Lab Created Stone Beads: Cat's eye, Goldstone, Opal Quartz, ...
Mankind has always dreamed up ways to imitate nature and some have succeeded so well, we hardly remember those stones where created outside mother natures lab. Hematine, opaline/opal quartz, calsilica and goldstone, they all have filled the artist's world with wonderful opportunities to create.
Goldstone or aventurine glass is a lab created gemstone of Venetian 'origin' that contains copper crystals. Goldstone exists in several colors but the glittery night blue version of dune beads has a more silvery appeal because of the filtering effects of the glass body and the cobalt additive.
Note: we are not referring here to the cymophane gemstone when talking about cat's eye.
Gemstone, Persian green sponge quartz in red goldstone resin, dyed, 8x8 mm, round beads - Mohs' hardness 7.0 - one strand is +/- 19 cm and has +/- 23 beads