| Name |
Information |
| Abalone |
Abalone is shell generated by the marine mollusks and used for many fine jewelry items. Abalone shells are members of a large class (Gastropoda) of
mollusks having one-piece shells. They belong to the family
Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis, which means sea ear, referring
to the flattened shape of the shell. Colors vary - shimming blues, pinks, greens, silvers, blacks and grays. Found in warm tropical waters off the coasts of California, South America, Japan, and China. |
| Agate |
This is a semi-pellucid variety of quartz. The colors are arraigned in strips or bands or blended in clouds and classified accordingly as moss, ribbon, dendrite, etc. Brownish-orange agate is known as cornelian, the green variety chrysoprase, the blue variety chalcedony and the brownish-red variety carnelian. Black agate is onyx. Agate is a 6.5 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Alexandrite |
Alexandrite, the birthstone for June, is named after the Czar Alexander of Russia in the former Soviet Union. Chromium gives alexandrite its color and while, in most minerals, a trace element like chromium would provide only one color to the mineral, in alexandrite it gives it two! The color of the specimen depends on the character of light that hits the crystal. |
| Amazonite |
Amazonite is gemstone variety of microcline feldspar and varies in color from yellowish green to blue green. |
| Amber |
This is not strictly a gemstone but a fossilized form of resin derived from various coniferous trees. It is found in many colors and may be both translucent or opaque. The rarest specimens are those enclosing insects of extinct species and leaves trapped in the sticky exudations of the tree, amber is one of the few minerals with an organic origin. Not a true mineral, Amber is called a mineraloid. |
| Amethyst |
Amethyst is a transparent purple variety of quartz, having been found abundantly in all parts of the world. Amethyst is a 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Aquamarine |
Aquamarine is classed in a group of minerals known as beryls. Color ranges from an almost indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea-blue. It is almost entirely free of inclusions. Aquamarine has good hardness (7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale) and a wonderful shine. It is found in Brazil, Nigeria, Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Pakistan. |
| Aventurine |
A variety of quartz spangled with inclusions giving a schiller, an unusual and attractive lustre characteristic of certain minerals. It may be green, blue, red or yellow in colors. Aventurine is a 6+ on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Black Onyx |
Onyx is a black chalcedony quartz with a fine texture. Black onyx is abundant in many parts of the world including India, Brazil, and Madagascar. Onyx is a 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Cat's Eye |
The "Cat's Eye", is also known as cymophane. The effect (reflects a long thin wave of light across the specimen) is caused by microscopic needle-like inclusions that reflect light into a single dynamic sliver of light running along the center of the crystal thus making it look like a living cat's eye! Gemstones which display the cat's eye phenomenon are said to exhibit the optical property of chatoyancy (varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles). |
| Clear Rock Crystal |
Rock crystal is the name given to all clear colorless quartz. Rock crystal is in wide use as a gemstone due to its beauty, affordability, availability and ease of cutting. The best rock crystal sources are in the famous Hot Springs area of Arkansas, USA; Cumberland, England; St. Gotthard, Switzerland; Brazil and Madagascar. Clear Rock Crystal Quartz is 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Diamond |
Utilized almost exclusively as the gemstone representing love, eternity, and happiness. Its chemical composition is simple: pure crystallized carbon referable to the cubic order of crystallography. It is formed in volcanic craters and dispersed by volcanic eruption or flooding. The diamond is the hardest gem material on earth. Diamond is a 10 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Emerald |
The wonderful green color of emerald is unparalleled in the gem kingdom. Emerald's precious green color is caused by small amounts of chromium and enhanced by traces of iron. Unlike other beryls, emeralds often contain inclusions and other flaws. These flaws are not looked on as negative aspects for emerald like they would be for other gemstones. Indeed, these flaws are considered part of the character of the stone and are used to assure the purchaser of a natural stone. Emerald is a 7.5 - 8 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Feldspar |
The feldspars are really a family of minerals and not merely a single gemstone. Feldspar is a 6 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching.
|
| Fluorite |
Fluorite, a transparent and translucent stone which mean 'to flow' in Latin. The term 'florescent' also has been derived from fluorite. It is an attractive stone with a wide range of colors ranging from pink, purple, magenta, blue, yellow, green, red, brown and white. Fluorite is a 4 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Garnet |
Garnet, the name given to a group of isomorphous minerals of different composition and colors. Garnet is found in Ceylon, Australia, Madagascar, India, Australia and Brazil. Garnet is a 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Gaspeite |
Relatively new to the jewelry industry, the mineral gaspeite is unique with its opaque, Granny Smith apple green color. |
| Hematite |
A widely-distributed iron ore occurring in crystalline, massive or granular forms. It is opaque and generally dark grey (almost black) in colour. It is similar to steel in appearance, but much darker. Hematite is a 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Iolite |
With its light bluish to violet color, the mineral iolite is often referred to as "water sapphire". Iolite is a blue-violet gemstone variety of the mineral cordierite, has strong pleochroism and can be confused with tanzanite. However, iolite is usually less strongly colored, its pleochroic colors vary from blue-violet to yellowish gray to blue and it has less fire. Iolite's unusual color shades makes it an exotic colored gemstone whose popularity is growing day by day. Iolite is a 4 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Iron Pyrite |
Pyrite with its brassy yellow color
is often mistaken for gold. Hence The name "Fools Gold". Pyrite is harder than gold, and very brittle. It also has a beautiful luster and interesting crystals. Pyrite is found in almost every possible environment, there for it has many forms and varieties. Iron Pyrite is a 6 - 6.5 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Jade |
Becasue of its tenacity, strength, and toughness jade was first utilized in the making of prehistoric weapons. Today jade is valued for its beauty. Its many colors are appreciated, but its the emerald green color that jadeite produces so well, that is highly sought after by artwork collectors. This emerald green jade called "Imperial Jade" is colored by chromium. Other colors are influenced by iron (green and brown) and manganese is thought to produce the violet colors. Nephrite is usually only green and creamy white, while jadeite can have the full range of jade's colors. Jade is a 6.5 - 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Jasper |
An opaque crypto-crystalline variety of quartz of varying colors, usually red, green, yellow, brown or white. Jasper is generally used for ornamentation such as ashtrays, jewelry boxes, and candlesticks and secondarily in silver jewelry. Jasper is a 6.5 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Jet |
Jet is a Mineral Formed From Peat and Incorporated Into many Jewelry Earrings and Rings. |
| Kunzite |
Its lovely pink color makes kunzite an attractive and desirable gemstone. The light pink variety of the mineral spodumene is a primary source of lithium and is known in the the jewelry world as kunzite. Kunzite is a 6.5-7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Lapis Lazuli |
A stone consisting of varying quantities of a blue mineral hauyne and calcite. Small specks and strings of the yellow iron pyrites are common.
The stone is becoming increasingly rare and its price rises steadily. It now costs more than gold and is the only opaque stone, apart from turquoise, sold by the carat. Lapis lazuli is a 6- on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Malachite |
An opaque stone, varying in color from very light to very dark green. It has characteristic banding and is fragile and easily scratched. Widely used for jewelry and other ornaments because it was easy to work with and susceptible of a high polish. It is found in the vicinity of copper mines and comes mainly from Africa and Russia, and to a lesser extent Australia and South America. Malachite is a 3.5+ on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Marcasite |
Marcasite is a polymorph and has an orthrohombic structure. Pyrite is used in jewelry under the trade name "marcasite" and as mineral specimens.
Within fossil beds, marcasite may frequently be found as a replacement mineral. |
| Milk Quartz |
Quartz occurs naturally in many colors including a white variation known as milky quartz or milk quartz. Milk Quartz is 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Mother of Pearl |
The name is aptly given to the lustrous pearly lining of the shells of pearl-bearing molluscs. When polished it is similar in appearance to pearl and is extensively used for jewelry, cutlery handles, buttons, buckles and other small ornamental objects. |
| Opal |
There are numerous varieties of opal, each attractive in its own way. The extensive deserts on the continet of Australia are responsible for 95% of the world's opal gem material available today. The price of this gem continues to rise. Most opal comes from Australia, except for the fire opal which is found in Mexico. Not a true mineral, Opal is called a mineraloid. Opal is a 5.5-6.5 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Pearl |
One of the few gems materials with an organic origin, pearls are a product of marine and fresh water mollusks. There are two types: Natural pearls, formed inside wild oysters, practically impossible to find nowadays, and Cultured pearls in which the production of the pearl is artificially induced. Natural pearls have no nucleus, but in the cultured variety the pearl is formed round a spherical bead inserted into the oyster shell. The oyster tries to render this intrusive body innocuous by sealing it off in a cyst of nacre. Both natural and cultured pearls are a sound investment as their price is never likely to come down; quite the contrary, it continues to rise inexorably. |
| Peridot |
Colors range from shades of green from yellow-green to greenish yellow. The characteristic green color of peridot owes its existance to the ratio of iron to magnesium within the mineral. Peridot is a 6.5 - 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Rose Quartz |
Rose quartz is one of the most desirable varieties of quartz. The pink to rose red color completely unique, unlike any other pink mineral species. The color is caused by iron and titanium impurities. Rose Quartz is 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching.
|
| Ruby |
The best shade of red for ruby is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade of red up to almost pink.
Ruby is the red variety of corundum, the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. Rubies come from all over the world but good gemstones are found at Thailand, India, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, North Carolina in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Kampuchea, and perhaps most notably, Burma.
|
| Sapphire |
One of the world top three best-selling gemstones, the world's best sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Thailand, and Brazil. Sapphire is 9 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Sodalite |
Dark blue in color, sodalite is frequently mistaken for lapis, however the presence of white veins are only present in the sodalite mineral. |
| Spinel |
Color is red, green, blue, purple, brown, and black; but red is by far the more common color. Spinel's red color so closely resembles that of fine ruby, making spinel a less expensive substitute for many jewelers. Spinel is magnesium aluminum oxide. Spinel is a 7.5-8.0 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching.
|
| Sugilite |
The mid range purple is typical color for the mineral named sugilite, named for the Japanese geologist Ken-ichi Sugi, who discovered it. |
| Tanzanite |
Tanzanite is one of the most popular of the purple colored gemstones. Pleochroism is very pronounced in tanzanite and is seen as three different color shades in the same stone. In the viewing a tanzanite stone, the colors dark blue, green-yellow and red-purple can be seen, all a result of pleochroism. Lesser stones may have a brownish color due to the mixing of blue, purple and green. |
| Tiger Eye |
Tiger's Eye, much like the eyes of a female cat, glitters with a small ray of light on the surface. This property of stone is known as chatoyancy. It is a brown quartz silicon dioxide having lustrous yellow and brown parallel fibers. The presence of iron oxides gives the stone the color of yellow-gold. Tiger Eye is a 7 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching effect. |
| Topaz |
Topaz is frequently found in 10 colors in nature, with the pink to reddish orange known as imperial topaz known to be the scarcest and most valuable. Topaz is a 8 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Tourmaline |
The colors of tourmaline are highly varied and may even present themselves as bicolor as in the pink and green variety known as "watermelon tourmaline". Elbaite is the gemstone tourmaline and comes in many varied and beautiful colors. It is transparent to translucent and is highly prized as minerals specimens and as gemstones. Elbaite is easily the most colorful of all the gemstones. |
| Turquoise |
Turquoise is a valuable mineral and is possibly the most valuable, non-transparent mineral in the jewelry trade. It has been mined for eons since at least 6000 BC. by early Egyptians. Its history also includes beautiful ornamental creations by Native Americans and Persians. Its popularity is still quite strong today. Turquoise is a 5 - 6 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
| Zircon |
Zircon The mineral zircon has been known to man for over 3000 yers and has been called such names as jargon, hyacinth and jacinth. Colors are brown, red, yellow, green, blue, black, and colorless. Zircon is a 7.5 on the Mohs' scale which measures the hardness of a gemstone in regards to its resistance to scratching. |
