Tortoiseshell
Shield of a sea turtle, horny substance consisting of a protein (keratin) - Gemmological Tables, Ulrich Henn and Claudio C. Milisenda, 2004, p 9
| Physical Properties of Tortoiseshell | |
|---|---|
| Mohs Hardness | 3, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) More from other references |
| Specific Gravity | 1.25 to 1.35, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) |
| Optical Properties of Tortoiseshell | |
| Refractive Index | 1.540 to 1.560, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) |
| Colour | |
| Colour (General) | White, gray, brown, red, pink, green, blue, violet, black, Gemmological Tables (2004) |
| Transparency | Opaque, Gemmological Tables (2004) |
| Fluorescence & other light emissions | |
| Fluorescence (General) | Occasionally bluish-white, Gemmological Tables (2004) |
| Fluorescence (Long-Wave UV) | Light yellow areas: chalky blue - white, Blue Chart Gem Identification (2010) |
| Further Information | |
| Mineral information: | Tortoiseshell information at mindat.org |