昌化(hua)石(shi)(shi)因其(qi)(qi)主要產于浙江臨(lin)安昌化(hua)縣而(er)得其(qi)(qi)名,亦是(shi)我國四(si)大(da)系印(yin)章石(shi)(shi)之一。昌化(hua)石(shi)(shi)的(de)礦(kuang)物成分是(shi)以粘土礦(kuang)物地(di)開(kai)石(shi)(shi)為(wei)主,常(chang)含有高嶺石(shi)(shi)等粘土礦(kuang)物。還常(chang)含有未蝕變成地(di)開(kai)石(shi)(shi)的(de)硬質石(shi)(shi)英斑晶,硬度遠遠大(da)于地(di)開(kai)石(shi)(shi),工(gong)藝(yi)上稱其(qi)(qi)為(wei)“砂丁”,“砂丁”的(de)多(duo)少直接影響昌化(hua)石(shi)(shi)的(de)質量。
昌化(hua)石(shi)的(de)石(shi)質(zhi)(zhi)相(xiang)對多砂、多氣孔,一般都(dou)較壽山石(shi)和青田石(shi)稍(shao)堅些,且硬度變化(hua)較大。質(zhi)(zhi)地也(ye)不如二者(zhe)細(xi)膩。但也(ye)有(you)質(zhi)(zhi)地細(xi)嫩者(zhe)及各種(zhong)顏(yan)色(se)凍石(shi)。昌化(hua)石(shi)的(de)顏(yan)色(se)主要有(you)白、黑(hei)(hei)、紅、黃、灰(hui)(hui)等各種(zhong)顏(yan)色(se),品種(zhong)也(ye)細(xi)分成很(hen)多種(zhong),多以(yi)顏(yan)色(se)劃分。如白色(se)者(zhe)稱“白昌化(hua)”,黑(hei)(hei)色(se)或灰(hui)(hui)色(se)雜黑(hei)(hei)色(se)者(zhe)稱“黑(hei)(hei)昌化(hua)”,多色(se)相(xiang)間者(zhe)則稱“花昌化(hua)”。
與(yu)昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)為相近的(de)(de)彩石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)青田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、田黃(huang)、等(deng)。石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)藝界、主要(yao)認為,昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)是色(se)(se)彩豐富、富于變化(hua)(hua)(hua)的(de)(de)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材。可以(yi)說,其(qi)他(ta)彩石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具(ju)有(you)的(de)(de)色(se)(se)彩,在(zai)昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中都能找(zhao)到;而(er)其(qi)它彩石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)不具(ju)有(you)的(de)(de)色(se)(se)彩,昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)也有(you)。昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)品種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)繁(fan)多(duo),細分(fen)(fen)起來有(you)上百(bai)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong),而(er)且還有(you)新(xin)品種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)發現(xian)。它與(yu)巴(ba)林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)均按石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色(se)(se)象而(er)定種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)屬,顏色(se)(se)、透明度(du)、光澤度(du)、硬度(du)是區分(fen)(fen)品類的(de)(de)四要(yao)素,只不過巴(ba)林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具(ju)備(bei)這幾種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)要(yao)素的(de)(de)程(cheng)度(du)與(yu)昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)所不同。昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)與(yu)青田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、壽山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)分(fen)(fen)類也有(you)許多(duo)相似(si)之處(chu)。
所不同(tong)的(de)是,青田(tian)(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)取(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming)方法除了根(gen)據質(zhi)地及色澤的(de)異同(tong)而定(ding)外,還要再冠上(shang)產地名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming),如(ru)封門燈光(guang)凍(dong)(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、官洪燈光(guang)凍(dong)(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、白洋(yang)夾(jia)板凍(dong)(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等(deng)(deng)。壽(shou)山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)種(zhong)類(lei),有(you)的(de)以產地取(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming),有(you)的(de)以坑硐取(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming),也有(you)的(de)以石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色象取(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming)。如(ru)田(tian)(tian)坑石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、水(shui)(shui)坑石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、山坑石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)這三(san)項傳統大(da)類(lei),山坑石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)高山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、小(xiao)高山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、都城坑石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、月(yue)尾石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、虎崗石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、獅(shi)頭石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等(deng)(deng),均(jun)以地名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming)、硐名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming)定(ding)名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming),而像田(tian)(tian)坑石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)、白田(tian)(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅田(tian)(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、黑田(tian)(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等(deng)(deng),水(shui)(shui)坑石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)水(shui)(shui)晶凍(dong)(dong)(dong)、魚腦凍(dong)(dong)(dong)、天藍凍(dong)(dong)(dong)等(deng)(deng),則以石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色象定(ding)名(ming)(ming)(ming)(ming)。
昌(chang)化石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)也(ye)有(you)“老坑(keng)(keng)(keng)貨(huo)”、“新坑(keng)(keng)(keng)貨(huo)”之(zhi)(zhi)稱(cheng),但主要是(shi)指開發(fa)早遲和(he)質量優劣的(de)(de)兩類(lei)坑(keng)(keng)(keng)硐(dong)(dong)的(de)(de)產出分(fen)類(lei),并不(bu)是(shi)昌(chang)化石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)品(pin)(pin)種的(de)(de)區(qu)分(fen)。在品(pin)(pin)評石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材質量時,有(you)紅硐(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、水(shui)硐(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、康山嶺(ling)(ling)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、蚱蜢(meng)腳背石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、昌(chang)化塢石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、纖嶺(ling)(ling)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、灰(hui)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)嶺(ling)(ling)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)之(zhi)(zhi)說,這(zhe)(zhe)也(ye)是(shi)指部分(fen)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材質量的(de)(de)不(bu)同(tong),而不(bu)是(shi)品(pin)(pin)種的(de)(de)不(bu)同(tong)。因為論品(pin)(pin)種,這(zhe)(zhe)些坑(keng)(keng)(keng)硐(dong)(dong)和(he)產地(di)均大同(tong)小異。所以昌(chang)化石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)種屬(shu)難以坑(keng)(keng)(keng)硐(dong)(dong)、產地(di)名劃分(fen)。在開發(fa)早期,采石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)者只是(shi)籠統(tong)地(di)將昌(chang)化石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)區(qu)分(fen)為烏玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、黃玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、花玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(即)幾大類(lei)。