昌(chang)化石(shi)因其主要產于(yu)浙江臨安昌(chang)化縣而(er)得其名(ming),亦(yi)是我國四大(da)系印章石(shi)之(zhi)一。昌(chang)化石(shi)的礦(kuang)(kuang)物(wu)成(cheng)(cheng)分是以粘土礦(kuang)(kuang)物(wu)地(di)開(kai)石(shi)為主,常含有高嶺石(shi)等粘土礦(kuang)(kuang)物(wu)。還常含有未蝕(shi)變成(cheng)(cheng)地(di)開(kai)石(shi)的硬質石(shi)英斑晶,硬度遠遠大(da)于(yu)地(di)開(kai)石(shi),工藝上稱(cheng)其為“砂丁”,“砂丁”的多少直接影響昌(chang)化石(shi)的質量。
昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)石的石質(zhi)相對(dui)多(duo)(duo)砂、多(duo)(duo)氣孔,一般都較壽山(shan)石和(he)青田石稍堅些,且硬度變化(hua)較大。質(zhi)地也(ye)不如二(er)者(zhe)(zhe)(zhe)細(xi)膩(ni)。但也(ye)有質(zhi)地細(xi)嫩者(zhe)(zhe)(zhe)及(ji)各種(zhong)顏(yan)(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se)凍石。昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)石的顏(yan)(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se)主要有白(bai)、黑(hei)、紅、黃、灰(hui)等(deng)各種(zhong)顏(yan)(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se),品種(zhong)也(ye)細(xi)分(fen)成(cheng)很多(duo)(duo)種(zhong),多(duo)(duo)以顏(yan)(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se)劃分(fen)。如白(bai)色(se)(se)(se)(se)者(zhe)(zhe)(zhe)稱(cheng)(cheng)“白(bai)昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)”,黑(hei)色(se)(se)(se)(se)或(huo)灰(hui)色(se)(se)(se)(se)雜(za)黑(hei)色(se)(se)(se)(se)者(zhe)(zhe)(zhe)稱(cheng)(cheng)“黑(hei)昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)”,多(duo)(duo)色(se)(se)(se)(se)相間者(zhe)(zhe)(zhe)則稱(cheng)(cheng)“花(hua)昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)”。
與昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)為相近的(de)彩石(shi)有(you)青(qing)田(tian)(tian)石(shi)、田(tian)(tian)黃、等。石(shi)藝界、主要認為,昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)是色彩豐富、富于變化(hua)(hua)的(de)石(shi)材。可(ke)以說,其他(ta)彩石(shi)具有(you)的(de)色彩,在昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)中(zhong)都能找到;而其它彩石(shi)不具有(you)的(de)色彩,昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)也有(you)。昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)的(de)品(pin)種繁多(duo),細分起來有(you)上百種,而且(qie)還有(you)新品(pin)種發現(xian)。它與巴林(lin)石(shi)均按(an)石(shi)質(zhi)色象而定種屬,顏色、透明度(du)、光澤度(du)、硬度(du)是區分品(pin)類的(de)四要素,只不過(guo)巴林(lin)石(shi)具備這幾(ji)種要素的(de)程度(du)與昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)有(you)所不同。昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)與青(qing)田(tian)(tian)石(shi)、壽山石(shi)的(de)分類也有(you)許多(duo)相似(si)之處。
所不(bu)同(tong)的(de)是,青田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)取名(ming)(ming)(ming)方法(fa)除了根據質(zhi)地(di)及色(se)(se)澤的(de)異同(tong)而(er)定(ding)(ding)外(wai),還要再冠上產地(di)名(ming)(ming)(ming),如封門燈光凍石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、官洪燈光凍石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、白洋夾板凍石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等。壽山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)種類,有(you)的(de)以(yi)(yi)(yi)產地(di)取名(ming)(ming)(ming),有(you)的(de)以(yi)(yi)(yi)坑(keng)(keng)硐(dong)取名(ming)(ming)(ming),也有(you)的(de)以(yi)(yi)(yi)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色(se)(se)象(xiang)取名(ming)(ming)(ming)。如田坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、水坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、山坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)這三(san)項傳(chuan)統(tong)大類,山坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)高(gao)山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、小高(gao)山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、都城坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、月尾石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、虎崗石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、獅頭石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等,均(jun)以(yi)(yi)(yi)地(di)名(ming)(ming)(ming)、硐(dong)名(ming)(ming)(ming)定(ding)(ding)名(ming)(ming)(ming),而(er)像田坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)、白田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅(hong)田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、黑田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等,水坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)水晶凍、魚腦凍、天(tian)藍凍等,則以(yi)(yi)(yi)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色(se)(se)象(xiang)定(ding)(ding)名(ming)(ming)(ming)。
昌化石(shi)(shi)(shi)也有(you)“老(lao)坑貨”、“新坑貨”之稱(cheng),但主要是(shi)指開發早遲和(he)質(zhi)量優劣的兩類(lei)坑硐(dong)(dong)(dong)的產出分類(lei),并不是(shi)昌化石(shi)(shi)(shi)品(pin)(pin)種(zhong)的區分。在品(pin)(pin)評石(shi)(shi)(shi)材(cai)質(zhi)量時,有(you)紅硐(dong)(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、水(shui)硐(dong)(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、康山嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)、蚱蜢(meng)腳背石(shi)(shi)(shi)、昌化塢石(shi)(shi)(shi)、纖嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)、灰石(shi)(shi)(shi)嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)之說(shuo),這(zhe)也是(shi)指部分石(shi)(shi)(shi)材(cai)質(zhi)量的不同,而(er)不是(shi)品(pin)(pin)種(zhong)的不同。因為論品(pin)(pin)種(zhong),這(zhe)些坑硐(dong)(dong)(dong)和(he)產地(di)(di)均大(da)同小異。所(suo)以昌化石(shi)(shi)(shi)的種(zhong)屬難以坑硐(dong)(dong)(dong)、產地(di)(di)名劃分。在開發早期,采石(shi)(shi)(shi)者只(zhi)是(shi)籠(long)統地(di)(di)將昌化石(shi)(shi)(shi)區分為烏玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、石(shi)(shi)(shi)、黃玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、花玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(即)幾大(da)類(lei)。