Three Faceted Stone Green Helenite Sterling Silver Ring

• Helenite sterling silver ring.
• Three faceted stones. 
• It has the color of a Emerald but not the price.
• Rhodium plated so won't tarnish.
• Any unusual color that may be in some of the photos are only reflections or shadows. Color may vary from computer screens, phones or tablets.

Helenite, also known as Mount St. Helens obsidian, emerald obsidianite, and ruby obsidianite, is a synthetic gemstone made from the fused volcanic rock dust from Mount St. Helens. Helenite was first discovered accidentally after the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. Workers from the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company were attempting to salvage equipment damaged after the volcanic eruption. Using acetylene torches, they noticed that the intense heat was melting the nearby volcanic ash and rock and turning it a greenish color. The silica, aluminium, iron, and trace amounts of chromium and copper present in the rocks and ash in the area, combined with the heat of the torches, transformed the volcanic particles into a compound that would be later commercially replicated as helenite.

As word of the discovery spread, jewelry companies took note and began to find ways to reproduce the helenite. Helenite is made by heating rock dust and particles from the Mount St. Helens area, in a furnace to a temperature of approximately 2700 degrees F. Although Helenite and obsidian are both forms of glass, helenite differs from obsidian in that it is man made. However, obsidian, along with silica quartz can serve as a component of helenite. The stone has found footing in the jewelry industry because of its emerald-like color, good refractive index, and durability. It is seen as an inexpensive alternative to other naturally occurring green gemstones like emerald and peridot. Helenite can also come in various red, green and blue varieties.