-
ALEXANDRITE
Green in sunlight. Red in the lamplight. Color-changing alexandrite is nature’s magic trick.
- Mineral: Chrysoberyl
- Chemistry: BeAl2O4
- Color: Bluish green in daylight, purplish-red in incandescent light
- Refractive Index: 1.746 to 1.755
- Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.010
- Specific Gravity: 3.73
- Mohs Hardness: 8.5
-
AMBER
Amber is nature’s time capsule. This fossilized tree resin contains remnants of life on earth millions of years ago.
- Organic, not mineral: Fossilized resin
- Chemistry: C10H16O
- Color: Yellow, orange, and brown
- Refractive index: 1.540
- Specific gravity: 1.08
- Mohs Hardness: 2.0 to 2.5
-
AMETHYST
The essence of the color purple, amethyst is beautiful enough for crown jewels yet affordable enough for class rings.
- Mineral: Chrysoberyl
- Chemistry: BeAl2O4
- Color: Bluish green in daylight, purplish-red in incandescent light
- Refractive Index: 1.746 to 1.755
- Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.010
- Specific Gravity: 3.73
- Mohs Hardness: 8.5
-
AMETRINE
This transparent quartz has colors of both amethyst and citrine and is called ametrine or amethyst-citrine.
- Mineral: Quartz
- Chemical composition: SiO2
- Color: Bicolor orange/yellow and purple
- Refractive index: 1.544 to 1.553
- Specific gravity: 2.66 (+0.03/-0.02)
- Mohs hardness: 7
-
AQUAMARINE
Named after seawater, aquamarine’s fresh watery hue is a cool plunge into a refreshing pool.
- Mineral: Beryl
- Chemistry: Be3Al2Si6O18
- Color: greenish blue, light in tone
- Refractive Index: 1.577 to 1.583
- Birefringence: 0.005 to 0.009
- Specific Gravity: 2.72
- Mohs Hardness: 7.5 to 8.0
-
FANCY COLOR DIAMOND
Dazzling brilliance. Captivating color. The planet’s most valued gems are fancy color diamonds.
- Mineral: Diamond
- Chemistry: C
- Color: All colors
- Refractive index: 2.42
- Birefringence: None
- Specific gravity: 3.52
- Mohs Hardness: 10
-
GARNET
Garnets are a set of closely related minerals forming a group, with gemstones in almost every color.
- Mineral: Garnet group
- Chemistry:
Almandine- Fe3Al2(SiO4)3
Andradite- Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3
Grossular- Ca3Al2(SiO4)3
Pyrope- Mg3Al2(SiO4)3
Rhodolite- (Mg, Fe)3Al2(SiO4)3
Spessartine- Mn3Al2(SiO4)3 - Color: All colors
- Refractive index: 1.714-1.888
- Birefringence: None
- Specific gravity: 3.47-4.15
- Mohs hardness: 6.5-7.5
-
IOLITE
According to legend, Vikings used iolite slices to reduce glare when checking the sun’s position.
- Mineral: Iolite (Cordierite)
- Chemical composition: Mg2Al4Si5O18
- Color: Violetish blue (pleochroic colorless-yellow)
- Refractive index: 1.542 – 1.551
- Birefringence: +0.045, -0.011
- Specific gravity: 2.61
- Maohs hardness: 7.0 – 7.5
-
JADE
Jade is actually two separate gems: nephrite and jadeite. In China, a pierced jade disk is a symbol of heaven.
- Mineral: Jadeite and Nephrite
- Chemistry: NaAlSi2O6 and Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2
- Color: Green, white, orange, yellow, lavender, black
- Refractive index: 1.666 to 1.680 (+/-0.008) and 1.606 to 1.632 (+0.009, 0.006)
- Birefringence: Usually not detectable
- Specific gravity: 3.34 and 2.95
- Mohs Hardness: 6.5 to 7 and 6.0 to 6.5
-
KUNZITE
Collectors love kunzite for its color range, from delicate pastel pink to intense violetish purple.
- Mineral: Spodumene
- Chemical composition: LiAlSi2O6
- Color: Pink-violetish purple, light-intense
- Refractive index: 1.660 to 1.676
- Birefringence: 0.014 to 0.016
- Specific gravity: 3.18
- Mohs hardness: 6.5 to 7.0
-
LAPIS LAZULI
Lapis is a beautiful rock; an aggregate of several minerals, mainly lazurite, calcite, and pyrite.
- Mineral: Rock
- Chemical composition: An aggregate
- Color: Greenish blue to violetish blue
- Refractive index: 1.500, sometimes 1.670
- Birefringence: None
- Specific gravity: 2.75 (+/- 0.25)
-
MOONSTONE
A ghostly sheen moves under the surface of this feldspar, like moonlight glowing in the water.
- Mineral: Feldspar
- Chemistry: KAlSi3O8
- Color: Colorless to White, Gray, Green, Peach, Brown
- Refractive index: 1.518 to 1.526
- Birefringence: 0.05 to 0.008
- Specific gravity: 2.58
- Mohs Hardness: 6.0 to 6.5
-
MORGANITE
Morganite is the pink to orange-pink variety of beryl, a mineral that includes emerald and aquamarine.
- Mineral: Beryl
- Chemical composition: Be3Al2Si6O18
- Color: Pink to orange-pink
- Refractive index: 1.583 to 1.590
- Birefringence: 0.007 to 0.008
- Specific gravity: 2.80 to 2.91
- Mohs hardness: 7.5 to 8
-
OPAL
Fireworks. Jellyfish. Galaxies. Lightning. Opal’s shifting play of kaleidoscopic colors is unlike any other gem.
- Mineral: Hydrated Silica
- Chemistry: SiO2•nH2O
- Color: All colors
- Refractive index: 1.37-1.47
- Birefringence: None
- Specific gravity: 2.15 (+0.08, -0.90)
- Mohs Hardness: 5 to 6.5
-
PEARL
Perfect shining spheres. Lustrous baroque forms. Seductive strands, warm to the touch. Pearls are simply and purely organic.
- Mineral: Calcium Carbonate
- Chemistry: CaCO3
- Color: White, black, gray, yellow, orange, pink, lavender, green, blue
- Refractive Index: 1.52-1.69
- Specific Gravity: 2.60-2.85
- Mohs Hardness: 2.5-3.0
-
ROSE QUARTZ
Rose quartz is a quartz variety that gets its name from its delicate pink color.
- Mineral: Quartz
- Chemical composition: SiO2
- Color: Very light pink to medium-dark pink
- Refractive index: 1.544 to 1.553
- Specific gravity: 2.66 (+0.03/-0.02)
- Mohs hardness: 7
-
SPINEL
The Black Prince’s Ruby. The Timur Ruby. For centuries, spinel, the great imposter, masqueraded as ruby in Europe’s crown jewels.
- Mineral: spinel
- Chemistry: MgAl2O4
- Color: red, orange, pink, purple, blue, black
- Refractive index: 1.718
- Birefringence: none
- Specific gravity: 3.60
- Mohs Hardness: 8
-
SUNSTONE
Sunstone’s phenomenal varieties show a distinct and lively glitter called aventurescence.
- Mineral: Feldspar
- Chemical composition:
Orthoclase – KAlSi3O8
Oligoclase and labradorite – solid solution between NaAlSi3O8 and CaAl2Si2O8 - Color: Yellow, green, red, red-brown, colorless
- Refractive Index:
Orthoclase Sunstone – 1.518 to 1.526
Oligoclase Sunstone – 1.537 to 1.547
Labradorite Sunstone – 1.559 to 1.568 - Birefringence:
Orthoclase – 0.005 to 0.008
Oligoclase and labradorite – 0.007 to 0.010 - Specific gravity:
Orthoclase – 2.58
Oligoclase – 2.65
Labradorite – 2.70 - Mohs hardness: 6.0 – 7.2
-
TANZANITE
Poised between lush blue, vibrant violet, and rich purple, exotic tanzanite is found in only one place on earth, near majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Mineral: Zoisite
- Chemistry: Ca2Al3(SiO4)3(OH)
- Color: Violet blue to bluish violet to violet purple
- Refractive Index: 1.691 to 1.700
- Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.013
- Specific Gravity: 3.35
- Mohs Hardness: 6 to 7
-
TOPAZ
Honey yellow. Fiery orange. Cyclamen pink. Icy blue. In warm or cool tones, topaz is a lustrous and brilliant gem.
- Mineral: Topaz
- Chemistry: Al2(F,OH)2SiO4
- Color: Yellow, orange, brown, pink to red to purple red, blue, light green, and colorless
- Refractive index: 1.619 to 1.627
- Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.010
- Specific gravity: 3.53
- Mohs Hardness: 8
-
TOURMALINE
Tourmalines have a wide variety of exciting colors with one of the widest color ranges of any gem.
- Mineral: Tourmaline
- Chemistry:
Elbaite Na(Li1.5,Al1.5)Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4
Dravite NaMg3Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4
Liddicoatite Ca(Li2Al)Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)3F
Chromedravite NaMg3Cr6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4 - Color: All colors
- Refractive index: 1.624 to 1.644
- Birefringence: 0.018 to 0.040
- Specific gravity: 3.06 (+0.20, -0.06)
- Mohs Hardness: 7 to 7.5
-
TURQUOISE
Azure sky, robin’s egg blue: Vivid shades of turquoise define the color that’s named after this gem.
- Mineral: Turquoise
- Chemistry: CuAl6(PO4)4 (OH)8.5H2O
- Color: Blue to green
- Refractive Index: 1.610 to 1.650
- Birefringence: Not detectable
- Specific Gravity: 2.76 (+0.14, -0.36)
- Mohs Hardness: 5 to 6
