Gemstones are the most beautiful and heart-melting natural creation of nature. They have been here on earth with mankind for billions of years. Always contributing to the good only, gemstones have been a great companion of humans from ancient times. Whether it is Ancient Egypt, Greece, or China, tapping on its history you will see a great deal of importance for gemstones.
These are basically precious minerals that are naturally extracted from the environment. Coming from natural surroundings there are various beliefs associated with the mysterious powers embedded in these shiny crystals.
From the very dawn of Human Civilization, the colorful gems have always fascinated us. Their possession has always provided one with happiness, luck, peace, and prosperity. People have categorized these crystals into precious and semi-precious.
Precious gemstones are those that are high in value and rarity. Most people consider only four gems into this category includes – Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire. But with time, this definition changed as Garnet being a semi-precious stone can be found higher in value than a diamond. Thus, people mostly started addressing these beautiful eye candy as colorful gems, except for diamonds.
Different Types Of Gemstones
Semi-precious stones are those that are adored because of their natural color and appearance and are available in almost all sorts of price ranges from low to high. When it comes to the types of gemstones, you get a plethora of options with different sorts of colors and compositions. We are going to such different types of gemstones in this article one by one.
1. Amethyst
- Class – Quartz crystal
- Color – Purple to violet, Reddish Purple
- Hardness – 7 on the Mohs scale
- Origin – Sri Lanka, Brazil, India, Russia, Australia, and many other parts of the world.
Amethyst is naturally bold in color, and people love to include it in their collection. Thus, Amethyst Jewelry is quite famed for its cocktail and party-like appearance. Although, it gets its name from the Greek word “Amethystos” which means not drunken. Its color is because of the presence of manganese, titanium, and iron in its composition. You can easily see different shades of the parent violet color in multiple crystals and rich-colored crystals are more valuable because of their high demand. The natural metaphysical properties of the gem are quite high and its meaning depicts love and good luck.
2. Opal
- Component – Water
- Color – White, Black, Red, Yellow, Colorless (basically almost every color)
- Hardness – 5 to 6.5 on Mohs scale
- Source – Japan, Russia, Australia, Mexico, and many other parts
The gem is quite famous and highly adored among jewelry fonder mainly because of its wide variety and availability in almost every color. What makes this gem different and attracts a lot of attention towards it is its property of Opalescence. It is a play of colors that this crystal exhibits when looked upon from different angles. When held in sunlight properly, allowing light to properly get absorbed and reflect back, it reflects a rainbow full of colors which is enough to make anyone awe-struck. Thus Opal Jewelry is high in demand.
3. Larimar
- Composition – Pectolite
- Color – Blue, Green-blue, and White
- Hardness – 4.5 to 5
- Origin – Dominican Republic of Caribbean
This beautiful crystal has tranquility and calmness of serene water and sky. People love to include something like Larimar Jewelry in their collection as the striking white on its surface naturally eases the wearer. The stone is believed to bring wisdom and is also called the Bluestone of Atlantis. It alleviates pain and harmonizes the body, mind, and soul.
4. Moonstone
- Color – Generally colorless with a blue sheen
- Appearance – Opaque to translucent
- Hardness – 6 to 6.5 on Mohs scale
- Composition – Orthoclase feldspar
Moonstone with its sheer shine reflecting to that of the moon is capable enough to stun anyone with its appearance. Although one can rarely see some transparent versions available that are highly valuable. People wear Moonstone Jewelry which also goes by the name Moon Magic Jewelry to experience the brilliant healings embedded with it. It signifies love, protection and has started a different tale of lore. Couples today use it to gift it to their partner that depicts eternal commitment.
5. Moldavite
- Composition – Tektite
- Color – Mostly Forest green
- Hardness – 5.5 to 7 on Mohs scale
- Source – Czech Republic
Most of the Moldavite crystal remains studded deeply inside the earth which makes it quite hard to extract. Also, it is available only in limited quantity, which makes it highly valuable and rare. The crystal has strong vibrations that can be immediately felt. It awakens a sense of self-awareness and helps connect with the root chakra. People love Moldavite Jewelry for its extremely rich green color that looks stunning and is pretty rare to find in gems.
6. Turquoise
- Composition – Aluminum, Copper
- Color – Light to dark Blue, Blue-Green
- Hardness – 6 on the Mohs scale
- Source – Iran, Egypt, Southwest US
Being a December Birthstone, the crystal is extremely beneficial for the people born in the month of December. It helps in aligning different chakras in the body and can instill calm, helping fight the battles against anxiety and depression. Its healing properties are believed to improve the immune system and digestion-related issues. Turquoise Jewelry is loved for creating the perfect Boho look and fashion enthusiasts love including it in their jewelry.
7. Aquamarine
- Composition – Beryl
- Color – Blue, Sea-green
- Hardness – 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale
- Source – Brazil, Madagascar, Afghanistan, India, Zambia, Mozambique, the USA, and many other parts of the world.
This crystal has beautiful light blue tones of the sky and dark-blue tones of the sea. There is special attention and love reserved for blue-colored gems because of their rarity and such deep and rich color. The darker the shade of blue, the higher the value. It is a March Birthstone and is believed to provide special benefits to the people born in the month of March. Its high hardness level makes it suitable to create bewitching Aquamarine Jewelry designs and protects it from any scratches, making it quite easy to manage.
8. Peridot
- Composition – Iron Manganese silicate
- Color – Yellow Green, Olive, Brownish Green
- Hardness – 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale
- Mineral Class – Olivine
- Source – Australia, Sri Lanka, Burma, Arizona, USA, Afghanistan, and many other parts of the world.
Peridot is one of the oldest crystals yet most fascinating one to date. It belongs to the Olivine mineral class and has transparent to translucent shine. The richness of the color in Peridot depends on the quantity of iron present inside it. The gem is one of those rare ones that exist in a single color that increases its value. Peridot Jewelry when paired up with 925 sterling silver creates eye-catchy designs and looks really elegant. If you like something classy and heart-melting, this is the gem for you.
9. Citrine
- Composition – Quartz
- Color – Light Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Amber-Brown, Brilliant Orange
- Hardness – 7 on the Mohs scale
- Source – South America, Brazil, Madagascar, Russia, and Spain
This beautiful lemon-yellow colored gem is a great head-turner and Citrine Jewelry is famed for its uniqueness. It gets its name because of its appearance “Citrin” meaning yellow. There are not many pure yellow-colored gems available naturally, thus is it is cherished for its exquisiteness. It is highly durable, not prone to scratches easily, and perfectly fits everyone’s budget making it suitable to include in everyday jewelry. There’s a Citrine for everyone and you can cherish its beauty easily.
10. Garnet
- Composition – Quartz mineral
- Color – Red, White, Green, Black, Yellow
- Hardness – 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale
- Source – USA, Tanzania, Madagascar, India, Australia, and many other parts of the world.
Garnet, having a rich red-purplish shade is loved for its bold appearance yet classy texture. It gets its name from its appearance that resembles the seeds of a pomegranate. Garnet Jewelry is really elegant and is used in the representation of love again for its deep red color that signifies love and passion. Although it is available in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, the most prominent variety is a deep red colored one and its value generally depends on its transparency and clarity.
These were a few varieties described briefly above, to provide you with an introduction to gemstones. There are different types of gemstones found and naturally obtained from the environment, each with unique properties and its specialty. Choosing the gemstone jewelry from most famous jewelry designers that is highly suitable for you, can be sometimes tricky, but rest assured, once you incorporate one of these in your life, there is no turning back.
Keeping in mind different metaphysical properties and healings offered by these crystals, you can make a decision on what to add to your collection. While choosing your favorite gem, don’t forget to check about its care and cleansing and accordingly choose it depending on its usage.
No matter, what gemstone you choose for yourself, don’t forget to stay real and enjoy the process thoroughly.
