THE VERDANT STUDY

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VERDITE

A VIRIDESCENT GEM

 

Lo’ and Welcome to this study of Verdite, my birth gem, in recognition of the Clan Trial of Understanding, one of the sacred trials of Clan Gemeye. I am Smaragdi Gemeye, a greenhorn to the clan, but my tenacity makes up for my lack of expertise! Let’s begin with verdite’s basic properties, such as color, luminescence, and other physical characteristics:

 

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

1. Verdite comes in many shades of green, my favorite color!
2. Verdite can feature streaks of blue, brown, red, or yellow glistening upon its surface.
3. Verdite’s luster, the way it reflects light upon its surface, is typically recognized as pearly or silky.
4. Luminescent properties can also sometimes be seen upon its surface, emitting a green light.

COMPLEX CHARACTERISTICS:

1. Verdite is an amorphous gem in structure, meaning it can come in many variations of shapes!
2. Verdite’s hardness, after some experimentation, can be rated from three to four, with variations.
   1. This makes it incredibly difficult to facet (for a layman), making it incredibly rare to occur. It’s typically used as carvings, stones, spheres, and so forth.
3. Verdite is composed of many other minerals. Corundum-based gems such as sapphire and ruby, non-corundum-based minerals like quartz, rutile, albite, chlorite, and diaspore.

FACETING AND MAINTENANCE:

Verdite, as aforementioned, is a relatively soft gem, making it incredibly difficult to facet for laymen. Those experienced, such as myself, however, have little problem with such. In most cases, Verdite is typically turned into spheres, tumbled stones, beads, and other spherical commodities.

 

Maintenance is also complex, with it being a softer gem. Here are the steps I take to ensure a pristine finish:

 

1. Use a clean, wet, soft cloth free from dust or debris.
2. Dip the cloth in a solution of warm water and soap.
3. Carefully rub the solution-covered cloth on the gem.
4. Let the gem air-dry when finished.

 

It’s also important to keep verdite away from the following:

• Extreme heat.
• Harsh alchemical solvents.
• Steam.

VERDITE CONFUSIONS:

Verdite, despite being an intriguing and unique gem, can sometimes be confused with others by ignorant laymen who don’t understand its properties. Here are some examples of gems that others have mistaken the appearance of verdite with:

 

• Green Aventurine (Less Refractive).
• Buddstone (Hardness of seven [According to experimentation done by yours truly]).
• Serpentine (Hardness of six point five to seven [According to experiments done by yours truly.])..
• Jade (Hardness of six point five to seven [According to experiments done by yours truly.])

MAGICAL AND SYMBOLISTIC PROPERTIES:

Verdite symbolizes many things to me! According to the Precept of Prism, the green, fluorescent light of gems such as Verdite can resemble the Light of the Hearth, being closely associated with Anbella (Brathmordakin of the Hearth).

 

It also symbolizes, to other Verdite-enjoyers, as a gem of healing and the fertility of crops and livestock. Some believe that it can boost self-confidence, increase memory, and promote honesty. I’m not experienced in the arcane, so I’ve no idea if this is true.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, verdite is an incredibly unique and intriguing gem that I hold a personal fondness for, it being my birth gem. Its many symbolic properties hold high value in Clan Gemeye, especially to me. I hope you’ve enjoyed this learning adventure as much as I have. Farewell, and blessings of Anbella and Grimdugan upon you all!

 

Smaragdi Gemeye,

Dwed of the Kazamar Kresttrulliv.