Applied Design
GEMS AND MINERALS IN ART
Objectives for this lesson
 Study the origins of gemstones and minerals
 Discover how the periodic table contributes to
gemstone and mineral creation
 Use knowledge of gemstone and mineral
creation to grow jewelry crystals
 Understand how knowledge of Earth and other
terrestrial planet minerals relate to art
The Periodic Table of Elements
 Follow along on your periodic tables
 Make notes of each group’s properties as we
discuss the elements
 Highlight materials with which you are
familiar
 Keep your notes for our next project
The Periodic Table of Elements
 Nine major sections based on atomic number
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and elemental properties
Create near-perfect rows based on chemical
properties
Table lists atomic symbol, number, weight,
and chemical name
Indicate natural state (solid, liquid, or gas)
Indicate whether it is manmade or synthetic
Alkali Metals
 Hydrogen (H)
 Lithium (Li)
 Sodium (Na)
 Potassium (K)
 Rubidium (Rb)
 Cesium (Cs)
 Francium (Fr)
Alkali Metals
 One electron in outer shell
 Highly reactive with water
 Hydrogen found naturally as a gas
 All other elements found as solids
 No synthetics in this group
Alkaline Earth Metals
 Beryllium (Be)
 Magnesium (Mg)
 Calcium (Ca)
 Strontium (St)
 Barium (Ba)
 Radium (Ra)
Alkaline Earth Metals
 Two electrons in outer shell
 Also reactive but not as reactive as the Alkali
Metals
 Radium is radioactive
 All elements found as solids
 No synthetics in this group
Boron Group
 Boron (B)
 Aluminum (Al)
 Gallium (Ga)
 Indium (In)
 Thallium (Tl)
 Element 113 has not yet been discovered
Boron Group
 Three electrons in outer shell
 All found solid in nature
 Boron considered a metalloid
 All others considered metals
Carbon Group
 Carbon (C)
 Silicon (Si)
 Germanium (Ge)
 Tin (Sn)
 Lead (Pb)
 Element 114 (Uuq)
Carbon Group
 Four electron in the outer shell
 Become increasingly more metallic as you go
down the column
 All are found as solids except element 114
 Element 114 is synthetic
Nitrogen Group
 Nitrogen (N)
 Phosphorus (P)
 Arsenic (As)
 Antimony (Sb)
 Bismuth (Bi)
Nitrogen Group
 Five electrons in outer shell
 Most people recognize more elements in this
group than any other
 Nitrogen found as a gas and makes up about
78% of the earth’s atmosphere
 All other elements found as solids
Oxygen Group
 Oxygen (O)
 Sulfur (S)
 Selenium (Se)
 Tellurium (Te)
 Polonium (Po)
Oxygen Group
 Six electrons in the outer shell
 Oxygen makes up about 20% of the Earth’s
atmosphere (many people think it’s most of
our air)
 All are found as solids except Oxygen
Halogens (or Fluorine Group)
 Fluorine (F)
 Chlorine (Cl)
 Bromine (Br)
 Iodine (I)
 Astatine (At)
Halogens (or Fluorine Group)
 Seven electrons in the outer shell
 Fluorine and Chlorine found as gases
 Bromine found as a liquid
 Iodine and Astatine found as solids
Noble Gases
 Helium (He)
 Neon (Ne)
 Argon (Ar)
 Krypton (Kr)
 Xenon (Xe)
 Radon (Rn)
Noble Gases
 Eight electrons in the outer shell, or full
valence shells
 Do not create compounds easily since their
valence shells are full
 Were originally thought to be inert
 All are found naturally as gases
Transition Metals
 Consists of 68 different elements
 Some elements include Manganese (Mn),
Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu),
Zinc (Zn), Silver (Ag), Cadmium (Cd), Gold
(Au), Mercury (Hg), and Uranium (U)
 Element 101 (Mendelevium) was named after
Dmitri Mendeleev-the creator of the first
periodic table
Transition Metals
 Properties vary between transition metals,
hence the name
 Most are found as solids
 Mercury is found as a liquid
 Elements 43, 61, and 93-114 are synthetics
Activity
 Use this time to familiarize yourself with the
periodic table
 In 5 minutes we will have a quiz game over
the periodic table
Project
 Create a periodic table of
elements using paint samples
 Use the colors to show the
different properties of each
elemental group
 Label each group and element
Periodic table example
Gemstones and Minerals
 Formed when elements combine chemically
 Some mineral combinations form attractive
qualities and are labeled as precious or semiprecious
 Most gemstones used in jewelry are silicates
 Most minerals and metals are either natural
elements or silicates
Gemstones
 Crystalline Quartz (including rose quartz,
blue quartz, citrine, tiger's eye, amethyst,
smoky quartz and milky quartz)
 Cryptocrystalline Quartz (including agate,
jasper, onyx, and flint)
 Opal (common opal, hyalite, geyserite, and
tripolite)
Gemstones
 Diamond
 Aquamarine
 Emerald
 Jade (amphiboles and pyroxenes)
 Hematite
 Garnet
 Magnetite
Minerals
 Potassium Feldspar
 Silver
 Copper
 Gold