昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)因(yin)其(qi)主(zhu)(zhu)要(yao)產于浙江(jiang)臨安(an)昌(chang)化(hua)縣(xian)而(er)得(de)其(qi)名,亦是(shi)我國四大系印章石(shi)之一(yi)。昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)的礦(kuang)物(wu)成分是(shi)以粘(zhan)土礦(kuang)物(wu)地開石(shi)為主(zhu)(zhu),常含(han)有(you)高嶺石(shi)等粘(zhan)土礦(kuang)物(wu)。還(huan)常含(han)有(you)未蝕變成地開石(shi)的硬(ying)質(zhi)石(shi)英斑晶,硬(ying)度遠遠大于地開石(shi),工藝上稱(cheng)其(qi)為“砂(sha)(sha)丁”,“砂(sha)(sha)丁”的多少直接影響昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)的質(zhi)量。
昌化(hua)石(shi)的石(shi)質(zhi)相(xiang)對(dui)多(duo)砂(sha)、多(duo)氣孔,一般都較(jiao)壽(shou)山(shan)石(shi)和青田石(shi)稍堅些(xie),且硬度變化(hua)較(jiao)大。質(zhi)地也(ye)不如二者(zhe)細(xi)膩(ni)。但也(ye)有質(zhi)地細(xi)嫩者(zhe)及(ji)各種顏(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se)凍石(shi)。昌化(hua)石(shi)的顏(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se)主要有白、黑(hei)(hei)、紅、黃、灰等各種顏(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se),品(pin)種也(ye)細(xi)分成(cheng)很多(duo)種,多(duo)以(yi)顏(yan)色(se)(se)(se)(se)劃分。如白色(se)(se)(se)(se)者(zhe)稱“白昌化(hua)”,黑(hei)(hei)色(se)(se)(se)(se)或灰色(se)(se)(se)(se)雜黑(hei)(hei)色(se)(se)(se)(se)者(zhe)稱“黑(hei)(hei)昌化(hua)”,多(duo)色(se)(se)(se)(se)相(xiang)間(jian)者(zhe)則(ze)稱“花昌化(hua)”。
與(yu)(yu)昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)為相(xiang)近(jin)的(de)(de)彩(cai)(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)(you)青(qing)田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、田黃、等。石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)藝(yi)界、主要(yao)認為,昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)是色(se)彩(cai)(cai)豐富(fu)、富(fu)于變化(hua)的(de)(de)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材。可以說,其他彩(cai)(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具有(you)(you)的(de)(de)色(se)彩(cai)(cai),在昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中(zhong)都(dou)能(neng)找到(dao);而其它(ta)彩(cai)(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)不具有(you)(you)的(de)(de)色(se)彩(cai)(cai),昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)也有(you)(you)。昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)品(pin)種(zhong)(zhong)繁多(duo),細分(fen)起來有(you)(you)上百種(zhong)(zhong),而且還有(you)(you)新品(pin)種(zhong)(zhong)發現。它(ta)與(yu)(yu)巴林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)均按石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質色(se)象而定(ding)種(zhong)(zhong)屬,顏色(se)、透明度(du)、光(guang)澤度(du)、硬度(du)是區分(fen)品(pin)類的(de)(de)四要(yao)素(su),只不過巴林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具備這幾(ji)種(zhong)(zhong)要(yao)素(su)的(de)(de)程度(du)與(yu)(yu)昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)(you)所不同。昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)與(yu)(yu)青(qing)田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、壽山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)分(fen)類也有(you)(you)許多(duo)相(xiang)似(si)之處(chu)。
所不(bu)同的(de)(de)(de)是,青(qing)田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)(de)取(qu)(qu)名(ming)方法除了根據質(zhi)地(di)及色(se)(se)澤(ze)的(de)(de)(de)異(yi)同而定(ding)外,還要再冠上產(chan)地(di)名(ming),如封門燈光(guang)凍(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、官(guan)洪(hong)燈光(guang)凍(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、白(bai)洋夾(jia)板(ban)凍(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等(deng)。壽山(shan)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)(de)種(zhong)類,有的(de)(de)(de)以產(chan)地(di)取(qu)(qu)名(ming),有的(de)(de)(de)以坑(keng)(keng)硐取(qu)(qu)名(ming),也有的(de)(de)(de)以石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色(se)(se)象取(qu)(qu)名(ming)。如田(tian)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、水坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、山(shan)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)這三(san)項傳統(tong)大類,山(shan)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)(de)(de)高山(shan)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、小高山(shan)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、都城坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、月尾石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、虎(hu)崗石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、獅頭(tou)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等(deng),均以地(di)名(ming)、硐名(ming)定(ding)名(ming),而像田(tian)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)(de)(de)、白(bai)田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅(hong)田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、黑田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等(deng),水坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中的(de)(de)(de)水晶凍(dong)(dong)、魚腦(nao)凍(dong)(dong)、天藍凍(dong)(dong)等(deng),則以石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色(se)(se)象定(ding)名(ming)。
昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)也有(you)(you)“老坑(keng)貨(huo)”、“新坑(keng)貨(huo)”之稱,但主要(yao)是(shi)指開發(fa)早遲和質(zhi)量優劣的(de)兩類坑(keng)硐(dong)的(de)產(chan)出分(fen)類,并不(bu)是(shi)昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)品種的(de)區(qu)分(fen)。在品評石(shi)(shi)(shi)材質(zhi)量時(shi),有(you)(you)紅硐(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、水(shui)硐(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、康(kang)山嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)、蚱蜢腳背石(shi)(shi)(shi)、昌(chang)化(hua)塢石(shi)(shi)(shi)、纖嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)、灰石(shi)(shi)(shi)嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)之說,這(zhe)也是(shi)指部分(fen)石(shi)(shi)(shi)材質(zhi)量的(de)不(bu)同,而不(bu)是(shi)品種的(de)不(bu)同。因為論品種,這(zhe)些坑(keng)硐(dong)和產(chan)地均大同小異。所以(yi)昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)種屬難以(yi)坑(keng)硐(dong)、產(chan)地名劃分(fen)。在開發(fa)早期,采石(shi)(shi)(shi)者只(zhi)是(shi)籠統地將昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)區(qu)分(fen)為烏玉(yu)(yu)(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、石(shi)(shi)(shi)、黃玉(yu)(yu)(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、花(hua)玉(yu)(yu)(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅玉(yu)(yu)(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(即)幾大類。