昌化石(shi)(shi)(shi)因其(qi)主要產于浙江臨(lin)安昌化縣(xian)而得(de)其(qi)名(ming),亦是我國(guo)四大系印章石(shi)(shi)(shi)之一。昌化石(shi)(shi)(shi)的礦物成分(fen)是以粘土(tu)礦物地(di)開(kai)(kai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)為(wei)主,常含(han)有(you)高(gao)嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)等粘土(tu)礦物。還常含(han)有(you)未(wei)蝕(shi)變成地(di)開(kai)(kai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)的硬(ying)質(zhi)(zhi)石(shi)(shi)(shi)英斑晶,硬(ying)度遠遠大于地(di)開(kai)(kai)石(shi)(shi)(shi),工藝上稱其(qi)為(wei)“砂丁(ding)(ding)”,“砂丁(ding)(ding)”的多少直接影(ying)響昌化石(shi)(shi)(shi)的質(zhi)(zhi)量。
昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石的(de)石質相對(dui)多(duo)砂(sha)、多(duo)氣孔,一般都較壽山石和青田(tian)石稍(shao)堅些,且硬度變化(hua)(hua)較大。質地(di)也(ye)(ye)(ye)不(bu)如二者(zhe)細膩。但也(ye)(ye)(ye)有(you)質地(di)細嫩者(zhe)及(ji)各(ge)種(zhong)顏色凍石。昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)石的(de)顏色主要(yao)有(you)白、黑(hei)(hei)(hei)、紅、黃、灰等(deng)各(ge)種(zhong)顏色,品種(zhong)也(ye)(ye)(ye)細分成(cheng)很多(duo)種(zhong),多(duo)以顏色劃(hua)分。如白色者(zhe)稱“白昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)”,黑(hei)(hei)(hei)色或(huo)灰色雜黑(hei)(hei)(hei)色者(zhe)稱“黑(hei)(hei)(hei)昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)”,多(duo)色相間(jian)者(zhe)則稱“花昌(chang)化(hua)(hua)”。
與昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)為(wei)相近的彩(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)(you)青田(tian)(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、田(tian)(tian)黃、等。石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)藝(yi)界、主要認(ren)為(wei),昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)是色彩(cai)豐富、富于變化(hua)(hua)的石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材。可以(yi)說,其他彩(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具(ju)有(you)(you)的色彩(cai),在(zai)昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中都能找到;而其它(ta)彩(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)不具(ju)有(you)(you)的色彩(cai),昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)也(ye)有(you)(you)。昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的品種(zhong)繁多(duo),細分(fen)起(qi)來有(you)(you)上百種(zhong),而且還(huan)有(you)(you)新品種(zhong)發(fa)現。它(ta)與巴林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)均(jun)按石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質(zhi)色象而定種(zhong)屬,顏色、透明度(du)、光(guang)澤(ze)度(du)、硬度(du)是區分(fen)品類(lei)的四要素(su),只不過巴林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具(ju)備(bei)這(zhe)幾(ji)種(zhong)要素(su)的程度(du)與昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)(you)所不同。昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)與青田(tian)(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、壽山石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的分(fen)類(lei)也(ye)有(you)(you)許多(duo)相似之處。
所不(bu)同的(de)(de)是,青田(tian)石的(de)(de)取(qu)(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming)方(fang)法(fa)除了根據質地(di)及(ji)色澤的(de)(de)異同而定外,還要再冠上(shang)產地(di)名(ming)(ming)(ming),如(ru)封門燈(deng)光(guang)(guang)凍(dong)(dong)石、官洪燈(deng)光(guang)(guang)凍(dong)(dong)石、白(bai)洋夾板凍(dong)(dong)石等。壽山(shan)石的(de)(de)種(zhong)類,有(you)的(de)(de)以(yi)(yi)產地(di)取(qu)(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming),有(you)的(de)(de)以(yi)(yi)坑(keng)(keng)硐(dong)取(qu)(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming),也(ye)有(you)的(de)(de)以(yi)(yi)石質色象(xiang)取(qu)(qu)(qu)名(ming)(ming)(ming)。如(ru)田(tian)坑(keng)(keng)石、水坑(keng)(keng)石、山(shan)坑(keng)(keng)石這三項傳統大(da)類,山(shan)坑(keng)(keng)石中的(de)(de)高山(shan)石、小高山(shan)石、都城(cheng)坑(keng)(keng)石、月(yue)尾石、虎(hu)崗石、獅(shi)頭石等,均(jun)以(yi)(yi)地(di)名(ming)(ming)(ming)、硐(dong)名(ming)(ming)(ming)定名(ming)(ming)(ming),而像田(tian)坑(keng)(keng)石中的(de)(de)、白(bai)田(tian)石、紅(hong)田(tian)石、黑田(tian)石等,水坑(keng)(keng)石中的(de)(de)水晶凍(dong)(dong)、魚腦凍(dong)(dong)、天藍凍(dong)(dong)等,則以(yi)(yi)石質色象(xiang)定名(ming)(ming)(ming)。
昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)也有“老(lao)坑(keng)(keng)貨”、“新坑(keng)(keng)貨”之稱,但(dan)主要是指開發(fa)早(zao)遲和(he)質(zhi)量(liang)優(you)劣(lie)的(de)兩類坑(keng)(keng)硐的(de)產(chan)出分類,并(bing)不(bu)是昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)品(pin)種的(de)區分。在(zai)品(pin)評石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材質(zhi)量(liang)時,有紅硐石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、水(shui)硐石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、康(kang)山嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、蚱蜢(meng)腳背(bei)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)塢石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、纖嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、灰石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)之說,這也是指部分石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材質(zhi)量(liang)的(de)不(bu)同,而不(bu)是品(pin)種的(de)不(bu)同。因為論品(pin)種,這些坑(keng)(keng)硐和(he)產(chan)地(di)均大同小異。所以昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)種屬(shu)難以坑(keng)(keng)硐、產(chan)地(di)名劃分。在(zai)開發(fa)早(zao)期,采石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)者只(zhi)是籠統地(di)將昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)區分為烏玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、黃玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、花玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅玉石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(即)幾大類。