know she's old, but we just want to offer her the loving home she deserves after everything she's been through. We are both retired, so we will always be there for her, and this is what she really needs, and it will also be great for ourselves. "

When it comes to colored gemstones, color is critical. Today, many buyers prioritize color, while the type of jewelry stone they care less about, as long as its hardness is sufficient for their purposes.

 

However, finding gemstones by color can be very tricky, as sellers usually show in-stock items as a list of gemstone types or varieties rather than their colors. The first thing that usually comes to mind when talking about blue stones is sapphires, but there are a large number of other blue and light blue gemstones on the market these days.

 

Blue gemstones in the jewelry industry

 

The color range of the gemstone ranges from deep blue to pale blue.

Sapphire has been known since antiquity. According to biblical tradition, when Moses saw God on Mount Sinai, under his feet was "something like the work of pure sapphire and as clear as the sky itself."

 

Nowadays, precious sapphire is mined at large deposits in Kenya, Cambodia, Australia, Tanzania, and the USA. The most valuable are stones from deposits in Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Kashmir.

 

 

Blue Agate

Agate is a variety of chalcedony quartz. He is known for a wide variety of texture patterns and possible colors, including many shades of cyan and blue. Some trade names for blue agate are Blue Lace Agate, Blue Mojave Agate, and Blue Banded Agate. Many agates today can be tinted, but unlike other types of gemstones, tinting usually does not affect its value. However, the seller is always obliged to openly report that the stone has been processed, whatever it may be. Agate is known for its hardness and durability, which currently makes it one of the most versatile blue gemstones.

 

Blue Aquamarine

Aquamarine is a member of the beryl family. Due to its low iron content, it can range from blue to bluish-green and is usually very delicate, especially when compared to the brighter, more intense blue tint of gemstones such as topaz. Aquamarine is one of the few natural blue rough gemstones (although some darker gemstones can heat up) that is exceptionally hard and durable. Rare specimens of aquamarine show the effect of a cat's eye. Aquamarine is officially considered the birthstone of March.

 

Blue Apatite

Apatite is made up of calcium phosphate, which is also what our teeth and bones are made of. Although it is a very common mineral, gem-quality specimens are extremely rare. Apatite is listed as a sample for a hardness index of 5 on the Mohs scale. It is known for its rich range of possible colors, including bluish green (à la Paraiba). Apatite is usually untreated, with the exception of one variety called "moroxite", which is usually heated to improve the color. Some rare specimens can show the effect of a cat's eye, which is why they are called: Cat's eye apatites.

 

Blue Azurite

Azurite is a gem variety of copper ore. There are two main copper carbonates: azurite and malachite. However, azurite is much less common. Its characteristic bright blue color is often referred to as "azure white" (hence the stone's name). Azure White is a unique deep color reminiscent of azure found in high quality azurite specimens. Azurite is also found mixed with malachite in the form of attractive blue-green stones. Azurite druze is also often used in jewelry and is much more durable due to the hardness of the parent rock.

 

Blue Benitoite

Benitoite is one of the rarest minerals to date, first discovered in California by James Couch in 1907, which is an exquisite blue silicate of barium and titanium. Today it is one of the rarest gemstones. The dispersion of benitoite is higher than that of a diamond, it has excellent brilliance. Although deposits of the mineral benitoite have been found in various parts of the world, gem-quality material worthy of cutting has only been found in San Benito County (California, USA). Benitoite is the official stone of California.

 

Blue Chalcedony

Chalzdedon belongs to the mineral group of quartz. Technically, "chalcedony" is a generic term for all varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz. It features a rich variety of colors, sizes and patterns. In the professional trade, however, the term "chalcedony" is used in a narrower sense to mean "true chalcedony", i.e. a monochromatic, translucent gemstone that ranges in color from light white to bluish. It has recently been discovered that chalcedony is actually a combination of quartz and the polymorphic mineral moganite. Chalcedony is perfectly polished, the highest quality specimens have an attractive sheen.

 

Blue Chrysocolla

Chrysocolla is a gem-quality copper hydrosilicate. Outwardly, it looks like azurite and malachite at the same time. And although its most famous colors are bright blue and aquamarine, in fact, chrysocolla can be dyed in the most bizarre, unique combinations of blue and green. The color of the mineral is due to copper impurities, it is often confused with turquoise due to its similar color and appearance. Determining chrysocolla by composition can be very problematic, since it does not have a clear chemical composition. Any bluish-green copper silicate that cannot be identified as something else is more likely to be recognized as chrysocolla. It is for this reason that most gemological laboratories will not be able to issue an identification conclusion for chrysocolla with an unambiguous conclusion.

 

Blue Diamond

Diamond (brilliant) is the hardest natural material on earth with a rating of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale of minerals. The name comes from the Greek word ἀδάμας ("adamas"), which means "indestructible". Diamond is made up of pure carbon, which is also made up of graphite, a common industrial material used, in particular, to make pencil leads. A diamond is usually irradiated to produce a blue color, although it is very rare to find completely natural blue stones that have not been processed. Most blue diamonds also have a secondary greenish tint. The blue diamond is valued for its rarity, exceptional hardness, and high refraction and light scattering (the ability to split white light into spectral components).

 

Blue Quartz with Dumortierite

Blue quartz is indeed rare, which is why dumortierite quartz is one of the rarest varieties of quartz commercially available. It is a quartz aggregate intergrown with the mineral dumortierite. Inclusions of the latter determine the characteristic unusual blue color of the stone, which varies from light blue to dark blue, and even - in rare cases - to reddish brown. Like all quartz, dumortierite has excellent hardness and durability, so it is suitable for any kind of jewelry. It is also often used to make porcelain and ceramics, as it turns pure white when fired.

 

Blue Fluorite

Fluorite Fluorite is one of the most popular collectible stones in the world, second only to quartz. It is even often called "the most multi-colored mineral in the world." Fluorite is characterized by a variety of bright and saturated colors and patterns. It was first described in 1530 and was originally named "fluorspar". The term "fluorescence" comes from fluorite, as it was one of the first fluorescent minerals to be studied. Luminous colors of fluorite can be very different, but blue is common. Faceted fluorites are very rare and are usually cut into cabochons. The most valuable is color-changing fluorite, a rare variety that noticeably changes hue when lighting changes: from blue in daylight to purple in incandescent light.

 

Blue Hawk Eye

Hawkeye is a rare form of fibrous quartz that ranges in color from blue-gray to blue-green. In fact, hawk's eye is a pseudomorph of quartz that began to emerge as another mineral, blue crocidolite. Over time, the quartz gradually replaced the original blue crocidolite while retaining its fibrous form and, in part, the latter's blue color (depending on the degree of oxidation during formation). Hawkeye, also closely related to tiger's eye and pitersite, is usually colored with golden stripes or covered with wavy patterns. It is known for its iridescence (the so-called "cat's eye" effect, more precisely, in this case, "bird's eye"). Iridescence manifests itself in the form of small light rays reflected from the surface of the stones even, and even on flat sections.

 

Blue Hemimorphite

Hemimorphite is one of two rare zinc silicates, formerly called calamine. Hemimorphite is closely related to another blue or bluish green gemstone known as smithsonite. For a long time, hemimorphite and smithsonite were classified as one mineral, called calamine, due to the great similarity of their appearance and gemological properties. Hemimorphite has a hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale. This mineral can be colored in various shades of blue, green and white, but most often the color of hemimorphite is in the range from blue to bluish-green and resembles the color of chrysocolla. The most valuable is Sky Blue and Swiss Blue hemimorphite, which often has blue stripes with white veins. And although it is more of a collection value than jewelry, hemimorphite can still be used to make unusual jewelry, the main thing is to choose the right frame and exercise due care when working. Hemimorphite drusen are also very popular in jewelry, and they are also more wear resistant due to the hardness of the parent rock.

 

Blue Iolite

The history of iolite goes back thousands of years, but as a gemstone it is quite "young" and little known. Iolite is a transparent gem-quality variety of cordierite mineral. Its hardness is 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale, so it is quite suitable for jewelry. Iolite is highly pleochroic, often showing violet-blue, yellow-gray, and blue hues in the same stone depending on the angle at which the stone is viewed. When cut appropriately, iolite is typically purple or violet-blue in color.

 

Blue Kyanite

Kyanite is a unique gemstone, famous for its unique color. Its name comes from the Greek word meaning "blue", although its coloring can be very diverse. The most valuable color of kyanite is considered to be sapphire blue, but most stones have a distinct color zoning with a division of areas into light and dark, and there are also whitish streaks and spots. It is attractive with its glass-pearl luster. In addition, kyanite is known for its varying hardness: when cut perpendicular to the long axis, it is 6-7 on the Mohs scale, in parallel - only 4-4.5. It is very important to understand these hardness features of Kyanite in order to properly position the stone when cutting.

 

Blue Labradorite

Labradorite belongs to plagioclase feldspars. Its base color, which ranges from dark smoky to grey, is accompanied by a remarkable metallic sheen of usually royal blue. Some particularly fine examples of labradorite can play with all the colors of the spectrum in the form of iridescence, such stones are known as spectrolites. The hardness of labradorite, equal to 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale, is sufficient for making almost any kind of jewelry.

 

Blue Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli, or simply "lapis", is one of the most popular gemstones of all time. It has been used as a decorative material for jewelry for thousands of years. The finest lapis lazuli is believed to have been mined in northern Afghanistan for over 6,000 years. Technically, lapis lazuli refers to rocks, not minerals. Many examples of lapis lazuli can contain up to 15 different minerals in a single stone. In addition to lapis lazuli, the main components of the stone are lapis lazuli, calcite and pyrite. Lapis lazuli gives lapis lazuli a rich blue color, calcite is responsible for the white "marble" veins, and pyrite, represented in lapis lazuli with characteristic golden flecks, gives the stone a shine. Lapis lazuli is considered to be quite soft with a rating of 5-6 on the Mohs hardness scale, yet it remains a very popular gemstone.

 

Blue Larimar

Larimar is a gemstone variety of pectolite, ranging in color from blue to turquoise blue. The name "larimar" is a trademark. Larimar is mined in only one place on the planet - in the Dominican Republic. The characteristic color of larimar is due to the replacement of calcium with copper impurities. Larimar often has inclusions of calcite and hematite, which can give it very interesting shades of blue, from white and light blue to moderate sky blue and "volcanic" blue (the most valuable color of larimar). This is a fairly soft stone (only 4.5-5 on the Mohs scale), but it is still often used to create jewelry. Larimar is very popular in the Caribbean, but very hard to find anywhere else.

 

Blue Moonstone and Blue Rainbow Moonstone

Moonstone is the best-known variety of orthoclase potassium feldspar, but "rainbow moonstone" is technically not "moonstone" at all. Rainbow moonstone is the trade name for a special variety of labradorite, a plagioclase feldspar, that exhibits a bluish adularescence similar to that of potassium feldspar moonstone. However, for simplicity, most consider both minerals to be the same stone. The name "moonstone" refers to the effect of a bluish-white glow on its surface, which resembles the light of the moon in the night sky. An optical phenomenon known as "adularescence" is due to the unique features of the structure of the mineral. And while most moonstone specimens are bluish-white in themselves, adularescence reveals many other colors in the stone. A moonstone, on the surface of which an optical phenomenon occurs, iridescence (the effect of a cat's eye), is rare, but still also occurs. Iridescent moonstone is known in the jewelry trade as star moonstone.

 

Blue Sapphire

Sapphire Sapphire is the most famous blue-colored gemstone (although there are actually many colors of sapphire). The blue color of sapphire varies from light blue to deep blue. Because sapphire is a gem-quality variety of corundum, it is incredibly hard and wear-resistant (9 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale). It is also considered to be one of the most precious gemstones on the market today. Some blue sapphires can exhibit interesting optical properties such as asterism (starry) and color change. Today, blue sapphires from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) are considered the most valuable, but earlier stones from Kashmir and Mogou in Burma were considered the most noble. Blue sapphires from Cambodia (from the province of Pailin) ​​were also famous for their purity. Many even believe that Pailin sapphires are close in quality to Kashmiri, Burmese and Sri Lankan (Ceylon) sapphires. Among sapphires, there are stones with amazing properties, for example, rare color-changing sapphires, as well as outlandish iridescent star sapphires. The blue star sapphire is in high demand and is especially prized by collectors and jewelers alike. Sapphire is also one of the amulet stones of September.

 

Blue Smithsonite

Smithsonite is a rare gem-quality zinc carbonate closely related to blue hemimorphite, as mentioned above. Smithsonite is sometimes referred to as "zinc spar". Its color usually ranges from bluish green to greenish blue, similar to that of the hemimorphite. Due to its rarity, smithsonite is a very popular collectible stone. It got its name in honor of James Smithson, a famous chemist and mineralogist. The famous Smithsonian Institution is named after James Smithson, who, in his will, ordered to transfer funds for its construction. Like hemimorphite, smithsonite is rarely used in jewelry due to its rarity, but with the right choice of setting and due care in work, smithsonite jewelry is very effective.

 

Blue Sodalite

Sodalite is a deep blue gemstone that gets its name from its sodium (soda) content. Like lapis lazuli, sodalite is characterized by a very dark blue color, often speckled with interesting white streaks or spots formed by calcite inclusions. Sodalite is sometimes referred to as "alomite" or "ditoite". Hackmanite is an exceptionally rare variety of sodalite known for a special color-changing effect called "reverse photochromism" or tenebrescence. Unlike other color-changing stones, this rare form of sodalite can fade to grayish or greenish-white in sunlight, but after a long enough time in the dark, it returns to its original color.

 

Blue Spinel

For centuries, blue and red spinel were mistakenly considered blue sapphire and red ruby, respectively. In terms of its gemological properties, spinel is very similar to sapphire and ruby ​​corundums. The colors of spinel, as well as the colors of corundum, can be very diverse. Some spinel colors are considered rarer and, as a result, more expensive than others. In general, the noble red spinel is considered the most valuable, followed by the rare blue spinel. The most sought after shade of blue spinel. considered cobalt blue. Like diamond, spinel is a single refractive mineral, so its color is very pure. The best blue spinel should have a medium to medium dark shade of color, similar to that of a noble blue sapphire. Unlike sapphire, blue spinel, as a rule, is never processed and is only slightly inferior to it in hardness, while in any case it is considered a very hard and wear-resistant stone. Therefore, it is ideal for any kind of jewelry.

 

Blue Tanzanite

Tanzanite is one of the most popular gemstones today. It is a gem variety of deep purple-blue zoisite, which is mined in only one place on the planet - on the Merelani plateau in Tanzania, near Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzanite's characteristic vibrant violet-blue color is unparalleled in gemstones, but like many other blue and blue stones, tanzanite gets its radiant color through a standard heat treatment process. Tanzanite is not very hard compared to many other gemstones: its hardness index is 6-7 on the Mohs scale, which, however, is sufficient for most types of jewelry. It was recently officially listed by the AGTA as one of the amulet stones for December.

 

Blue Topaz

Blue topaz is the second most popular gemstone in all time (according to Colored Stone magazine, sapphire is in first place). With a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, blue topaz is considered one of the most affordable gemstones. Like many stones of our time, topaz acquires radiant shades of blue through the process of artificial refinement by irradiation. The color of blue topaz is usually divided into three different "levels", or shades. Topaz London Blue has a rich dark blue color, which is considered the most valuable and sought after. The medium blue Swiss Blue topaz is the second most popular, followed by the light blue Sky Blue topaz. Blue topaz is recognized as one of the official stones of December.

 

Blue Tourmaline

Blue tourmaline is the general name for two rare varieties of tourmaline: Paraiba tourmaline and indicolite. Pure blue tourmaline is extremely rare, as most of these stones have a pronounced secondary green tint. Tourmaline Paraiba is considered the most valuable variety of tourmaline, which got its name from the place where it was first found in Brazil. The neon green-blue color of Paraiba Tourmaline is due to its copper content. Technically, tourmaline in any other shade of blue (from light to dark) can be called "indigolite". In any case, blue tourmaline is considered very rare, especially stones over 1 carat. Tourmaline has good hardness (7-7.5 on the Mohs scale) and wear resistance. Cat-eye tourmalines are not considered particularly rare, but still come across infrequently, therefore they are of great interest to collectors. It should also be noted that tourmaline is one of the stones of October.

 

Blue Turquoise

Turquoise is one of the most famous gemstones. By the way, the turquoise color got its name from the name of the stone, and not vice versa. Pure blue turquoise is quite rare. Like many blue gemstones, turquoise usually has a noticeable greenish tint that is more pronounced than blue in most turquoise specimens. Sky blue turquoise with a minimum of veins is traditionally considered the most valuable, although in some countries blue turquoise with black veins or intricate patterns of the parent rock is most sought after. The blue hue of turquoise is due to the content of copper, green - to the content of iron. Despite the relative softness of turquoise compared to other gemstones (5-6 on the Mohs scale), it is very often used in jewelry. Turquoise belongs to the December stones. In recent times, it has become increasingly difficult to find untreated turquoise, as most specimens are refined by tinting, waxing, impregnating, or stabilizing.

 

Blue Zircon

Blue zircon is the most "sparkling" blue gemstone. Its refractive index is higher than that of sapphire, tanzanite and spinel, the coefficient of light scattering (the ability to split white light into spectral color components) of blue zircon is also very high. Zircon is considered to be quite hard (7-7.5 on the Mohs scale), but brittle, so the edges of facets of a faceted stone wear out over time. Being a pleochroic stone, zircon often exhibits a slight greenish tint. Zircon is a naturally occurring mineral, but blue zircon is obtained by heating brownish zircon from Cambodia or Myanmar (Burma). Zircon should never be confused with an artificial synthetic diamond simulant, cubic zirconia, called "phianite" in Russia, which has nothing to do with natural zircon.

 

 

When to wear blue gemstones?

 

The blue color of precious stones is the color of the air and water elements. Therefore, blue stones are credited with a powerful effect on a person, supported by the forces of nature:

 

• blue gems soothe and relieve stress, just as contemplation of the sea surface or the blue sky relieves stress;
• people who wear jewelry with blue stones attract success, fully realize their creative abilities;
• some even awaken psychic powers from wearing blue gemstone jewelry;
• it has been observed that blue stones accelerate recovery from inflammatory and other diseases, and have a positive effect on health.