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THE GEMHOOD GEMSTONE LIBRARY
An A–Z field guide to the world's most intriguing gemstones—how they form, where they are found, what makes them beautiful and how to care for jewellery made with them.
DISCOVER WITH CONFIDENCE
Gemstone names can hide important differences. Sapphire and ruby belong to the same mineral family, while jade can mean two distinct minerals. Some stones are mined from a handful of localities; others occur across continents. Understanding those distinctions makes it easier to compare quality, treatments and value.
Our independent GEMHOOD editorial guides separate scientific gem facts from cultural meanings and focus on questions worth asking before you buy.
EDITOR'S SELECTION
A banded form of chalcedony quartz used for ornamental stones and distinctive jewellery.
Explore guide ↗Colour-changing chrysoberyl, typically appearing greenish in daylight and reddish in warm artificial ligh...
Explore guide ↗A blue-green variety of microcline feldspar used as beads and polished decorative stones.
Explore guide ↗Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz, appreciated for its range from gentle lilac to deep violet. Its...
Explore guide ↗FIND THE RIGHT STONE
THE COMPLETE LIBRARY
A banded form of chalcedony quartz used for ornamental stones and distinctive jewellery.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Colour-changing chrysoberyl, typically appearing greenish in daylight and reddish in warm artificial light.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗A blue-green variety of microcline feldspar used as beads and polished decorative stones.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz, appreciated for its range from gentle lilac to deep violet. Its colour and relat...
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Aquamarine belongs to the beryl mineral family. Its recognisable blue to blue-green colouring often appears in delicate pe...
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗A quartz material whose glittering effect is produced by tiny mineral inclusions.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗A scarce blue barium titanium silicate notable for strong dispersion and its California history.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗A usually dark-green chalcedony with contrasting red flecks, traditionally cut as cabochons.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗An orange-to-red variety of chalcedony quartz frequently carved into beads and seals.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗A durable mineral species that includes golden chrysoberyl, cat-eye chrysoberyl and alexandrite.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗An apple-green chalcedony coloured by nickel-bearing compounds, often used as cabochons.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Citrine is a yellow to orange variety of quartz that works well with warm-toned jewellery designs. Colour can range from p...
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Explore gemstone history, properties and care.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Crystalline carbon prized for its hardness and brilliance; natural diamonds form deep within the Earth.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Emerald is a green member of the beryl family and one of the best-known coloured gems. Its appearance can include natural...
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Diamond with naturally occurring noticeable colour such as yellow, pink, blue or green. Colour origin and treatment must b...
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗A calcium fluoride mineral with a broad range of colours; its modest hardness requires care in jewellery.
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗Garnet refers to a family of minerals rather than one single red gem. Different varieties can range from deep red to livel...
Origins · Care · Buying advice ↗INDEPENDENT OF FILTERS
Every currently published GEMHOOD gemstone guide is linked below. Use this directory to discover a stone directly, even when it is not shown on the current results page.
COMPARE BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare actual encyclopedia records for two published gemstones. Mohs hardness describes scratch resistance, not resistance to cracking; appearance and buying disclosures matter too.
THE GEMHOOD BUYING ACADEMY
A good gemstone purchase begins with knowing what the seller is describing. These six essentials are useful across colourless, coloured, organic and assembled gems.
Mohs hardness measures resistance to being scratched. Toughness concerns breaking or chipping; stability concerns heat, light, moisture and chemicals. A hard stone may still chip at an exposed corner, and a relatively soft material can be enjoyed for years when worn carefully.
A natural gem can be heated, dyed, filled or coated. Ask what has been done, whether the result is stable, whether special care is required and how treatment affects comparative value. Cutting and polishing alone are not the same as colour or clarity enhancement.
A trade colour, mine nickname or poetic name does not establish mineral identity. Ask whether the actual stone is natural, laboratory-grown, composite or an imitation. Valuable exceptions merit documentation from an independent qualified laboratory.
Bright spotlights, warm bulbs, cool daylight and camera editing can radically affect apparent colour. Request face-up and side views, ideally moving video of the exact item. That is especially useful for colour-change and optical-effect gemstones.
The fact that a gemstone occurs in a country does not prove the origin of a particular specimen. If a listing charges extra for geographic provenance, ask for the evidence supporting that claim and recognise that some localities cannot be determined with certainty.
A protected pendant and an exposed everyday ring face very different wear. Consider mount security, fragile points, repairs, cleaning restrictions and return terms. A beautiful stone is a better purchase when it suits the way the jewellery will actually be worn.
Educational guidance only; gemstone treatment, origin and identification details for an individual product must be verified separately.
GEMSTONE KNOWLEDGE
Geological origin explains how a mineral or organic gem develops. Known mining regions do not certify where any individual piece of jewellery came from.
Heat treatment, filling, dyeing, synthetics and imitations are different disclosures. Understand the actual material and treatment before comparing prices.
Mohs hardness concerns scratching. Cleavage, toughness, setting protection and cleaning methods also affect how safely jewellery can be worn.
Gemstone origins are illustrative geological and commercial localities, not independent verification of our individual products. Spiritual meanings are cultural traditions rather than medical claims.
