Gemstones
Gemstones are any precious or semi-precious stones, whether as mined, or cut and polished. The terms "gem" and "gemstone" mean any mineral or organic material (e.g., pearl and petrified wood) used for personal adornment, display, or object of art because it possesses beauty, rarity, and durability.
The list below are some of many different gemstones.
Popular Gemstones
Other Gemstones
Discovered in 1830 in Russia, and named after Czar Alexander II of who was then Crown Prince of Russia, alexandrite is a form of the mineral chrysoberyl noted for its color change in different forms of light. In sunlight, alexandrite looks blue-green, but in indoor (tungsten) light it the same stone changes to reddish-purple. Natural alexandrite with good color is very expensive today, as very little is still being mined, and there are many synthetics on the market. Synthetic color-change sapphire is also sometimes mistaken for alexandrite.
A form of jadeite named for the Amazon river where it was first found in the 19th century. It is opaque and iridescent and ranges in color from green to blue-green. It is usually set as a cabochon since it breaks easily if faceted. It can also be found in Colorado, Virginia, the Ural Mountains of Russia, Australia, and Africa. Some rare crystals are transparent.
The gemstone Amber is the fossilized sap, resin, or gum from trees. This precious gem ranges in color from shades of golden yellow to golden orange, but brown, green, red and violet amber has been found. Transparent to translucent, amber gemstones normally occur in small irregularly shaped masses. Amber gems may contain insects, lichen, moss and sometimes animals such as lizards and frogs that were trapped millions of years ago when the resin was sticky. Amber is quite soft and is perfect for jewelry as it can be easily cut, etched, faceted, or carved. Before amber gems were used for medicinal purposes but today, this gem type is used almost exclusively in jewelry such as necklaces, broaches, pendants and rings.
Amethyst is a member of the quartz family along with citrine, chalcedony and several others. It is a birthstone for the month of February. The chemical is SiO2, the formation is pegmatite dikes and hydrothermal environments and the crystal system is trigonal.
Ametrine is one of the world’s most unusual types of gem stones in that it is actually two types of gems in the one stone. The yellow-orange part of ametrine is citrine and the violet-purple part is amethyst. The unusual color variation found in Ametrine is due to the presence of iron in different oxidation states within the crystalline structure. Exactly how this comes about is not fully understood.
Andalusite is named after Andalusia, the province of Spain where it was first discovered. A polymorph with two other minerals, kyanite and sillimanite, it shares their chemistry but has a different crystal structure. A unique variety of Andalusite is called "chiastolite" and contains black/brown clay and/or carbonaceous material in crystal inclusions that are arranged in regular symmetrical shapes; usually in the form of a cross or X. Mined in Brazil and Sri Lanka, Andalusite also occurs in Andalusia, Spain; Austria; California, USA and China.
While it sounds like its hungry, it's actually trying to fool you! The name Apatite comes from a Greek word meaning "to deceive", as Apatite has oft been confused with more valuable gems such as Paraiba Tourmaline, Peridot & Beryl. Ironically Apatite is the mineral that makes up the teeth & bones of all vertebrate animals so the hunger connection is quite appropriate after all. Apatite is a clear to opaque stone that comes in many colors, including green, yellow, blue, violet, and yellow-green (called asparagus stone). Cat's Eye Apatite stones are also known. Apatite is found in: Brazil, Russia, Myanmar ( Burma), Sri Lanka ( Ceylon), Canada, East Africa, Sweden, Spain and Mexico.
For many centuries, oceanic energy was believed to be contained within the delicate semblance of aquamarines. When amulets made of this precious gem were worn, sailors believed that unmatched bravery would be instilled into their souls, giving them the power to overcome even the most powerful storm.
Made of beryl, aquamarine is a hard gem variety making it a good choice for jewelry that will be worn frequently such as aquamarine rings. However due to its delicate color and clarity it is best displayed in a more prominent position such as in aquamarine earrings or pendants.
The stone of springtime, youth and innocence, the name Chrysoberyl is derived from the Greek for golden (Chryso) and green gemstone (beryl). When cut, Chrysoberyl is an extremely brilliant stone, ideal for everyday wear and is rapidly gaining in popularity amongst fashionable young designers.
Said to bring peace of mind and increase self-confidence, Chrysoberyl also promotes kindness, generosity, benevolence, hope, optimism, renewal, new beginnings, compassion and forgiveness.
One of the most affordable gemstones on the market, citrine is a golden yellow form of quartz which takes its name from "citron", the French word for lemon.
In former times Citrine was used as a protective talisman against the plague, bad skin and evil thoughts, and as a charm against snake bites and other venomous reptiles. It is also believed to symbolize happiness, aid digestion, remove toxins from the body, and be useful in the treatment of depression, constipation and diabetes.
Formed when small sea animals create living quarters, coral comes in colors ranging from vivid orange to palest pink. During the mid-Victorian large brooches of coral finely carved in high-relief floral sprays, or faces were popular. At the turn of the century, small natural pieces of branch coral or small cameos of coral were more popular.
Diamonds, a form of crystalline carbon, are prized because they are exceptionally hard and durable, have high refractivity and brilliance, and because really fine diamonds are rare. Today diamonds are valued based on the "4 C's" of color, cut, clarity and carat size. Many diamond imitations have appeared over the years, with the most common today being the ubiquitous cubic zirconia which appears similar to a diamond to the uninitiated, but can be readily distinguished by a diamond tester which measures thermal inertia. Trained individuals, despite claims of cubic zirconia manufacturers, also have little trouble distinguishing a genuine diamond when it is examined under at least 10 power magnification.
A beautiful deep green is the most often seen faceted version of this gemstone. But diopside also offers a classic four rayed star stone that is very much like a black star sapphire with the exception that the sapphire will have a 6 rayed star.
The intensity of the green color of diopside makes it a good imitation of many gemstones that are far more expensive, such as emeralds. Although not seen in main stream jewelry stores, diopside is becoming more and more popular with jewelry designers.
A gemstone of the beryl family, fine emeralds are among the most valuable gemstones. Unlike most gemstones, flaws (called inclusions by gemologists )are quite common in emeralds, so they lower the value much less than with other precious stones such a diamonds. The most highly prized emeralds are mined in Columbia. A valuable emerald will be a bright, vividly colored green. Those with a slight blue cast to the bright green are actually the most valuable color.
Many emeralds seen in jewelry are of relatively low quality. They are often dyed or oiled to improve the color and minimize flaws. If an emerald appears to be very fine, it may actually be a synthetic. There are several types of synthetic emeralds on the market, and some of them are challenging to identify, even for a trained gemologist.
A group stones that share a similar chemical structure, the garnet family includes pyrope, almandine, and demantoid, among others. Almandine garnet are red varieties, with pyrope being the common Bohemian garnet found in much Victorian and turn of the century jewelry. Demantoid garnet is a much rarer bright green variety, first mined in the mid-nineteenth century. Demantoid has the highest dispersion of colored stones usually found on the market, which means it is very sparkly. Demantoid is generally found only relatively small stones.
Also known as water sapphire and Vikings' compass, (because of it's ability to determine the direction of the sun on overcast days) Iolite, is a transparent, violet-blue, light blue, or yellow-gray mineral. A pleochroic stone, Iolite will show many colors in a single stone.
Iolite is a popular and interesting gemstone. It has a pretty violet blue color that is unlike other gemstones, although it has been compared to a light blue sapphire. It is for this reason that it is sometimes known as "water sapphire".
t’s been called the stone of the heavens, the musical stone, the stone of the loins and some people believe it can predict the future. Found in mountains and riverbeds it is considered to be “the essence of Heaven and Earth”.
Today Jade is recognized as two distinct but similar types of stone – Jadeite and Nephrite. However, over the centuries the name Jade has been applied to a wide variety of minerals including: Serpentine, Turquoise, Malachite, Agate, Hornblende, Marble, Amazonite (Green Feldspar), Idocrase, Calcite, Aventurine, Amethyst, Coral, Ruby and Sapphire.
Known as the "evening" stone, Kunzite was discovered in 1902 and named after G.F. Kunz - Tiffany's chief gemologist at the time and a noted mineralogist.
Kunzite is the pink variety of spodumene, which also includes a green variety of gemstone known as Hiddenite. Kunzite is strongly pleochroic, meaning there is a color intensity variation when a crystal is viewed from the top or bottom than from other directions. The top and bottom of the crystal reveal the deepest colors and knowledgeable gem cutters take advantage of its effects.
Mined in Afghanistan for over 7,000 years, the “Armenian Stone” is an enduring rock - and yes it is a rock - unlike other gems it is a composite of several materials with sparkling flecks of pyrite, or fool’s gold, adding to its mystical allure. Attributed with great healing, purifying and curative properties, Lapis Lazuli allegedly points the way to enlightenment, and aids in the opening of the Third Eye. Popular with ancient alchemists (who knew it as sapphirus), it was used in medicine, cosmetics and paintings. It was also believed to confer ability, success, divine favor, ancient wisdom and cure sore throats. No wonder it was as valuable as gold!
Morganite is famous for its pink or rose-lilac color and nice luster. First discovered in Madagascar in 1911, Morganite was named after the American banker and gem enthusiast, John Pierpont Morgan. Legend has it that he met a watery grave on the Titanic, but he actually missed the doomed maiden voyage and died the following year in Rome, just shy of his 76th birthday. Morganite is actually a variety of Beryl and is sometimes called ‘Pink Beryl’. A group of many beautiful and important gemstone varieties including Emerald and Aquamarine, Beryl in its pure form is colorless or yellow.
Opal is a precipitated non-crystalline variety of silica, precious varieties of which characteristically display a marked variety of changing colors and are used as gemstones, especially when cut and polished. The physical structure of opal is unique. Tiny spheres of silicon dioxide form a pyramid shaped grid interspersed with water. Tiny natural faults in this grid cause the characteristic "play of color". The effect is similar to the rainbow colors displayed on a soap bubble, only much more dramatic.
A natural gemstone formed when a oyster is irritated by a substance that gets into its shell. If the irritation is a naturally occurring grain of sand, it is an Oriental pearl. If it is produced by purposefully inserting a mother-of-pearl bead, a cultured pearl is formed. A pearl that forms attached to the shell is a blister pearl, while a pearl that forms a half dome is a mabe (pronounced mah-bay) pearl. Pearls that are irregularly shaped rather than round are referred to as baroque.
Known by the ancient Egyptians as the “gem of the sun,” peridot has enjoyed a mystical reputation with its alleged powers including: warding off anxiety, enhancement of speech articulation, and success in relationships and marriage.
Peridot mining was traditionally done at night when the stone’s natural glow is easier to see, the ancient Egyptians even believed that peridots became invisible under the sun’s rays.
This is a very rare form of beryl (the emerald family of gemstones) which occurs not in green color but in red. It is only found in Utah, USA, and is only found in very small sizes. They are rare and beautiful red forms of beryl so to have some fun a lot of people call them red emeralds.
Rhodochrosite has been a mineral of interest lately. It occurs in ranges of color from very pale pink, pale to deep red, orange red, brownish red, orange-brown, pale to dark brown and black The name is derived from the Greek ‘Rhodon’ meaning ‘Rose’ and ‘Chroma’ meaning ‘Color’, alluding to its famous rose-color. Massive forms of its banded varieties (especially pink and white and pink and red bands) are extremely attractive and are often used in semi-precious jewelry.
A precious gemstone, and a member of the corundum family, rubies are always, by definition, red, but be aware that many other red gemstones and imitations might be assumed to be a ruby. Fine rubies of good color can be more valuable than diamonds, but the first synthetic ruby was created in the 1890's and became quite popular in jewelry. Synthetic rubies must be distinguished from natural by sophisticated testing by trained gemologists.
A gemstone of the corundum family, although blue is the color most commonly associated with sapphires, they come in a range of colors from white to orange to green to pink. In fact, if a corundum gemstone is red, it is referred to as a ruby, but any other color, including the light pinkish "rubies" in inexpensive jewelry are properly referred to as sapphires. Sapphires were first synthesized in the 1920's, so it takes an expert to determine if a sapphire is natural. Natural sapphires are sometimes found that exhibit a star effect. These can be quite valuable if the star is centered and well-defined, but in 1967 the synthetic Linde Star Sapphire hit the market, and many star sapphires found today are these synthetics.
Shells are the oldest form of jewelry...and money for that manner. Shells decorations have been found as jewelry in the oldest known burial grounds. Today there are a number of types of shells still being used as ornamental jewelry. Most common is the mother of pearl shell material taken from the inner lining of oyster shells as shown above and below.
Shells are used from everything from the inexpensive puka necklaces of the 1970's, to mother of pearl inlays on fairly expensive jewelry used today. But since there is very little use of imitations, other than plastic which is fairly easy to identify, there is just not much to worry about with shell jewelry.
Throughout history, the red brilliance of Spinel has led to great confusion, causing many to mistakenly identify this astonishing gemstone for Ruby. In fact, many of the world’s most famous “Rubies” are actually Spinels. For example, the 170-carat Black Prince’s Ruby on the British Imperial State Crown and the 352-carat Timur Ruby have been authenticated as spinels by leading gemologists.
The source of confusion stemmed not only from color similarities, but also attributed to the close proximity of their deposits. Burma, identifying the variety in 1587, was the first to distinguish Spinels as a distinctive gemstone type. At this time other countries still referred to Spinels as “Balas Ruby”.
One of the newest and most beautiful rare gems to be discovered, Tibetan Sunstone was first unearthed in 2002 in Central Tibet. Nestled in the shadows of the Himalayas, Tibet is a country usually associated with ancient forts, monasteries and temples. But the “Roof of the World” is also a source of some of the world’s rarest gemstones.
Tibetan Sunstone is characterized by a swirling mix of coppery oranges, honeys, ambers, lemons and limes with a beautiful glittering sunlight effect caused by tiny Copper inclusions. While the Copper inclusions are predominantly orange, they often disperse a fiery multitude of electric colors that frequently produce comments of disbelief. With such an attractive blend of shimmering colors, Tibetan Sunstone has a unique appearance unlike any other gemstone. Simply put, this rarity must be seen to be believed.
The showcase of this newly discovered gemstone by Tiffany & Co. in 1967 captured the world’s attention and has held it in its thrall ever since with Tanzanite becoming the most popular gem stone in the world today after the “Big Four” (diamond, ruby, sapphire, & emerald). It is believed that the Masai herders were the first people to discover this gemstone. According to popular myth, a lightning strike near the Merelani hills set surrounding grasslands on fire. When the Masai herders returned to the area with their livestock, magical blue stones appeared on the ground.
The world's largest supplier of topaz is Brazil. However, Pakistan and Russia are now emerging as the new sources for topaz supply. Topaz comes in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes making it ideal for a wide variety of applications.
Red and intense pink are the most rare and most desirable colors for topaz. A gem with these colors will command a relatively high price. Bright orange color topaz, also known as imperial topaz, falls into the moderate price range and is easier to find. Blue Topaz, having a low to moderate price range, is very popular, because a variety of shades, sizes and shapes are available.
As it is found in all spectrums of color, Tourmaline is often described as the "chameleon gemstone". It is not surprising to find a fine tourmaline that mirrors the exact semblance of other gemstones, such as emerald, ruby and sapphire. Some tourmaline crystals may even appear as crystallized rainbows with several bands of color, ranging from the most brilliant red to the deepest blue. Many refer to tourmaline as the "muses' stone", for they believe that its imaginative colors contain inspirational powers which enable the mind of its beholder to bring forth illimitable vision and creativity.
Turquoise is a semi-precious gemstone found in desert regions throughout the world. All the cultures use it--Mongolian, Chinese, Native Australian, Persian & Southwestern Native American. It is considered a source of good fortune and beauty. If you see brown or grey streaks in turquoise, they are caused bythe matrix, or mother stone, from which the turquoise is mined. Interesting matrix patterns are considered to add beauty to the stone.
Only Persian turquoise is usually without apparent matrix. Modern turquoise "stones" that appear very shiny and absolutely flawless are actually manufactured: Pulverized turquoise is reconstituted with a plastic binding medium then cut & shaped as though it were natural stone. This material is generally avoided by collectors. Different colors of turquoise--varying from sky blue to nearly green occur in untreated turquoise, since it is quite porous. Touching the stone leaves oils on it which alters the color of the turquoise over many years. Collectors tend to value these color nuances as the patina of time.
For many centuries, the brilliance of zircon has captured the hearts of those who set their eyes on this magnificent gemstone. Zircon’s popularity began to grow in the sixth century, when Italian artisans featured the stone in jewelry designs. During the Middle Ages, zircon was believed to contain remedial power, protecting the wearer from diseases and banishing insomnia. The name "zircon" is believed to have derived from the Arabic words, "zar", meaning gold, and "gun", meaning color.
Thailand and Cambodia are the world’s major suppliers of zircon with large deposits near the border of the two countries. Vietnam, Burma, Sri Lanka and Africa also provide a large supply of these marvelous gemstones to the world market.
