You have probably heard very little about the howlite in jewelry. This smooth, opaque gemstone is a very popular stone with artisan jewelers. Due to its fascinating properties and various applications. Do you want to know a little about this beautiful stone? Keep reading! Next, we will tell you everything you need to know about the howlite, from its discovery, to how to clean it. So read to the end!
Where does Howlite come from?
This stone is found in evaporite deposits and is relatively rare. It is only mined in parts of the United States and Canada, where it was first discovered in 1868. Specifically in the province of Nova Scotia.
It was the Canadian geologist, mineralogist and chemist Henry How who officially made the discovery. After the miners of the gypsum quarries alerted him to a strange mineral that prevented them from extracting the gypsum. That ore was howlite. Although it has a low hardness of 3.5 on the Mohs scale, it is harder than plaster.
Henry How first named this stone “silico-boro-calcite”, but it was later renamed howlite. By his fellow American geologist and mineralogist James Dwight Dana.
Howlite usually grows in small, irregular cauliflower-head-shaped nodules, up to 1 cm in size. However, when the large howlite nodules appear, they can reach a combined mass of up to 50 kilograms.
Characteristics of the Howlite
Color
It resembles white marble or porcelain thanks to its milky gray color. It has a porous surface and opaque transparency. It usually has darker or black veins running through it, but can sometimes be found veinless and pure white. Clear howlite crystals are extremely rare and sought after.
The howlite can be dyed in other colors. It is frequently used as an imitation of turquoise.
Worth
As an opaque gemstone mineral, howlite is neither too expensive nor highly valued by the jewelry industry. However, that does not mean that it lacks its qualities and that there are not howlite variants that are highly valued.
Clarity
The most sought after howlite gemstones are the rare partially transparent crystals that can sometimes be found. What attracts gemologists and jewelers is not so much the visual superiority of these crystals, but simply their rarity.
inclusions
The standard inclusions in this stone are the black and dark brown veins that run through most pieces.
Cut
Being a soft, opaque gemstone with an indistinct cleavage, howlite is usually cut into simple cabochons, beads, spheres, egg shapes, pear shapes, ovals, and other similar shapes.
How to choose Howlite jewelry?
Howlite is normally cut into beads or cabochons and made into standard types of jewelry. For a bohemian look, howlite beaded bracelets and necklaces are popular.
However, when beautifully crafted and combined with high-quality materials, howlite is also well-suited for high-end fashion jewelry.
Howlite is rarely used for rings, especially engagement rings, due to its softness. It is best in jewelry that is not for daily use.
Due to its milky white color, as well as the many different dyes it can be painted with, howlite works very well with all types of metals and other gemstones; silver and gold can be excellent partners for howlite gemstones.
In terms of price, howlite is fairly inexpensive, which is great if you don’t value price as a measure of the quality of a piece of jewelry. If instead you are looking for a beautiful and different type of gemstone in your jewelry, howlite can be an excellent and inexpensive alternative to many other materials.
Howlite for ornaments
Howlite is a very versatile gemstone that can be used in many different ways. It is very famous as an ornamental stone. With it, figures, statuettes and simpler forms are made, such as peace signs, skulls, stars, hearts and others, made of howlite.
Howlite is so popular as an ornament stone because it is very malleable, soft and easy to work with. Also, its highly porous surface makes it easy to dye in different colors.
howlite and turquoise
It is not that these stones themselves are similar or tend to be confused. Rather, howlite, due to its porous nature, can be easily dyed and used as an imitation of other gemstones. Turquoise being one of the most imitated. Since the howlite dyed tends to show the patterns that turquoise possesses.
It is believed that up to 90% of the turquoise sold on the market today is dyed with howlite. The reason for this is quite simple: howlite is much cheaper to produce than turquoise, so scam jewelers can make huge profits through this imitation.
Howlite Value and Rarity
The howlite it is neither the rarest nor the most expensive mineral that exists. However, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Howlite jewelry is usually very affordable with most pieces costing less than $50. Depending on the materials used to make the jewel. The brand and the quality of the work, these can cost up to more than 100 dollars.
How to clean and care for Howlite?
The main concern when caring for howlite is how soft it is. Due to its low hardness, howlite can be scratched very easily. Therefore, it should never be stored together with other gemstones, metals or pieces of jewelry as they will scratch.
Also, dust is likely to scratch howlite stones over time, so it is necessary to keep howlite pieces free of dust. For cleaning, never use strong products. Use mild soaps, warm water, and a soft cloth to clean the howlite Be very careful, especially if the stone is dyed. Most cheap dyes can be washed off with hand soap.
Without a doubt, there is something special about a soft and opaque gemstone like the howlite. Its milky color and intricate darker veins running through it, its shimmering sheen, are captivating.