Discover · Embrace · Inspire
Our Class Stones build CHARACTER
Every Crestview class is a precious stone, and every stone stands for one of our nine virtues. Read the first letters from Toddler Playgroup to Grade 5 and they spell the word we grow in every child.
What is it?
A ruby is a bright red stone that grows deep under the ground. It is made of the same stuff as sapphire: only a tiny pinch of a metal called chromium makes it red.
Fun facts
- Rubies are super hard: only diamonds are harder (9 out of 10 on the hardness scale).
- Shine a special purple light (ultraviolet) on a ruby and it glows red, like a little lamp.
- Thailand is famous for rubies: Chanthaburi has one of the world's largest and liveliest gem markets.
Our class virtue
Curiosity (Discover Excellence). A ruby hides a secret: shine a special light on it and it glows! Ruby friends love to explore, ask questions and discover hidden wonders all around them.
Like a ruby… A ruby can look like a plain red stone, until light shines on it and it glows from the inside. Curiosity works the same way: when we shine a question on something ordinary (Why? How? What if?), we find the wonder hiding inside. And just as the ruby is the "king of gems," curiosity is the first step to learning everything else.
Did you know?
In old times, people called the ruby the "king of gems."
References: GIA: Ruby · GIA: Chanthaburi gem market · USGS: Mineral gemstones
What is it?
Amber is not a rock at all! It is sticky tree sap (resin) from very, very long ago that slowly turned hard over millions of years.
Fun facts
- Some amber is about 320 million years old: older than the dinosaurs.
- Tiny insects, leaves and even feathers can be trapped inside amber, like a time capsule.
- Amber is soft (only 2 to 2.5 out of 10) and so light that it floats in very salty water.
Our class virtue
Honesty (Discover Excellence). Amber is see-through: you can look inside and see what is really there, even a tiny insect from long ago. Amber friends tell the truth and let others see who they really are.
Like an amber… Amber hides nothing: what was caught inside it millions of years ago is still there today, exactly as it was. An honest person is like that: what you see is what is true, and their word stays the same over time. Amber is also soft and warm to hold, a reminder that the truth is best told kindly.
Did you know?
Scientists have found about 1,000 kinds of animals that no longer live on Earth hiding in amber.
References: GIA: Amber
What is it?
Topaz is a sparkly crystal that can be golden, blue, pink or even clear like water. Our topaz is the warm golden-orange kind.
Fun facts
- Topaz is very hard (8 out of 10): harder than glass.
- Some topaz crystals found in Brazil weighed more than a grown-up!
- The same topaz can look a little different in sunlight and in lamplight.
Our class virtue
Achievement (Discover Excellence). Topaz is harder than glass and was once called a stone fit for an emperor. Topaz kids try their best, keep practicing, and feel proud when they reach a goal.
Like a topaz… A topaz crystal grows slowly, a tiny bit at a time, deep in the rock, until it becomes big, hard and sparkling. Achievement grows the same way: one small try after another, until something that was hard becomes something we can do, and we shine with pride.
Did you know?
Golden-orange topaz is sometimes called "imperial topaz": a stone fit for an emperor.
References: GIA: Topaz · USGS: Mineral gemstones
What is it?
An emerald is a green stone, as green as fresh leaves. It is a crystal called beryl, colored by tiny amounts of the metals chromium or vanadium.
Fun facts
- Almost every emerald has tiny marks inside. Jewelers call them the emerald's "garden" (jardin in French).
- Emeralds are hard (7.5 to 8 out of 10), but they need gentle care because of their garden.
- Many of the world's finest emeralds come from Colombia in South America.
Our class virtue
Resilience (Embrace Wellness). An emerald's little marks don't stop it from shining. Emerald kids keep trying, bounce back after mistakes, and shine anyway.
Like an emerald… Nearly every emerald has little marks inside from the way it grew: its "garden." Jewelers don't throw these emeralds away; the garden shows the stone is real. Our mistakes are like that garden: they show we tried, we learned, and we can still shine bright green.
Did you know?
Emerald green is the color of spring, the time when new things grow.
References: GIA: Emerald · USGS: Mineral gemstones
What is it?
Amethyst is purple quartz, the same mineral as clear rock crystal. A little iron inside, plus natural energy from the rocks around it over millions of years, turns it purple.
Fun facts
- Amethyst scores 7 out of 10 for hardness, so it can scratch glass.
- Heat an amethyst and it can turn yellow: then it is called citrine.
- Amethyst often grows inside hollow rocks called geodes. Crack one open and it looks like a sparkly purple cave.
Our class virtue
Awareness (Embrace Wellness). For thousands of years people believed amethyst helped keep a clear mind. Amethyst students notice their feelings, listen to their bodies, and make calm, healthy choices.
Like an amethyst… Amethyst often grows quietly inside a hollow geode, hidden until someone opens the rock and looks closely. Awareness means looking inside ourselves the same way: pausing to notice how our body and our feelings are, then choosing what helps. Its calm purple color is a reminder to take a slow breath.
Did you know?
The ancient Greeks believed amethyst helped people keep a clear mind.
Challenge: Amethyst and clear quartz are the same mineral. What makes them look different?
References: GIA: Amethyst · USGS: Mineral gemstones
What is it?
Opal is made of silica (the stuff of sand) and water. Inside are millions of tiny balls stacked like ping-pong balls in a box. When light bounces off them, rainbow flashes dance across the stone. Scientists call this play-of-color.
Fun facts
- An opal can hold up to one-fifth water!
- Each tiny ball is about 0.2 microns across: hundreds of times thinner than a hair.
- Since the 1890s, Australia has been the world's main source of opals.
Our class virtue
Compassion (Embrace Wellness). An opal is delicate and keeps water deep inside to protect its rainbow, so it needs gentle care. Opal students treat one another gently and are kind to anyone who is hurting.
Like an opal… An opal's rainbow comes from millions of tiny spheres catching the light, and the water inside keeps it bright. Treated roughly or left to dry out, an opal can crack. People are like opals: everyone has their own colors inside, and kindness and gentle care help those colors shine.
Did you know?
No two opals have exactly the same pattern of colors, just like no two people are the same.
Challenge: Opal is softer than most gems (5 to 6.5 out of 10). How should we take care of something precious that is delicate?
References: GIA: Opal · USGS: Mineral gemstones
What is it?
Garnet is not just one mineral but a whole family of minerals. Most garnets are deep red, but the family also has orange, purple and even bright green members.
Fun facts
- Garnet is hard (6.5 to 7.5 out of 10) and tough, so it is crushed and used in sandpaper and to cut metal with water jets.
- The name may come from an old Latin word for pomegranate, because small red garnets look like pomegranate seeds.
- Garnet is the birthstone for January, the start of a new year.
Our class virtue
Teamwork (Inspire Greatness). Garnet is a whole family of minerals, and in sandpaper thousands of tiny garnet grains work side by side. Garnet students share the work, help each other and cheer one another on.
Like a garnet… Garnet is a family: many colors, one name. One tiny garnet grain can't do much, but thousands together smooth wood in sandpaper and help water jets cut through metal. A class works the same way: different people, one team, doing together what nobody could do alone.
Did you know?
Long ago, travelers carried garnets because they believed the stone kept them safe on the road.
Challenge: One garnet grain can't smooth a board, but thousands together can. What is one thing your class does better as a team?
References: GIA: Garnet · USGS: Garnet (2026) · Etymonline: garnet
What is it?
Turquoise is a sky-blue to blue-green stone. Copper makes it blue; a little iron makes it greener.
Fun facts
- Turquoise is soft (5 to 6 out of 10) and full of tiny holes, so oils from skin can slowly change its color.
- It is one of the oldest gems people have used: ancient Egyptians wore it thousands of years ago.
- Its name means "Turkish stone": traders carried it to Europe through Turkey.
Our class virtue
Empathy (Inspire Greatness). Turquoise changes a little with the people who wear it. Turquoise students try to understand how others feel, listen, and see things from a friend's side.
Like a turquoise… Turquoise is full of tiny holes, so it soaks up a little of what is around it, and its color can slowly change. Empathy is soaking up a little of how someone else feels, so we can understand them. And because people have given turquoise to friends for thousands of years, it reminds us to care how our friends are feeling.
Did you know?
In many cultures, turquoise is given as a gift of friendship.
Challenge: Turquoise "feels" the people close to it. How can you tell when a friend needs help, even if they don't say it?
References: GIA: Turquoise · USGS: Mineral gemstones · Etymonline: turquoise
What is it?
Sapphire is made of corundum, exactly like ruby. Tiny bits of iron and titanium make it blue. A red corundum is a ruby; every other color is a sapphire!
Fun facts
- Sapphire is 9 out of 10 for hardness: only diamond, at 10, is harder.
- Sapphires come in yellow, pink, green and purple too, not just blue.
- Thailand has sapphire mines too, in Chanthaburi and Kanchanaburi.
Our class virtue
Responsibility (Inspire Greatness). Sapphire is so tough it protects watch faces from scratches. As our oldest class, Sapphire students keep their promises, look after younger students and lead by example.
Like a sapphire… Sapphire is one of the toughest stones on Earth, which is why we trust it to protect watch faces from scratches every single day. Responsibility means being someone others can trust in the same way: steady, dependable, and ready to protect the people and things in our care, especially the younger students who look up to us.
Did you know?
Sapphire is so tough that it is used to make scratch-proof watch glass.
Challenge: Ruby and sapphire are the same mineral. What makes one red and one blue?
References: GIA: Sapphire · GIA: Chanthaburi gem market · USGS: Mineral gemstones