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2 01 7 12-MONTH CALENDAR
CHEMISTRY ROCKS! Celebrating the 30-Year Anniversary of National Chemistry Week
Greetings! It’s me, Meg — and I would like to talk to you about the birthstone for January, Garnet (chemical formula X3Y2(SiO4)3). The “X” in the formula can stand for Ca, Mg, Fe2+ or Mn2+, and the “Y” can stand for Al, Fe3+, Mn3+, V3+ or Cr3+. The name comes from the word granatum, or pomegranate, a fruit with a color similar to this dark red gemstone. However, garnets can be found in a rainbow of colors, from green to orange. Because garnets are very hard, they are used in abrasives for making sandpaper and in abrasive blasting. They are also used to make bearings in fine watches. In olden times, garnets were exchanged as gifts to make sure that friends would meet again. In Arizona, certain ants are known to dig up garnets … which people then collect and sell as prized gems for jewelry. Sorry, ants!
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Hi there! My name is Nano. The birthstone for February is Amethyst (chemical formula SiO2). This variety of quartz is generally purple or violet in color. The name comes from ancient Greek amethustos, meaning “not intoxicated.” The Greeks believed that wearing amethyst would keep them from getting drunk. Definitely not true! Amethyst’s purple color can fade if it is exposed to light for long periods of time, while exposure to X-rays and heat can darken them. The main use for amethyst has been as a gemstone for jewelry. Amethyst stones that have been treated with X-rays to darken their color must be labeled to show that they’re different from naturally dark gems.
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Hey, it’s Avogadro and Annie, and the March birthstone, Aquamarine (chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6). In Latin, aqua marina means “water of the sea.” This birthstone takes its name from this phrase because its pale blue color reminds some people of a tropical ocean. The blue color is due to very small amounts of IRON in the crystal structure. The largest specimen of this gem that was ever mined (dug up) weighed 110 pounds! Aquamarine is used widely in all kinds of inexpensive jewelry, but high quality and pure natural aquamarine crystals are highly valued. Aquamarine is closely related to emerald, one of the most popular gemstones, and also to red beryl, one of the rarest and most expensive gems.
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Hi, my name is Pico. Can you guess the birthstone for April? It’s Diamond (chemical formula C)! The word comes from the Greek word adamas, which means ‘unbreakable.’ This makes sense, because diamonds are the hardest material found in nature! Diamonds are the most highly prized gems, thanks to their hardness and dazzling brilliance. Diamonds can appear in many colors. Yellow diamonds are the rarest, followed by brown, colorless, blue, green, black, pink, orange, purple, and red. Diamonds are made of pure CARBON, the same element in coal and pencil leads (graphite). In diamonds, the carbon atoms are arranged in perfect tetrahedron shapes, but in coal and graphite, the atoms are arranged differently. Diamonds are also used in industrial cutting tools, semiconductor devices, and in parts of machines that grind against other parts.
APRIL
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141st Birthday of ACS
253rd ACS National Meeting & Exposition in San Francisco, CA
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
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Milli here, talking about the May birthstone, Emerald (chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)5). The green color of this gem gives it its name, originally from the Greek word smaragdos (green gem). It is a variety of the mineral beryl, and gets its color from small amounts of CHROMIUM and sometimes VANADIUM. While imperfections lower the value of most gems, in emeralds they are highly valued. Fractures inside emeralds form delicate and pleasing patterns. Other emeralds are treated with cedar oil to hide these fractures. The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés (sometimes spelled Cortez) went to the New World seeking gold, but instead found the world’s best source of emeralds in the land of the Aztecs (which is now Mexico). The Egyptian queen Cleopatra wore emeralds as her favorite gem.
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Hi, I’m Tera! Milli and I are going to talk about Pearl (chemical formula CaCO3). The English word for pearl comes from Latin perna, meaning leg-shaped shellfish. Pearls are different from the other birthstones, because they are known as “organic gems.” This means they were produced by living organisms. Pearls are most commonly produced by oysters, but can also be found in clams or mussels. Natural pearls are quite rare, and most commercial pearls are formed in pearl farms using help from humans. Pearls are formed when an irritating foreign object (such as a parasite) gets trapped inside an oyster. The oyster secretes a substance called nacre that coats the object, and protects the oyster. Pearls have a special shiny quality and come in colors from white to black, with hints of yellow, blue, pink, or green.
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
It’s Meg again, talking about July’s birthstone, Ruby (chemical formula AlO3:Cr). From the Latin rubeus, meaning ‘red,’ a ruby is a red gem that is a variety of the mineral corundum. The red color is mainly due to the presence of the element CHROMIUM. Among gems, only natural diamonds are harder than rubies. This hardness makes them good (but expensive) choices for use as bearings to fight friction in moving parts for mechanical watches. Rubies are great at transmitting light — and in 1961, a ruby was used to create the world’s first optical laser. Natural gemquality rubies are rare and very valuable. Lower-quality rubies can be treated with heat and fillers to improve their quality. Synthetic rubies (that is, made by people) can be produced in laboratories and are often more perfect than natural rubies.
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Avogadro here again! Do you know the birthstone for August? It’s Peridot (chemical formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4). Peridot is a gem-quality type of the mineral olivine. All peridot is olive-green in color, although the intensity of the color can vary. It is one of the oldest known gemstones to be prized by humans. It’s sometimes called ‘the poor man’s emerald.’ Peridot was formed in the earth’s mantle at high temperatures, and is found today in ocean rocks. Peridot appears glass-like and tends to crack easily if it’s pressed too hard. Peridot is more common and less expensive than many other birthstones, making it a popular choice for jewelry. A character named Peridot is featured on the animated television series, “Steven Universe.” This Peridot has lime-green skin and yellow-green hair in a tetrahedron shape … and she’s ruthless!
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254th ACS National Meeting & Exposition in Washington, DC
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Hey, it’s Milli and Annie! We’re going to talk about the popular September birthstone, Sapphire (chemical formula Al2O3). Sapphires are named after the Latin word for “blue stone,” sappheiros. Sapphire is a gem variety of the mineral corundum, just like ruby is. Many sapphires are blue (due to small amounts of TITANIUM and IRON), but some are yellow, purple, orange, or green. They can also be red … but in that case, they are called rubies! A “star sapphire” is a rare variety that shows a six-pointed star pattern when seen at just the right angle, caused by light reflecting off tiny needle-like contaminants made of titanium oxide. Artificial sapphires can be made by putting seed crystals of sapphire in a crucible of molten alumina. They are used to make shatter-resistant windows for armored vehicles, military armor, integrated circuits, and blue LED lights.
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Meg and Nano here — to talk about October’s birthstone, Opal (chemical formula SiO2-nH2O). Opal’s name is probably based on the Sanskrit word, upala, meaning “precious stone.” Opal is a form of silica that is amorphous, which means it does not form crystals like most gems do. This makes opal diffract (or bend) light in interesting ways, sometimes called ‘play of color’ or opalescence. Opals can be white, colorless, yellow, or green, but they can also diffract light into any color of the rainbow. The most common use of opals is in jewelry and other ornaments. One type of opal can be processed into a superfine abrasive that’s used to polish metal and other gems. Opals can also be used in medicines and cosmetics and as an ingredient that helps other materials soak up liquids. Opal is the national gemstone of Australia, which produces 97% of the world’s supply.
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National Chemistry Week – “Chemistry Rocks!”
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
It’s me again, Pico — here to talk about November’s birthstone, Topaz (chemical formula Al2SiO4(F,OH2)). Topaz is named after an island in the Red Sea thought to be the place where it was first mined. It is typically red, yellow, pale gray, reddishorange, or blue-brown. Topaz can range from opaque (which means you can’t see through it) to transparent, like the glass in a window. Orange topaz is the traditional birthstone for November. Here’s an amazing fact: the ancient Greeks believed that topaz had the ability to make anyone holding the gem be invisible! Meanwhile, the Romans thought it was able to improve the eyesight of those who wore it. Even today, some people still believe crystals can heal or provide other powers. But there is no scientific evidence to support these claims.
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
Hi, Tera here again to talk to you about the last month’s birthstone, Zircon (chemical formula ZrSiO4). This gemstone’s name comes from zargun, Persian for “gold-colored.” Zircon is a reddish-brown, grey, green, blue, or colorless mineral made of zirconium silicate. Zircon is the oldest mineral on earth — as old as 4.4 billion years! Zircon contains small amounts of URANIUM and THORIUM. Zircon crystals are bifringent, which means that a single line will look like a double line when seen through the crystal, because of how it bends the light rays. Zircon is used in ceramic glazes, in catalytic converters for cars, and in water and air purification systems. When it’s flawless, the colorless form of zircon is a popular substitute for diamond. Zircon is not the same as cubic zirconia, a low-cost artificial diamond substitute made from zirconium oxide (ZrO2).
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C H E M I S T R Y R O C K S ! | National Chemistry Week 2017
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About the Birthstone Theme – Chemistry Rocks! The theme for National Chemistry Week (NCW) in 2017 is “Chemistry Rocks!” As such, there is no better topic for this geochemistry-themed calendar than that of birthstones, or the gemstones that some people think about as being related to different months of the year. The practice of wearing birthstones has been part of many religious and cultural traditions dating as far back as 2,000 years ago. The choice of which birthstone is associated with which month has changed over time, and varies by culture. In fact, some months have several birthstones associated with them. So join us in celebrating the 30-year anniversary of NCW with this rockin’ calendar.
About National Chemistry Week NCW is a community-based program of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2017, NCW brings together students (especially those in elementary and secondary schools), teachers, schools, businesses, and ACS members and local sections to make a positive change in people’s perception of chemistry. Each year, NCW is organized around a central, kid-friendly theme, selected by members of the ACS Committee on Community Activities (CCA). The week-long event takes place in communities across the country, put into action by the local sections and individual members of ACS, and administered by the ACS Office of Volunteer Support, which is part of the Membership and Scientific Advancement Division. Learn more at www.acs.org/ncw. American Chemical Society 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 www.acs.org
