Saint Andrews Rocks and Gems Company was established for the purpose of promoting Cypriot minerals and semi-precious stones. Using both traditional and modern lapidary techniques we bring out the beauty of the rocks and minerals to be found around Troodos. With our extensive experience which spans more than 40 years in the hills around Troodos, we locate the best areas where the valuable gemstones may be found, and we work them at our own workshop creating items of lasting value and beauty.
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Gemstones of Troodos
The minerals and semi-precious stones of Cyprus are found in the belt of lavas surrounding the plutonic core of Troodos. They belong to the quartz family and are mainly represented by jasper and chalcedony. Due to the fact that their genesis is related to low-temperature hydrothermal fluids circulating through the rocks, and these fluids vary in intensity and chemistry from place to place, the nature and abundance of these minerals is widely variable, and there are vast tracts of ground devoid of any of these valuable gemstones.
The chalcedony is commonly of a grey or milky colour, however in some cases it is characterised by attractive banding and this type is called agate. In other cases the chalcedony overprints and replaces previous minerals, the nature and form of which is preserved in the chalcedony.
An exceptionally rare gemstone is green chalcedony. In 45 years of field experience in the hills around Troodos, only one vein of this beautiful stone was located. Composed of a mixture of green minerals and silica the rock has a rich blue-green colour and with the use of modern-day diamond equipment and polishing powders it can result in excellent cabochons or free forms. The green chalcedony passes in different parts of the vein into moss agate with beautiful dendritic inclusions in the silica matrix.
Jasper is a mixture of silica and other components which give the gemstone its colour. Admixture of blood-red iron oxide produces red jasper. When the iron oxide is represented by orange limonite or brown goethite, the colour of the jasper reflects these changes. A result of this is the creation of an infinite number of jasper types with a variety of colours and banding which make this a very attractive gemstone.
A very special gemstone which is unique to Cyprus, and to a specific region in Troodos, is green jasper. The gemstone is very dense and fine-grained and has a rich, very deep green to almost black colour. Its fine grain size results in exceptional polished items, either cabochons or larger display specimens. The rock forms concretions in the lavas and was initially in the form of a gel which upon drying resulted in cracks which were later filled by crystalline quartz. It is a truly unique and exceptionally rare gemstone.
Other minerals
In addition to jasper and chalcedony, a variety of other minerals are found in the hills of Troodos. Pyrite and chalcopyrite were extensively mined from the famous copper mines of the island, most of which are now abandoned. However, searching in the dumps of these mines may reward one with beautiful specimens of pyrite crystals or other minerals.
In the late stages of extrusion of the lavas, a variety of minerals crystallised from the hot fluids and were deposited in cavities and veins. These minerals, called zeolites, include analcite, gmelinite, heulandite and natrolite and form attractive display specimens.
Gem-quality serpentine is rare in Cyprus and formed from the action of hydrothermal fluids along fractures, which resulted in the replacement of ultramafic rock by secondary minerals of this group. This replacement results in attractive patterns with delicate tints in olive green and grey.
