Kids who rock

Three junior gem-lovers share their knowledge – and enthusiasm – with Rapaport Magazine.

By Rachel Beitsch-Feldman

Name: Kira Meirovich
Age: 13
City: Modi’in, Israel What first got you interested in gemstones?

My mom works as a reporter on diamonds and gemstones, and I love hearing her stories about all the diamonds that were found in mines and sold at auctions, and then I decided to do some research myself. I would look up what each month’s birthstone is...and I would spend hours looking up facts about gemstones. I also like the show Steven Universe, and most of the characters are named after gemstones...so I looked up all the stones to see what they were, and that made my interest grow.

What resources did you use to find out more about them?

I asked my mom a lot, and I also did research on Google to learn more facts. There was a National Geographic kids’ site on geology and gemstones. I also read the book Jewels: A Secret History by Victoria Finlay, which talks about the Hope Diamond and different ways to mine or collect different gemstones, and some of the most expensive gemstones sold. I would love to have a website for kids, or a learning program I could do from Israel to find out more about them. What’s your favorite gemstone, and why?

I have two: opal (regular and dragon opal), because I love the way they look, with all the colors that shoot through them, and I love that there are so many different types of opals that are all similar, but still different. The other stone is aquamarine, because it is my birthstone, and I love the color blue.

What are some interesting gemstone facts you’ve learned?

They used to hunt for sapphires in rivers. Also, that opals are comprised of tiny silica spheres that are formed when water with silica seeps into cracks in the earth’s crust. And about the curse surrounding the Hope Diamond.

Do you think you’d like to work with gems when you grow up?

Yes, I would like to become either a gemologist who studies stones to determine where they are from, how they were made, and their attributes...or a jeweler so I can make (and wear) beautiful jewelry from them.

Name: Eliana Kuperman
Age: 8
City: Baltimore, MD
What first got you interested in gemstones?

I found a book on gems and minerals at my school library. They’re really pretty and cool, and the way they form is really interesting.

What resources did you use to find out more about them?

I read books over and over again. I looked at a ton of pictures. And I went to the gems and geology exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

What’s your favorite gemstone, and why?

I have two favorites: I love agate because it has interesting patterns, and I love sapphire because it’s my birthstone.

What are some interesting gemstone facts you’ve learned?

Calcite grows in stalactites. And it glows in ultraviolet (UV) light. And our teeth also glow!

Do you think you’d like to work with gems when you grow up?

No. I know more about marine biology.

Name: Y. Kaminetsky
Age: 10
City: Jerusalem, Israel
What first got you interested in gemstones?

My mom is a gemologist. She has a bunch of gemstones, and I liked the colors and shapes.

What resources did you use to find out more about them?

Whenever I had time, I would usually stop to examine my mom’s stones, and liked looking through my mom’s gem books.

What’s your favorite gemstone, and why?

I like tiger’s eye and amethyst. I like the effect in tiger’s eye, and the way the colors in amethyst mix.

What are some interesting gemstone facts you’ve learned?

About how they form underground over many years. Also the different types of stones.

Do you think you’d like to work with gems when you grow up?

Not really, because there are other things I’m more interested in, but I still really like them.

Start them youngHere are some handy gemology resources for children (and adults) who want to learn more:

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

Located in Washington, DC, the museum’s Geology, Gems & Minerals section is kid-friendly and home to a wide array of stones, including the famous Hope Diamond. With the coronavirus keeping us inside, there’s also a virtual tour.
naturalhistory.si.edu

National Geographic Kids

The junior edition of National Geographic magazine has a fun unit about gems on its website. Kids can read up on different stones and the science of mineralogy, perform experiments, and even take a gemstone personality quiz.
kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/gemstones

GemKids

This interactive website by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) offers colorful pictures, games, a ”Jewelry Time Machine“ that explores jewelry through history, and a wealth of other information about gems and gemology.
gemkids.gia.edu

Images: Shutterstock

Article from the Rapaport Magazine - May 2020. To subscribe click here.

« Previous Article

Comment

Email

Print

Facebook

Twitter

Share

Tags: Rachel Beitsch-Feldman