Agate is a relatively inexpensive stone except for some varieties with unusual banded or scenic markings. Often tiny quartz crystals form within the stone and add to the beauty and uniqueness of individual stones. It usually occurs as rounded nodules or veins. Agate is a variety of chalcedony formed from layers of quartz which usually show varicolored bands. Agates are found in almost all colors of the rainbow. Pearls don't even qualify as mineraloids, as they are not only the result of an organic process they are also composites, containing both the mineral aragonite and the protein conchiolin.Īgate Ancient Coins Amazonite Amber Amethyst Ametrine Ammonites Apatite Aqua Aura Aquamarine Aventurine Bumble Bee Jasper Chalcedony Charoite Chinese Writing Stones Chrysocolla Chrysoprase Cinnabar Citrine Coral Diamonds Druzy Emerald F luorite Fordite Gaspeite Hematite Hemimorphite Iolite Jade Jasper K2 Afghanite Kyanite Laboradite Lapis Lazuli Larimar Malachite Moldavite Moonstone Mother of Pearl Ocean Jasper Onyx Opal Orthoceras P eanut Wood Pietersite Pearl Peridot Prasiolite Prehnite Psilomelane Quartz Rhodochrosite Ruby Ruby Zoiscite Sapphire Smoky Quartz Sodalite Sugilite Tiger's Eye Topaz Tourmaline Turquoise VarisciteĪgate is a hard stone, usually within the range of 7-9 on the Mohs scale. There are also many gemstones that are not true minerals, but which are gemstone varieties of recognized minerals.Ī few gemstones are mineraloids (not true minerals) such as opal, amber, and moldavite. A few gems are oxides and only one gem, diamond, is composed of a single element, carbon. All gemstones have some characteristics falling short of perfection though even the seemingly perfect Diamond. Most gems are silicates which can be very stable, hard minerals. Most gemstones have good hardness (above 5) and a high index of refraction (the higher the index of refraction the greater the sparkle). Others are too common and are given a semi-precious status. Some minerals can be very beautiful, but they may be too soft and will scratch easily. Generally speaking, a gemstone is a stone that is beautiful, rare, and durable (resistant to abrasion, fracturing and chemical reactions). There are over 3,000 different minerals, but only about 50 are commonly used as gemstones! So what makes a gemstone?
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