Clear Answers for Common Questions

Sapphires have been prized gemstones for centuries. Because of their brilliant hues, sapphires have been worn by royals and even included in crown jewels. For example, the imperial crown of Iran’s Pahlavi dynasty, which was the last dynasty to rule the country, includes a twenty carat sapphire. A particular ...

Tanzanite is a rare gem which has been celebrated as one of the most exciting finds of the 20th century. Manuel D’Souza discovered the gem in 1967 in Tanzania. He was directed to a cache of stones by Maasai tribesmen, so original credit of discovery should really go the ...

Semi-precious gemstones are minerals or organic compounds used in jewelry and adornment. They differ from the four cardinal gems, diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald, because they are more plentiful and therefore, are usually less expensive. Amethyst was once considered the fifth cardinal gem, but recent discoveries of extensive South ...

Alexandrite (the gem version of Beryllium) is one of the world’s most expensive gemstones. It’s prized because it has color changing-properties. In natural light it can look blue to blue-green, but under indoor light it looks red. Its hardness, 8.5 on the Mohs scale, makes ...

Peridots are yellow-green gems, enjoyed by many. They may also be called precious olivine. Peridots are sometimes confused with emeralds because of their coloring. The distinction is simple, though. Emeralds range in color from green to dark green, with blue undertones. Peridots always have a touch of yellow in ...

Ammolite is an iridescent gemstone which originates primarily in the Rocky Mountains of North America, although limited deposits can also be found in other regions of the world. This gemstone is also referred to as korite, aapoak, calcenite, or gem ammonite. This gemstone has been used in jewelry since the ...

Biogenic precious gems are gemstones of biological origin, created through natural biological processes rather than geologic processes. Depending on the stone in question, some biogenic precious gems are totally biogenic, while others involve a mixing of natural and geological processes: gem-quality fossils, for example, are biogenic but also mineral ...

Marcasite is a mineral formed from iron sulfate. It is occasionally called white pyrite, but is not pyrite, or fool’s gold, as it is sometimes called. To further confuse matters, most gems called marcasite, are in reality pyrite. True marcasite disintegrates quickly and does not keep well in gem ...

Emeralds are highly valued, deep green gems, deriving their color from chromium. They are the traditional May birthstone, though those born in May might require deep pockets to obtain a good quality emerald. The nature of their formation leads to a greater number of flaws in emeralds than in some ...

Sapphire is a precious stone or gem that is a form of corundum, a hard mineral of aluminum oxide. Sapphire is prized for its translucent beauty. It is the focal point of many pieces of fine jewelry. Sapphires can be set in pendants, rings, earrings, brooches and tiaras. Sapphire is ...

Topaz is a precious gemstone that is most often amber in color. When pure, this stone is colorless, but additions of minerals create the typical yellow hue. Degree of yellows can vary, some leaning toward brown while others are more greenish. The most desirable of the stones, however, is the ...

Attributing precious and semi-precious stones and to a set of twelve objects can be traced back to the ceremonial breastplate used by Moses' brother, a Jewish High Priest named Aaron. As described in Exodus 28, verses 15-30, the breastplate was adorned with 12 stones, one for each tribe ...

Pearls differ from other gemstones in that they're not mined from rock, but rather harvested from mollusks — especially oysters, although clams and mussels have been known to produce them as well. Basically, a pearl is produced when an irritant such as sand gets caught inside the oyster. To ...

Cubic zirconia is a synthetic gemstone that very closely resembles diamonds. Because of its startling diamond-like appearance and inexpensive price tag,it is a highly popular gemstone used frequently in jewelry such as rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants. Although this stone is synthetic, it is inspired by its natural ...

All that glitters is not gold — sometimes it's rhinestones. They shimmer, sparkle and dance in the light, and they are nothing more than faceted bits of glass. The original rhinestones were rock crystals that were plucked from the shores of the Rhine River in Austria, hence the name ...

Rose quartz is a kind of stone that exhibits tones in various shades of pink and other related colors. It can be pale pink, deep rosy red, and sometimes even light lavender. Like all other kinds of stones, it is made deep in the earth when specific minerals are subject ...

Rhodolite is a mineral, a variety of the pyrope, which belongs to the garnet group of mineral gems. It ranges in color from purple or red to rose pink, and can be light or dark in shade. This reddish color is where rhodolite gets its name. The term rhodolite is ...

Rubies and sapphires are different varieties of the mineral corundum, also known as aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is extremely common, making up more than 15% of the Earth's crust, but it is usually impure, appearing as an opaque rock. When corundum is very pure, it is transparent, and is ...

Citrine is a yellow version of quartz, also known as gold topaz or Spanish topaz. It is not, however, true topaz. It is found in much greater quantity, and is much less expensive to produce and cut into gemstones. Heating other forms of quartz, like amethyst, commercially produces much of ...

A white sapphire is a colorless form of sapphire used in a wide range of jewelry as a diamond substitute. Sapphires tend to be much less expensive than diamonds, and socially conscious purchasers who are concerned about conflict diamonds can avoid political issues by purchasing sapphires instead. Most white sapphires ...

Turquoise is a blue-green mineral, a copper aluminum phosphate, valued for its rarity and unique hue, and widely used as an ornamental stone. Popular in the 16th century to adorn places of worship in Turkey, it was eventually traded in Turkish bazaars and brought to Europe by merchants and ...

Goshenite is a totally clear form of beryl, a mineral which has been used as a gemstone for thousands of years by many cultures. You may see goshenite used as a stand-in for diamonds in some cases, and it is also used more generally as a clear and attractive ...

Sard is an orange-red to brownish-red form of chalcedony which was used extensively in the ancient world for jewelry, seals, and religious regalia. Like other forms of chalcedony, sard is composed primarily of quartz, chemically known as silicon dioxide. The color comes from iron oxide which seeps into ...

Lapis lazuli is a brilliant blue gemstone, which, unlike other gems, is opaque rather than translucent. Lapis is a combination of several minerals, among them lazurite, sodium, aluminum and pyrite. Because it is made of so many minerals, lapis lazuli is called a rock rather than a mineral, which also ...

Opals are stones with tiny crystalline spheres that seem to sparkle as they refract light. Precious opals are known for their “play of color.” While 95% of the world’s opals do not exhibit this play, many prize the precious varieties. Opals exhibit an impressive color range. They can be ...

Aquamarine is a type of pale blue to green gemstone which has been used in ornamental jewelry for centuries. It is a type of beryl, a stone which contains a mixture of beryllium, aluminum, and silicate: other beryls include emeralds, golden beryls called heliodors, and morganites, also known as rose ...

Kyanite, also known as aluminum silicate, is a bluish-green to colorless mineral typically found in metamorphic rocks. This mineral is used commercially in the production of some ceramics, and it is also sometimes cut for use as a gemstone. Often, the mineral is used in the ceramic mixes used ...

A star stone is a gemstone which has been cut and polished in a way which takes advantages of natural inclusions in the stone which create a very distinctive star pattern when light reflects from the stone. Many star stones are sapphires, although rubies and many quartzes can be turned ...

Almandine is a mineral that belongs to the garnet group. It is the most common of the garnets, and is usually red to brown in color. Sometimes, it is so dark red that it appears to be black. Other possible colors found in this mineral include slight shades of purple ...

Amethyst is a variety of quartz that is distinguished by its purple color. Chemically, the stone is described as SiO2, or silicon dioxide, along with other quartzes. The transparent crystalline stone is often used in jewelry such as rings and necklaces, and some people believe that the color has soothing ...

Carnelian is a reddish brown to orange gemstone frequently used in jewelry such as beaded necklaces, engraved brooches, and rings. The distinctive reddish color of the stone is quite elegant, especially when the stone is used in larger settings which showcase the delicate color variations and striations found in individual ...