How many precious and semi-precious gems are produced by living organisms?
Question #60418. Asked by dejavucub4.
satguru
Answer has 1 vote
satguru Moderator 21 year member
1246 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
1) pearl (oyster) 2) amber (tree) 3)ivory (elephant) 4)jet (from coal deposits) 5) petrified wood (may be replacing wood with stone though)
to get you started.
Nov 07 2005, 7:02 PM
JoshCaleb12
Answer has 1 vote
JoshCaleb12 23 year member
419 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
The last two... jet and petrified wood are not actually produced by living organisms... in the case of coal deposits, the organisms are dead... and the petrified wood is also dead, or killed in the process of becoming petrified... besides which, it isn't the wood itself that's doing the producing...
Nov 07 2005, 8:21 PM
my_baby_love
Answer has 2 votes
my_baby_love
Answer has 2 votes.
All crystal and gemstones are living organisms. Crystals have a life energy of their own. They are living in some manner of the word as they slowly grow in clusters. They are part of the Mineral Kingdom most are grown in nature.
Beg to differ MBL... but that's New Age theory... not scientific fact.
Nov 07 2005, 10:00 PM
my_baby_love
Answer has 1 vote
my_baby_love
Answer has 1 vote.
Sorry, I stumbled apon the web site and it sounded appropriate.
Nov 07 2005, 11:11 PM
Flynn_17
Answer has 1 vote
Flynn_17 22 year member
604 replies
Answer has 1 vote.
Amber is also produced by trees which are long dead, because it's fossilised resin. Resin that is slightly less fossilised is known as copal...
Nov 08 2005, 1:01 PM
tnrees
Answer has 2 votes
tnrees 19 year member
33 replies
Answer has 2 votes.
What about coral? Also Ivory comes from Narwhals, Hippos,Walruses (and possbly some other creatures).
If by gem you mean anything used in jewelry you also have Morpho butterfly wings & beetle wing cases.
http://www.crystalinks.com/gemstones.html