昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)因(yin)其(qi)主要產于(yu)浙江臨安昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)縣而(er)得其(qi)名,亦是我國(guo)四大(da)(da)系(xi)印(yin)章(zhang)石(shi)(shi)(shi)之一。昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)的礦物成分是以粘土礦物地(di)開石(shi)(shi)(shi)為主,常含(han)有高嶺石(shi)(shi)(shi)等(deng)粘土礦物。還常含(han)有未(wei)蝕變成地(di)開石(shi)(shi)(shi)的硬(ying)質(zhi)石(shi)(shi)(shi)英斑晶,硬(ying)度(du)遠遠大(da)(da)于(yu)地(di)開石(shi)(shi)(shi),工藝上(shang)稱其(qi)為“砂(sha)丁(ding)”,“砂(sha)丁(ding)”的多少直(zhi)接影響昌(chang)(chang)化(hua)(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)的質(zhi)量。
昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)石的(de)石質(zhi)(zhi)相對多(duo)砂、多(duo)氣孔,一般都較壽山石和(he)青(qing)田石稍(shao)堅些,且硬度變(bian)化(hua)較大。質(zhi)(zhi)地也不如(ru)二者(zhe)細(xi)膩(ni)。但也有質(zhi)(zhi)地細(xi)嫩者(zhe)及各種顏(yan)(yan)(yan)色(se)凍石。昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)石的(de)顏(yan)(yan)(yan)色(se)主(zhu)要有白(bai)、黑、紅、黃(huang)、灰等各種顏(yan)(yan)(yan)色(se),品種也細(xi)分成很多(duo)種,多(duo)以顏(yan)(yan)(yan)色(se)劃分。如(ru)白(bai)色(se)者(zhe)稱“白(bai)昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)”,黑色(se)或灰色(se)雜黑色(se)者(zhe)稱“黑昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)”,多(duo)色(se)相間者(zhe)則稱“花昌(chang)(chang)(chang)化(hua)”。
與昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)為(wei)相近的(de)(de)(de)彩(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)(you)青田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、田黃(huang)、等。石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)藝界、主要認為(wei),昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)是色彩(cai)豐富、富于(yu)變化(hua)的(de)(de)(de)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材。可(ke)以(yi)說,其他彩(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具有(you)(you)的(de)(de)(de)色彩(cai),在昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中都能找到;而(er)其它彩(cai)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)不具有(you)(you)的(de)(de)(de)色彩(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)(de)品(pin)(pin)種(zhong)繁多,細分起來有(you)(you)上百種(zhong),而(er)且還(huan)有(you)(you)新品(pin)(pin)種(zhong)發現(xian)。它與巴林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)均(jun)按(an)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質色象而(er)定種(zhong)屬,顏(yan)色、透明度、光澤度、硬度是區分品(pin)(pin)類(lei)的(de)(de)(de)四要素,只不過(guo)巴林石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)具備這幾(ji)種(zhong)要素的(de)(de)(de)程度與昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)有(you)(you)所(suo)不同。昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)與青田石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、壽山(shan)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)(de)(de)分類(lei)也有(you)(you)許多相似之處。
所(suo)不同的(de)是,青田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)取名(ming)(ming)(ming)方法(fa)除了根(gen)據(ju)質地(di)及色澤的(de)異(yi)同而(er)(er)定(ding)外(wai),還(huan)要再冠(guan)上產地(di)名(ming)(ming)(ming),如(ru)(ru)封門燈光凍(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、官(guan)洪燈光凍(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、白(bai)洋(yang)夾板(ban)凍(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等。壽山(shan)(shan)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)種(zhong)類,有的(de)以(yi)產地(di)取名(ming)(ming)(ming),有的(de)以(yi)坑(keng)(keng)硐取名(ming)(ming)(ming),也有的(de)以(yi)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質色象(xiang)(xiang)取名(ming)(ming)(ming)。如(ru)(ru)田(tian)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、水(shui)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、山(shan)(shan)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)這三項傳統大類,山(shan)(shan)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中(zhong)的(de)高山(shan)(shan)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、小高山(shan)(shan)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、都(dou)城坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、月(yue)尾石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、虎崗(gang)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、獅頭石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等,均以(yi)地(di)名(ming)(ming)(ming)、硐名(ming)(ming)(ming)定(ding)名(ming)(ming)(ming),而(er)(er)像田(tian)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中(zhong)的(de)、白(bai)田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、黑(hei)田(tian)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)等,水(shui)坑(keng)(keng)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)中(zhong)的(de)水(shui)晶(jing)凍(dong)、魚腦凍(dong)、天藍凍(dong)等,則以(yi)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)質色象(xiang)(xiang)定(ding)名(ming)(ming)(ming)。
昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)也有(you)“老坑(keng)(keng)貨”、“新(xin)坑(keng)(keng)貨”之稱,但(dan)主要是指開發早遲和質(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)量優劣的(de)兩類(lei)坑(keng)(keng)硐(dong)(dong)的(de)產(chan)出分(fen)類(lei),并不是昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)品種(zhong)的(de)區分(fen)。在品評(ping)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材質(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)量時,有(you)紅硐(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、水硐(dong)(dong)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、康(kang)山嶺(ling)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、蚱蜢腳(jiao)背石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、昌(chang)化(hua)塢(wu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、纖嶺(ling)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、灰石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)嶺(ling)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)之說,這也是指部分(fen)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)材質(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)量的(de)不同(tong),而(er)不是品種(zhong)的(de)不同(tong)。因為論(lun)品種(zhong),這些(xie)坑(keng)(keng)硐(dong)(dong)和產(chan)地(di)均大同(tong)小異。所以(yi)昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)的(de)種(zhong)屬難以(yi)坑(keng)(keng)硐(dong)(dong)、產(chan)地(di)名劃(hua)分(fen)。在開發早期,采石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)者只是籠(long)統地(di)將昌(chang)化(hua)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)區分(fen)為烏玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、黃玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、花玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)、紅玉(yu)石(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)(即)幾大類(lei)。