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This is a list of gemstones, organized by species and types.
Minerals
editThere are over 300 types of minerals that have been used as gemstones. Such as:
A–B
edit- Actinolite
- Nephrite (var.)
- Adamite
- Aegirine
- Afghanite
- Agrellite
- Algodonite
- Alunite
- Amblygonite
- Analcime
- Anatase
- Andalusite
- Andesine
- Anglesite
- Anhydrite
- Annabergite
- Anorthite
- Antigorite
- Apatite
- Apophyllite
- Aragonite
- Arfvedsonite
- Asbestos
- Astrophyllite
- Atacamite
- Augelite
- Austinite
- Axinite group:
- Azurmalachite
- Azurite
- Baryte
- Bastnaesite
- Bayldonite
- Benitoite
- Beryl subgroup:
- Beryllonite
- Beudantite
- Bismutotantalite
- Biotite
- Boleite
- Boracite
- Bornite
- Brazilianite
- Breithauptite
- Brookite
- Brucite
- Bustamite
- Bytownite
C–F
edit- Calcite
- Manganoan calcite (var.)
- Caledonite
- Canasite
- Cancrinite
- Carletonite
- Carnallite
- Cassiterite
- Catapleiite
- Cavansite
- Celestite
- Ceruleite
- Cerussite
- Chabazite
- Chalcopyrite
- Chambersite
- Charlesite
- Charoite
- Childrenite
- Chiolite
- Chondrodite
- Chrysoberyl
- Alexandrite (var.)
- Cymophane
- Chromite
- Chrysocolla
- Chrysotile
- Cinnabar
- Clinochlore
- Clinohumite
- Clinozoisite
- Clintonite
- Cobaltite
- Colemanite
- Cordierite
- Iolite (var.)
- Cornwallite
- Corundum
- Ruby (var.)
- Sapphire (var.)
- Golden sheen sapphire
- Covellite
- Creedite
- Crocoite
- Cryolite
- Cumberlandite
- Cuprite
- Danburite
- Datolite
- Descloizite
- Diamond
- Diaspore
- Dickinsonite
- Diopside
- Dioptase
- Dolomite
- Dumortierite
- Ekanite
- Elbaite
- Emerald
- Trapiche emerald (var.)
- Enstatite
- Eosphorite
- Epidote
- Erythrite
- Esperite
- Ettringite
- Euclase
- Eudialyte
- Euxenite
- Fayalite
- Feldspar subgroup:
- Fergusonite
- Ferroaxinite
- Fluorapatite
- Fluorapophyllite
- Fluorite
- Forsterite
- Friedelite
G–L
edit- Gadolinite
- Gahnite
- Gahnospinel
- Garnet group:
- Pyralspite
- Ugrandite
- Almandine-pyrope
- Andradite-grossular
- Grandite (Mali garnet)
- Pyrope-almandine-spessartine
- Pyrope-spessartine
- Gaspeite
- Gaylussite
- Gibbsite
- Glaucophane
- Goethite
- Goosecreekite
- Grandidierite
- Gypsum
- Gyrolite
- Halite
- Hambergite
- Hanksite
- Hardystonite
- Hauyne
- Helenite
- Hematite
- Hemimorphite
- Herderite
- Hexagonite
- Hibonite
- Hiddenite
- Hodgkinsonite
- Holtite
- Howlite
- Huebnerite
- Humite
- Hureaulite
- Hurlbutite
- Hyperitdiabas
- Ilmenite
- Inderite
- Jade
- Jasper
- Jeremejevite
- Kainite
- Kämmererite
- Kaolinite
- Kornerupine
- Kutnohorite
- Kurnakovite
- Kyanite
- Langbeinite
- Lawsonite
- Lazulite
- Lazurite
- Legrandite
- Lepidolite
- Leucite
- Leucophanite
- Linarite
- Lizardite
- Londonite
- Ludlamite
- Ludwigite
M–Q
edit- Magnesite
- Malachite
- Marialite-meionite
- Wernerite (var.)
- Marcasite
- Meliphanite
- Mellite
- Mesolite
- Microcline
- Microlite
- Milarite
- Millerite
- Mimetite
- Monazite
- Mordenite
- Mottramite
- Muscovite
- Fuchsite (var.)
- Musgravite
- Nambulite
- Narsarsukite
- Natrolite
- Nepheline
- Neptunite
- Nickeline (Niccolite)
- Nosean
- Nuummite
- Olivine
- Opal
- Painite
- Palygorskite
- Papagoite
- Pargasite
- Parisite
- Pectolite
- Pentlandite
- Peridot
- Periclase
- Perthite
- Petalite (castorite)
- Pezzottaite
- Phenakite
- Phlogopite
- Phosgenite
- Phosphophyllite
- Phosphosiderite
- Piemontite
- Pietersite
- Plumbogummite
- Pollucite
- Polyhalite
- Poudretteite
- Powellite
- Prehnite
- Prismatine
- Prosopite
- Proustite
- Psilomelane
- Pumpellyite
- Chlorastrolite (var.)
- Purpurite
- Pyrite
- Pyrargyrite
- Pyromorphite
- Pyrophyllite
- Pyroxmangite
- Pyrrhotite
- Quartz
- Amethyst (var.)
- Ametrine (var.)
- Aventurine (var.)
- Chalcedony (var.)
- Citrine (var.)
- Druzy (var.)
- Flint (var.)
- Herkimer diamond (var.)
- Milky quartz (var.)
- Prasiolite (var.)
- Radiolarite (var.)
- Rose quartz (var.)
- Rock crystal (var.)
- Shocked quartz (var.)
- Smoky quartz (var.)
- Quartzite
R–Z
edit- Realgar
- Rhodizite
- Rhodochrosite
- Rhodonite
- Richterite
- Riebeckite
- Crocidolite (var.)
- Rosasite
- Rutile
- Samarskite
- Sanidine
- Sapphirine
- Sarcolite
- Scapolite
- Scheelite
- Schizolite
- Scorodite
- Selenite
- Sellaite
- Senarmontite
- Sepiolite (Meerschaum)
- Sérandite
- Seraphinite
- Serendibite
- Serpentine subgroup
- Shattuckite
- Shigaite
- Shortite
- Shungite
- Siderite
- Sillimanite
- Simpsonite
- Sinhalite
- Smaltite
- Smithsonite
- Sodalite
- Hackmanite (var.)
- Sogdianite
- Sperrylite
- Spessartite
- Sphalerite
- Spinel
- Ceylonite (var.)
- Spodumene
- Spurrite
- Staurolite
- Stibiotantalite
- Stichtite
- Stolzite
- Strontianite
- Strontium titanate
- Sulfur
- Sugilite
- Bustamite (var.)
- Richterite (var.)
- Sylvite
- Taaffeite
- Talc
- Tantalite
- Tektites
- Tephroite
- Thomsonite
- Thaumasite
- Tinaksite
- Titanite (sphene)
- Topaz
- Tourmaline subgroup:
- Achroite (var.)
- Chrome (var.)
- Dravite
- Elbaite
- Fluor-liddicoatite
- Indicolite
- Olenite
- Paraiba (var.)
- Rossmanite
- Rubellite (var.)
- Tremolite
- Hexagonite (var.)
- Triphylite
- Triplite
- Tugtupite
- Turquoise
- Ulexite
- Ussingite
- Vanadinite
- Variscite
- Väyrynenite
- Vesuvianite (idocrase)
- Californite (var.)
- Villiaumite
- Vivianite
- Vlasovite
- Wardite
- Wavellite
- Weloganite
- Whewellite
- Wilkeite
- Willemite
- Witherite
- Wollastonite
- Wulfenite
- Wurtzite
- Xonotlite
- Yugawaralite
- Zektzerite
- Zeolites
- Zincite
- Zinnwaldite
- Zircon
- Jacinth (var.)
- Zoisite
- Zultanite
- Zunyite
Artificial and lab created
editThere are a number of artificial and lab grown minerals used to produce gemstones. These include:
- Lab alexandrite
- Lab corundum
- Cubic zirconia
- Lab diamond
- Lab emerald
- Fordite
- Gadolinium gallium garnet
- Lab moissanite
- Synthetic opal
- Metal-coated crystals hyped as rainbow quartz
- Lab spinel
- Synthetic turquoise
- Terbium gallium garnet
- Trinitite
- Yttrium aluminium garnet
- Yttrium iron garnet
Organic
editThere are a number of organic materials used as gems, including:
Rocks
editSome rocks are used as gems, including:
- Anthracite
- Anyolite
- Bauxite
- Concretions
- Bloodstone (Heliotrope)
- Eilat stone
- Epidosite
- Glimmerite
- Goldstone (glittering glass)
- Hawk's eye
- Helenite (artificial glass made from volcanic ash)
- Iddingsite
- Kimberlite
- Lamproite
- Lapis lazuli
- Libyan desert glass
- Llanite
- Maw sit sit
- Moldavite
- Obsidian
- Apache tears
- Pallasite
- Peridotite (also known as olivinite)
- Siilinjärvi carbonatite
- Soapstone (also known as steatite)
- Tactite
- Tiger's eye
- Unakite
Chatoyant gems
editSome minerals made into gemstones may display a chatoyancy or cat's eye effect, these include:[1]
- Actinolite
- Andalusite
- Apatite
- Beryl
- Beryllium
- Beryllonite
- Calcite
- Cerussite
- Chrysoberyl
- Danburite
- Diaspore
- Diopside
- Enstatite
- Garnet
- Grandidierite
- Hawk's eye
- Hypersthene
- Iolite
- Kornerupine
- Kunzite
- Kyanite
- Moonstone
- Opal
- Peridot
- Peristerite (Albite variety)
- Pezzottaite
- Phenakite
- Prasiolite
- Prehnite
- Quartz
- Rhodonite
- Rutile
- Scapolite
- Selenite
- Serpentine
- Sillimanite
- Smoky Quartz
- Spinel
- Sunstone
- Tanzanite
- Tiger's Eye
- Topaz
- Tourmaline
- Ulexite
- Zircon
Asterism
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the World, 5th edition, 2013 ISBN 978-1454909538
Further reading
edit- Gemstones of the World revised 5th edition, 2013 by Walter Schumann ISBN 978-1454909538
- Smithsonian Handbook: Gemstones by Cally Hall, 2nd ed. 2002 ISBN 978-0789489852