A gemstone is a mineral of gem quality. Some examples of gemstones could be agate , amber , onyx , pearl , and bloodstone . These are just some of the many gemstones that exist in this world. Gemstones tend to be naturally occurring.
List of gemstones by species[]
This is a list of gemstones, organized by species and type.
Minerals[]
There are over 300 types of minerals that have been used as gemstones. These include:
A - B[]
- Actinolite
- Nephrite (var.)
- Adamite
- Aegirine
- Afghanite
- Agrellite
- Alunite
- Amblygonite
- Analcime
- Anatase
- Andalusite
- Chiastolite
- Andesine
- Anglesite
- Anhydrite
- Annabergite
- Antigorite
- Bowenite
- Apatite
- Apophyllite
- Aragonite
- Arfvedsonite
- Astrophyllite
- Atacamite
- Austinite
- Axinite group:
- Ferroaxinite
- Magnesioaxinite
- Manganaxinite
- Tinzenite
- Azurmalachite
- Azurite
- Baryte
- Bastnaesite
- Bayldonite
- Benitoite
- Beryl subgroup:
- Aquamarine
- Emerald
- Goshenite
- Golden beryl
- Heliodor
- Morganite
- Red beryl
- Beryllonite
- Beudantite
- Biotite
- Boleite
- Boracite
- Bornite
- Brazilianite
- Brookite
- Brucite
- Bustamite
- Bytownite
C - F[]
- Calcite
- Manganocalcite (var.)
- Caledonite
- Cancrinite
- Vishnevite
- Carletonite
- Carnallite
- Carnelian
- Cassiterite
- Cavansite
- Celestite (celestine)
- Cerussite
- Chabazite
- Chalcopyrite
- Chambersite
- Charlesite
- Charoite
- Childrenite
- Chondrodite
- Chrysoberyl
- Alexandrite (var.)
- Cymophane
- Chromite
- Chrysocolla
- Chrysotile
- Cinnabar
- Clinochlore
- Clinohumite
- Clinozoisite
- Clintonite
- Coral
- Cordierite
- Iolite (var.)
- Cornwallite
- Corundum
- Ruby (var.)
- Sapphire (var.)
- Padparadscha
- Covellite
- Creedite
- Cryolite
- Cuprite
- Danburite
- Datolite
- Descloizite
- Diamond
- Bort
- Diaspore
- Diopside
- Dioptase
- Dolomite
- Dumortierite
- Elbaite
- Emerald
- Trapiche emerald (var.)
- Enstatite
- Bronzite
- Hypersthene
- Eosphorite
- Epidote
- Piemontite
- Erythrite
- Esperite
- Ettringite
- Euclase
- Eudialyte
- Fayalite
- Ferroaxinite
- Feldspar subgroup:
- Andesine
- Albite
- Anorthite
- Anorthoclase
- Amazonite
- Bytownite
- Celsian
- Labradorite
- Microcline
- Moonstone
- Adularia (var.)
- Rainbow (var.)
- Orthoclase
- Sanidine
- Sunstone
- Fluorapatite
- Fluorapophyllite
- Fluorite
- Forsterite
G - L[]
- Gahnite
- Garnet group:
- Pyralspite
- Almandine
- Pyrope
- Spessartine
- Ugrandite
- Andradite
- Demantoid
- Melanite
- Topazolite
- Grossular
- Hessonite
- Hydrogrossular
- Tsavorite
- Uvarovite
- Andradite
- Almandine-Pyrope
- Rhodolite
- Andradite-Grossular
- Grandite (Mali Garnet)
- Pyrope-Almandine-Spessartine
- Malaia garnet
- Pyrope-Spessartine
- Umbalite
- Pyralspite
- Gaspeite
- Gaylussite
- Gibbsite
- Glaucophane
- Goethite
- Goosecreekite
- Grandidierite
- Gypsum
- Gyrolite
- Halite
- Hambergite
- Hanksite
- Hardystonite
- Hauyne
- Hematite
- Hemimorphite
- Herderite
- Hexagonite
- Hibonite
- Hiddenite
- Hodgkinsonite
- Howlite
- Humite
- Hyalophane
- Iolite
- Jade
- Jadeite
- Chloromelanite
- Nephrite
- Jadeite
- Jasper
- Jeremejevite
- Kainite
- Kornerupine
- Kutnohorite
- Kurnakovite
- Kyanite
- Langbeinite
- Lawsonite
- Lazurite
- Legrandite
- Lepidolite
- Leucite
- Leucophanite
- Linarite
- Lizardite
- Londonite
- Ludlamite
M - Q[]
- Magnesite
- Malachite
- Marialite-Meionite
- Wernerite (var.)
- Mimetite
- Moissanite
- Mottramite
- Muscovite
- Fuchsite (var.)
- Musgravite
- Narsarsukite
- Natrolite
- Nepheline
- Neptunite
- Nickeline
- Nuummite
- Olivine
- Opal
- Painite
- Papagoite
- Pargasite
- Pectolite
- Larimar
- Peridot
- Periclase
- Petalite (castorite)
- Pezzottaite
- Phenakite
- Phlogopite
- Phosgenite
- Phosphophyllite
- Phosphosiderite
- Piemontite
- Pietersite
- Plumbogummite
- Pollucite
- Polyhalite
- Poudretteite
- Prehnite
- Prismatine
- Proustite
- Pumpellyite
- Chlorastrolite (var.)
- Purpurite
- Pyrite
- Pyrargyrite
- Pyromorphite
- Pyrope
- Pyrrhotite
- Quartz
- Amethyst (var.)
- Ametrine (var.)
- Chalcedony (var.)
- Agate
- Iris Agate
- Onyx
- Sardonyx
- Bloodstone(Heliotrope)
- Carnelian
- Chrome Chalcedony
- Chrysoprase
- Dendritic Agate
- Moss Agate
- Fire agate (Iridescentvar.)
- Jasper
- Petrified Wood
- Sard
- Agate
- Citrine (var.)
- Druzy (var.)
- Flint (var.)
- Milky quartz (var.)
- Prasiolite (var.)
- Radiolarite (var.)
- Rose quartz (var.)
- Rock crystal (var.)
- Smoky quartz (var.)
R - Z[]
- Rhodizite
- Rhodochrosite
- Richterite
- Riebeckite
- Crocidolite (var.)
- Rosasite
- Rutile
- Scapolite
- Scheelite
- Schizolite
- Scolecite
- Scorodite
- Selenite
- Sellaite
- Senarmontite
- Sérandite
- Seraphinite
- Serendibite
- Serpentine subgroup
- Antigorite
- Bowenite
- Chrysotile
- Lizardite
- Stichtite
- Shattuckite
- Shigaite
- Shortite
- Shungite
- Siderite
- Sillimanite
- Sinhalite
- Smithsonite
- Sodalite
- Hackmanite (var.)
- Sperrylite
- Spessartite
- Spinel
- Ceylonite (var.)
- Spodumene
- Hiddenite (var.)
- Kunzite (var.)
- Triphane (var.)
- Stichtite
- Staurolite
- Sulfur
- Stolzite
- Sugilite
- Bustamite (var.)
- Richterite (var.)
- Sylvite
- Taaffeite
- Tantalite
- 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.)
- Tugtupite
- Turquoise
- Vanadinite
- Variscite
- Väyrynenite
- Vesuvianite (idocrase)
- Californite (var.)
- Villiaumite
- Vlasovite
- Wavellite
- Weloganite
- Willemite
- Wulfenite
- Xonotlite
- Zektzerite
- Zeolites
- Analcite
- Apophyllite
- Chabazite
- Goosecreekite
- Natrolite
- Stellerite
- Thomsonite
- Zincite
- Zinnwaldite
- Zircon
- Jacinth (var.)
- Zoisite
- Tanzanite (var.)
- Thulite (var.)
Artificial and lab created[]
There 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
- Lab moissanite
- Synthetic opal
- Metal-coated crystals hyped as rainbow quartz
- Lab spinel
- Synthetic turquoise
- Trinitite
- Yttrium aluminium garnet
Organic[]
There are a number of organic materials used as gems, including:
- Amber
- Ammolite
- Bone
- Copal
- Coral
- Jet
- Nacre (Mother of pearl)
- Operculum
- Pearl
Rocks[]
Some rocks are used as gems, including:
- Anyolite
- Bauxite
- Bloodstone
- Eilat stone
- Epidosite
- Hawk's eye
- Helenite (artificial glass made from volcanic ash)
- Iddingsite
- Llanite
- Lapis lazuli
- Libyan desert glass
- Maw sit sit
- Moldavite
- Obsidian
- Apache tears
- Pallasite
- Peridotite (also known as olivinite)
- Soapstone (also known as steatite)
- Tactite
- Tiger's eye
- Unakite
Chatoyant gems[]
Some minerals made into gemstones may display a chatoyancy or cat's eye effect, these include:
- Andalusite
- Aquamarine
- Apatite
- Beryl
- Beryllium
- Calcite
- Chrysoberyl
- Danburite
- Diaspore
- Enstatite
- Emerald
- Grandidierite
- Hawk's eye
- Heliodor
- Hypersthene
- Iolite
- Kornerupine
- Kunzite
- Kyanite
- Moonstone
- Morganite
- Opal
- Peridot
- Peristerite (Albite variety)
- Pezzottaite
- Phenakite
- Prasiolite
- Quartz
- Rhodonite
- Selenite
- Sunstone
- Serpentine
- Antigorite
- Bowenite
- Smoky Quartz
- Tanzanite
- Tiger's Eye
- Tourmaline
- Ulexite
- Unakite
- Zircon