The Scale Of Gem Formation

I received a really fantastic insight regarding the formation of gems, particularly those that refract light. Why are gems found in the scale that they are? All gems which refract light are of a certain size scale, just the right size to be worn as jewelry, regardless of the type of gem.

First, let's review the nature of transparency. Matter, such as water, is transparent when the component molecules are aligned in precise rows so that light can pass between the molecules. In water, this takes place because the molecules are polar. This means that, because the one oxygen atom in the molecule is so much bigger than the two hydrogen atoms, one side of the water molecule is more positively-charged and the other more negatively-charged.

This is why water is liquid at ordinary temperatures even though water is lighter than air by molecule. In fact, at sea level liquid water is 800 times heavier than air. The molecules of water line up and hold together by what is known as hydrogen bonding, and light can pass between the rows of molecules. Refraction occurs because the water bends the different wavelengths of light at various angles. Blue is refracted the most because it is of shorter wavelength, making blue light the first to be refracted back to the surface of the water so that deep water ordinarily appears blue. Red light is of the longest wavelength so that it has the most difficulty "squeezing" through the space between rows of water molecules. This is why red light is the first to be absorbed by water so that nothing appears red in photos taken underwater below about 9 meters (30 feet) depth.

Gems form by various geological processes. All gems that refract light must also have their molecules lined up in rows, just like water. This lining up in rows must be very precise, or light would not be able to get through. But, unlike water, gems are solid and there is no internal force akin to hydrogen bonding to line the molecules up in rows.

It can only be the geological processes which exert the pressure on gems that forced the component molecules into precisely even row so that light can shine through between the molecules. Geological processes, such as the tectonic movement of continental land masses, is driven by the rotation of the earth and is relatively simple in that there is not a lot of information or complexity involved. This is what makes gemstones possible, if geological processes contained more information then there would be more variation within the processes and the molecules in gems could not be lined up so perfectly that light could pass through.

The thing that I find so striking about gemstones is that no matter what kind of gem it is that refracts light, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc., all are of roughly the same size scale. Aside from the question as to why stones that can refract light can exist at all, we must wonder why gems are not found that can be cut to refract light that are as big as cars, or hills, or mountains.

Masses of gem materials may be found that are larger, but it seems impossible to cut a gem that will refract light above a certain limited size scale. It is tectonic pressure on limestone which forms marble which, unlike gems, is found in large quantity. But marble does not refract light and does not require the same precision of even pressure as gem formation.

My conclusion is that the common size scale of gems is a function of the size of the component molecules of those gems, and the size of the earth which hosts the geological processes which form the gems. These are the only two factors which are involved in gem formation. My hypothesis is that the practical maximum size scale of gems is halfway between that of the earth, and that of the component molecules. I have never seen this pointed out before.

Put simply, the maximum practical size scale of gems might be one one hundred billionth the size of the earth, while the component molecules of the gem might be one one hundred billionth the size of the gem. This would make the gem halfway between the size scale of the two.

If the earth were larger, but with the same geological processes, it could exert force that was perfectly even down to the scale of molecules over a larger area so that larger gems would form. If atoms were smaller, it would require more precision in the force that was precisely even enough to line them up in rows so that light could pass between them, and gems would have to be smaller.

Can there be another way of explaining why all gems which can be cut to refract light are of approximately the same maximum size scale, that to be worn as jewelry?