I am a GIA certified gemologist. I thought it would be fun to have a series of caches that not only gave some interesting information about the different gemstones, but also gave “A REAL GEM” as the prize for the FTF. I have hid several of these caches in South Carolina where I am from, and they were so popular that my sister and I thought it would be fun to hide this gem series in Maryland where she lives. We will be hiding a total of seven "A REAL GEM" caches. This cache is the first of the seven and contains a 5X7mm Amethyst weighing approximately one carat. It is in a small plastic baggie along with the log so be careful when opening. FTF may keep the gemstone and bag. Please replace the log in the bison tube and hide the cache exactly as found. The cache and gemstone are not located at the listed coordinates. To find the correct coordinates you will first need to solve a puzzle. (I have received feedback from several MD cachers that a puzzle checker and description of how my GEM caches are hidden is needed. I have added that information in the hint).
Amethyst is the traditional birthstone for February, the birthstone for the Zodiac sign of Pices, and the gem for the 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries. The name comes from the ancient Greek word amethustos which means "not intoxicated", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. It was as expensive as Ruby and Emerald until the 19th Century, when Brazil's large deposits were discovered. Single Amethyst crystals can be huge: the GIA Museum displayed an Amethyst crystal that weighed 164 pounds. The best varieties of Amethyst can be found in Siberia, Sri Lanka, and Brazil.
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and the most valued member of that mineral species. It’s the gem that’s most commonly associated with the color purple, even though there are other purple gems such as Sapphire and Tanzanite. Its purple color made it a stone of royalty for many thousands of years. Amethyst is graded by its color which can range from light lilac to a deep, intense royal purple. The ideal grade is called “Deep Siberian” and has a primary purple hue of about 75-80%, with 25-20% blue and (depending on the light source) rose-colored flashes. Amethyst also commonly shows what is called color zoning, which in the case of Amethyst usually consists of angular zones of darker to lighter color.
Answer the questions below to learn some fun facts about gemstones. Then use the question number of the answers to get the coordinates to find this cache.
1. What is the hardest Gemstone?
2. St. John's Island is documented as the very first source of what gemstone?
3. What gem is known as the Star of Asia?
4. In the Middle Ages, women would wear what gemstone to protect the color of their blonde hair?
5. What is the only gemstone that occurs in all colors and is known as the "Rainbow Gem"?
6. What gemstone holds the record for being the world's largest faceted gemstone?
7. Heat treating an Amethyst turns it into what gemstone?
8. What gemstone is thought to enhance the clairvoyance of their wearers?
9. What was the gemstone names for the seeds of a pomegranate?
Use the below formula for the coordinates.
North: (Sapphire) (Garnet) (Opal) Zero . (Citrine) (Topaz) (Emerald)
West: Zero (Citrine) (Topaz) (Opal) (Topaz) . (Peridot) (Emerald) (Tourmaline)
Congratulations to alzarius for the FTF! Thank you for finding my cache.