The sapphire belongs to the corundum family, an aluminium oxide and conferred being one of the finest mineral found in the world. It is remarkably hard, the second hardest substance on earth after diamond.Blue The word "sapphire" derives from Latin sapphirus, sappirus from Greek Some linguists be...

Garnets are a set of silicate minerals that form a group with gemstones in almost every colour. Red garnet is one of the most common and widespread of gems, found in metamorphic rocks . The name "garnet" comes fromthe Medieval Latin word, "granatum", which is an adjective meaning "dark-red". It h...

Emerald is a precious gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl .It has green color by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. The name comes from the old French word 'esmeralde', which was derived from the Greek word 'smaragdos' meaning 'green stone’. . Most emeralds are highly inclu...

Ruby is the most valued variety of the mineral corundum .In fact, large rubies can fetch higher prices than equivalently sized diamonds. It is colorless in purest form and gets its red color from chromium, which ranges from an orangish red to a purplish red.Ruby is one of the highest valued gems,...

Turquoise is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum. It is a good example of an opaque colored stone that can be marketed both as a gem for jewelry and as an ornamental material.Its multi-layered history and soul-calming color make it a desirable gem. Earliest record of turquoise as a gemston...

Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica. It is classed as a mineraloid rather than a mineral, because of its amorphous form, unlike crystalline forms of silica, which are classed as minerals.Opal is known for its unique display of flashing rainbow colors called play-of-color, known as “opales...

Peridot is the gem variety of the mineral olivine. It is sometimes referred to as 'olivine', but 'peridot' is the correct term with reference to its use as gemstone.Its chemical composition includes iron and magnesium, and iron is the cause of its attractive yellowish green colors. The gem often ...

Iolite is a gem quality form of cordierite, a magnesium iron aluminum cyclosilicate mineral. The name "iolite" comes from the Greek word for violet.The first significant discovery of large transparent, gem-quality deposits of iolite was made in 1996 by the American geologist, W. Dan in USA.

Lapis lazuli is an aggregate of three minerals in varying amounts: lazurite, calcite, and pyrite. It is also known simply as "lapis," has been used by people as a gemstone, sculpting material, and ornamental material for thousands of years. Lazurite grains provide its characteristic blue color. I...

Topaz is an aluminum silicate that contains fluorine and hydroxyl. It is the hardest naturally occurring silicate mineral. In its natural state, it is a golden brown to yellow. A variety of impurities and treatments may make topaz wine red, reddish-orange, pale green, or pink. Topaz in itspure fo...