Malachite

There are so many common gemstone treatments available today that keeping track of them can be difficult. This list and handy cheat sheet can help.…

Since ancient times, emerald has been synonymous with “green.” However, there are so many more green gems, giving you plenty of alternatives…

Emeralds are notorious for growing extremely large. These examples are some of the world’s largest emeralds! If you know of something missing…

Gemstone radiation is a common but little understood technique for altering colors. Learn how it works and what gems usually receive this treatment.…

Although gemstone magnetism isn’t commonly tested, it can help gemologists distinguish similar looking gems. Learn how to analyze this property.…

Blue is one of the rarest colors in nature. Nevertheless, blue gemstones are always in demand for jewelry. While people have adorned themselves…

Streak testing is a destructive gemstone test rarely used by gemologists, but it is a standard diagnostic test for mineralogists. Most gems leave…

Dioptase has a beautiful, emerald-like green color. Although this mineral isn’t rare, gems are seldom faceted because of a paucity of clean…

This table contains a selection of minerals gemologists may encounter as jewelry stones or gem specimens. The gems are sorted by their crystal…