stones glossary
I have made many beautiful earring styles using almost all of these stones.
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Agate: These colorful banded rocks are a semiprecious gemstone. The Agate's banding occurs as silica is slowly deposited into cavities and veins in older rock. Important sources of Agate are Brazil, Uruguay, and in the United States: Oregon, Washington, and around Lake Superior. Moss Agate contains visible impurities in the form of dendritic shapes that resemble moss. top »
Amazonite: Although the name is taken from the Amazon River, no deposits have ever been found there. It is a light blue mineral of limited occurence. The stone may exhibit fine white streaks or an iridescent luster. Amazonite is obtained in Russia, Madagascar, Italy, or Colorado in the United States. top »
Amber: This semiprecious gemstone is actually fossilized tree resin. The best commercial Amber is transparent, but some varieties are cloudy or have inclusions. Colors range from brown and yellow to blue and green. To be classified as Amber, the resin must be several million years old. The tree species that produced Amber are now extinct. The most famous source for top quality Amber is the Baltic coast of Germany. Because it is often lab-imitated, I import my Amber directly from Lithuania. top »
Amethyst: A violet or purple variety of Quartz, Amethyst is one of the earliest known gemstones. It was often used by the ancient Egyptians. Beads of Amethyst were found in old Anglo-Saxon graves in England. Many of the finest specimens are found in Russia, India, and Sri-Lanka. top »
Apatite: This mineral's distinct color comes from the presence of chlorine and fluorine in the stone. The stone ranges from transparent to opaque in shades of green, brown, yellow, and purple. Blue-green is the most valued for jewelry. Deposits are mined in Idaho, Tennessee, and Wyoming, as well as North Africa and Russia. top »
Aventurine: Aventurine is a form of Quartz characterized by its translucency. The presence of mineral occlusions gives it a shimmering or glistening effect. The most common color is green, but it may also be orange, yellow, brown, blue, or gray. Aventurine is found in Chile, Spain, and Russia. top »
Black Spinel: True Spinel has long been found in the gemstone-bearing gravel of Sri-Lanka and in the limestone of Myanmar and Thailand. The common bright red color is often confused with Ruby. Black Spinel is a rare form, most famously known as the "Black Princes Ruby" in the British Crown Jewel collection. top »
Blue Chalcedony: Chalcedony comes in all colors of the rainbow. Pale blue, yellow, brown, or gray have a nearly wax-like luster. The Romans prized Chalcedony to use as seals. The Victorians often carved them as cameos. The Italians used them in mosaics. It is one of the best-wearing stones on the market, and highly collected. Chalcedony is found in India, Madagascar, Burma, Brazil, and Mexico. top »
Chrysoprase: This is a bright green variety of Chalcedony. The color is created by the presence of nickel in the stone. Due to its comparative scarcity and pleasing green color, Chrysoprase is one of the most prized varieties of Quartz. The best sources are Queensland, Western Australia, Germany, Poland, Russia, and Brasil. top »
Citrine: Semiprecious yellow Quartz resembling Topaz. Most commercial Citrine is, in fact, heat-treated Amethyst. top »
Citrus Jade: Jade has been prized by the Chinese and Japanese, as well as pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peoples, as the most precious of all gems. This versatile stone comes in many shades of green, yellow, white and red. top »
Clamshell: Made of natural mother-of-pearl, the color is white or cream and mostly opaque, with light to medium translucent shine. It is rare in round bead form. Shell beads were often used by native Americans asWampum, or currency. top »
Coral: Coral grows in a variety of colors: red, rose, salmon, orange, blue, white, or black. Coral is the skeletal material of calcium carbonate. Usually branchlike, the most sought after colors are rose or red. Natural coral has a distinctive wood grain texture that identifies it as the "real thing". Coral is considered to be a gemstone and has often been used in Indian jewelry. The best deposits come from the Mediterranian Sea. top »
Garnet: Hessonite, yellow and brown Garnet, comes chiefly from Sri-Lanka. Green Garnet is found in Mexico. Deep red Garnet is mined in South Africa and Arizona. The purple oxblood variety is found in South Carolina. top »
Gaspeite: Originally found at the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Canada, the best quality now comes from North of Perth Australia. This very rare stone of beautiful apple green has a color which is quite unique. top »
Jasper: Jasper is an opaque, impure variety of Quartz. It is usually red, yellow, or brown. The region where Jasper is found produces unique characteristics of colors and patterns. Ocean Jasper, found in tide pools off Madagascar, is millions of years old. top »
Lapis Lazuli: Deep blue in color, this opaque stone is usually flecked with white specks of iron. Sources of supply are Afghanistan, Chile, Siberia, California, and Colorado. This material has been used since ancient times for beads and small ornaments. top »
Mookaite: This newly found stone comes in brilliant colors of deep maroon, cream white, orangish-yellow, and mauvish-pink. These colors are often combined in one cut stone. Mookaite is a beautiful Jasper found only in one region of Australia. top »
Moonstone: Named for its semblance to the color of the Moon, this stone comes clear to white, gray, brown, black, yellow, orange, green, or pink. Clarity ranges from transparent to translucent with a silvery iridescence. Rainbow Moonstone exhibits a blue flashy fire within the layers of stone. It was very popular with the Romans, who used it in jewelry since 100 AD. top »
Onyx: The black and white layers of Onyx have been used as cameo stone by the Romans. The chief deposits are in India and South America. top »
Peruvian Opal: This blue Opal is relatively rare and comes from the Andes in Peru. It is a translucent stone with color similar to the Carribean Sea. It is usually found with dendritic inclusions. Very high quality specimens have very little variance in color. top »
Prehnite: A translucent light green stone with a pearly luster, Prehnite was first discovered in South Africa by Colonel Prehn, an early Dutch governor of the Cape of Good Hope. top »
Rhodocrosite: Light pink in color with a vitreous luster, Rhodocrosite is mined almost exclusively in Argentina. The mine was uncovered in 1938 by an explorer who found an Inca mummy holding a Rhodocrosite amulet in his hand. It is usually identified by a circular or banded pattern in the stone. top »
Rutilated Quartz: A clear mineral with needle-like crystals of iron suspended within the Quartz. It is the most stable form of titanium dioxide and is a major source of titanium. top »
Sapphire: This precious stone is among the most valuable of gemstones. It is found mostly in Thailand, Sri-Lanka, and Myanmar in Australia, and in Montana in the United States. Sapphire usually refers to the blue variety but it is also available in pink, yellow, green, and white. Sapphires can come in almost any color except bright red, which is classified as a Ruby. The pink-orange Sapphire, called a Padparacha, is highly prized. top »
Sodalite: Sodalite is a rare, rich royal blue mineral widely enjoyed as an ornamental stone. It is often mottled with white veins or patches. Sodalite was discovered in Greenland in 1806. top »
Sugilite: Sugilite is usually found in opaque light purple with black veins. Another form is the very rare Gel Sugilite, which colored royal grape purple. The richer the purple, the higher the value. I use the semi-translucent magenta-grape Sugilite from the top-quality mined material in South Africa. It is very beautiful and rare. top »
Tourmaline: Lithium-rich Tourmaline can be found in a wide variety of colors. Blue, green, red, pink, and yellow are common, as are Bi-colored crystals. Those that are green on one end and pink on the other are known as watermelon Tourmaline. The beauty of this stone lies in its rich colors and transparency. top »
Turquoise: Turquoise was one of the first gems to be mined. Although some mines have been depleted, a few are still worked to this day. Ancient Turquoise was mined in Iran and Egypt as early as 3000 BCE. Today the southwest United States is a significant source. Colors range from yellow to green to the highly desirable robins-egg blue. top »