This is a list of gemstones, organized by species and types.
Minerals sorted by name There are over 300 types of minerals that have been used as gemstones. Such as:
A–B
Actinolite Nephrite () Adamite Aegirine Afghanite Agrellite Algodonite Alunite Amblygonite Analcime Anatase Andalusite Chiastolite Andesine Anglesite Anhydrite Annabergite Anorthite Antigorite Bowenite Apatite Apophyllite Aragonite Arfvedsonite Asbestos Astrophyllite Atacamite Augelite Austinite Axinite group: Ferroaxinite Magnesioaxinite Manganaxinite Tinzenite Azurmalachite Azurite Baryte Bastnaesite Bayldonite Benitoite Beryl subgroup: Aquamarine Maxixe Emerald Trapiche emerald () Goshenite Golden beryl Heliodor Morganite Red beryl (Bixbite) Beryllonite Beudantite Bismutotantalite Biotite Boleite Boracite Bornite Brazilianite Breithauptite Brookite Brucite Bustamite Bytownite
C–F
Calcite Manganoan calcite () Caledonite Canasite Cancrinite Vishnevite Carletonite Carnallite Cassiterite Catapleiite Cavansite Celestite Ceruleite Cerussite Chabazite Chalcopyrite Chambersite Charlesite Charoite Childrenite Chiolite Chondrodite Chrysoberyl Alexandrite () Cymophane Chromite Chrysocolla Chrysotile Cinnabar Clinochlore Clinohumite Clinozoisite Clintonite Cobaltite Colemanite Cordierite Iolite () Cornwallite Corundum Ruby () Sapphire () Geuda Padparadscha Golden sheen sapphire Covellite Creedite Crocoite Cryolite Cumberlandite Cuprite Danburite Datolite Descloizite Diamond Bort Ballas Carbonado Diaspore Dickinsonite Diopside Dioptase Dolomite Dumortierite Ekanite Elbaite Enstatite Bronzite Hypersthene Eosphorite Epidote Piemontite Erythrite Esperite Ettringite Euclase Eudialyte Euxenite Fayalite Feldspar Andesine Albite Anorthite Anorthoclase Amazonite Bytownite Celsian Microcline Moonstone Adularia () Rainbow () Orthoclase Unakite Plagioclase Albite Labradorite Oligoclase Sanidine Sunstone Oregon sunstone Rainbow lattice sunstone Fergusonite Ferroaxinite Fluorapatite Fluorapophyllite Fluorite Forsterite Friedelite
G–L
Gadolinite Gahnite Gahnospinel Garnet group: Pyralspite Almandine Pyrope Spessartine Ugrandite Andradite Demantoid Melanite Topazolite Grossular Hessonite Hydrogrossular Tsavorite Uvarovite Almandine-pyrope Rhodolite Andradite-grossular Grandite (Mali garnet) Pyrope-almandine-spessartine Malaia garnet Pyrope-spessartine Umbalite Gaspeite Gaylussite Geminite Gibbsite Glaucophane Goethite Goosecreekite Grandidierite Gypsum Gyrolite Halite Hambergite Hanksite Hardystonite Hauyne Helenite Hematite Hemimorphite Herderite Hexagonite Hibonite Hiddenite Hodgkinsonite Holtite Howlite Huebnerite Humite Hureaulite Hurlbutite Hyperitdiabas Ilmenite Inderite Jade Jadeite Chloromelanite Nephrite Jasper Jeremejevite Kainite Kämmererite Kaolinite Kornerupine Kutnohorite Kurnakovite Kyanite Langbeinite Lawsonite Lazulite Lazurite Legrandite Lepidolite Leucite Leucophanite Linarite Lizardite Londonite Ludlamite Ludwigite
M–Q
Magnesite Malachite Marialite-meionite Wernerite () Marcasite Meliphanite Mellite Mesolite Microcline Microlite Milarite Millerite Mimetite Moissanite Musgravite Nambulite Narsarsukite Natrolite Nepheline Neptunite Nickeline (Niccolite) Nosean Nuummite Olivine Opal Fire opal Moss opal Painite Palygorskite Papagoite Pargasite Parisite Pectolite Larimar Pentlandite Peridot Periclase Perthite Petalite (castorite) Pezzottaite Phenakite Phlogopite Phosgenite Phosphophyllite Phosphosiderite Piemontite Pietersite Plumbogummite Pollucite Polyhalite Poudretteite Powellite Prehnite Prismatine Prosopite Proustite Psilomelane Pumpellyite Chlorastrolite () Purpurite Pyrite Pyrargyrite Pyromorphite Pyrophyllite Pyroxmangite Pyrrhotite Quartz Amethyst () Ametrine () Aventurine () Chalcedony () Agate Iris agate Onyx Sardonyx Bloodstone (Heliotrope) Carnelian Chrome chalcedony Chrysoprase Dendritic agate Moss agate Fire agate (iridescent ) Jasper Petrified wood Sard Citrine () Druzy () Flint () Herkimer diamond () Milky quartz () Prasiolite () Radiolarite () Rose quartz () Rock crystal () Shocked quartz () Smoky quartz () Quartzite
R–Z
Realgar Rhodizite Rhodochrosite Rhodonite Richterite Riebeckite Crocidolite () Rosasite Rutile Samarskite Sanidine Sapphirine Sarcolite Scapolite Marialite Meionite Scheelite Schizolite Scorodite Selenite Sellaite Senarmontite Sepiolite (Meerschaum) Sérandite Seraphinite Serendibite Serpentine subgroup Antigorite Bowenite Chrysotile Lizardite Stichtite Shattuckite Shigaite Shortite Shungite Siderite Sillimanite Simpsonite Sinhalite Smaltite Smithsonite Sodalite Hackmanite () Sogdianite Sperrylite Spessartite Sphalerite Spinel Ceylonite () Spodumene Hiddenite () Kunzite () Triphane () Spurrite Staurolite Stibiotantalite Stichtite Stolzite Strontianite Strontium titanate Sulfur Sugilite Bustamite () Richterite () Sylvite Taaffeite Talc Tantalite Tektites Moldavite Tephroite Thomsonite Thaumasite Tinaksite Titanite (sphene) Topaz Tourmaline subgroup: Achroite () Chrome () Dravite Elbaite Fluor-liddicoatite Indicolite Olenite Paraiba () Rossmanite Rubellite () Tremolite Hexagonite () Triphylite Triplite Tugtupite Turquoise Ulexite Ussingite Vanadinite Variscite Väyrynenite Vesuvianite (idocrase) Californite () Villiaumite Vivianite Vlasovite Wardite Wavellite Weloganite Whewellite Wilkeite Willemite Witherite Wollastonite Wulfenite Wurtzite Xonotlite Yugawaralite Zektzerite Zeolites Analcime Apophyllite Chabazite Goosecreekite Natrolite Scolecite Stellerite Stilbite Thomsonite Zincite Zinnwaldite Zircon Jacinth () Zoisite Tanzanite () Thulite () Zultanite Zunyite
Minerals sorted by origin
Artificial and lab created There are a number of artificial and lab grown minerals used to produce gemstones. These include:
Lab alexandrite Lab corundum Cubic zirconia Lab diamond Lab emerald Fordite Gadolinium gallium garnet Lab moissanite Synthetic opal Metal-coated crystals hyped as rainbow quartz Lab spinel Synthetic turquoise Terbium gallium garnet Trinitite Yttrium aluminium garnet Yttrium iron garnet
Organic There are a number of organic materials used as gems, including:
Amber Ammolite Ammonoidea Bone Copal Coral Ivory Jet Nacre (Mother of pearl) Operculum Pearl Seashell
Mineral aggregates and other rocks Some rocks are used as gems, including:
Anthracite Anyolite Bauxite Concretions Bloodstone (Heliotrope) Eilat stone Epidosite Glimmerite Goldstone (glittering glass) Hawk's eye Helenite (artificial glass made from volcanic ash) Iddingsite Kimberlite Lamproite Lapis lazuli Libyan desert glass Llanite Maw sit sit Moldavite Obsidian Apache tears Pallasite Peridotite (also known as olivinite) Siilinjärvi carbonatite Soapstone (also known as steatite) Tactite Tiger's eye Unakite
Minerals sorted by features
Chatoyant gems Some minerals made into gemstones may display a chatoyancy or "cat's eye" effect, these include:Walter Schumann, Gemstones of the World, 5th edition, 2013
Actinolite Andalusite Apatite Beryl Aquamarine Emerald Heliodor Morganite Beryllium Beryllonite Calcite Cerussite Chrysoberyl Danburite Diaspore Diopside Enstatite Garnet Grandidierite Hawk's eye Hypersthene Iolite Kornerupine Kunzite Kyanite Moonstone Opal Peridot Peristerite (Albite variety) Pezzottaite Phenakite Prasiolite Prehnite Quartz Rhodonite Rutile Scapolite Selenite Serpentine Antigorite Bowenite Sillimanite Smoky Quartz Spinel Sunstone Tanzanite Tiger's Eye Topaz Tourmaline Ulexite Zircon
Asterism Some minerals made into gemstones may display asterism or "star light" effect, usually caused by impurities of rutile and hematite. These include:
Corundum Ruby Sapphire Diopside Topaz Garnet Spinel Moonstone Rose Quartz
See also List of individual gemstones List of single-source gemstones
References
Further reading Gemstones of the World revised 5th edition, 2013 by Walter Schumann Smithsonian Handbook: Gemstones by Cally Hall, 2nd ed. 2002