The universe of gemstones is mammoth, visually stunning, miraculous, and enigmatic, and we can keep adjectifying it till we run out of words. A gemstone, in its totality, is a piece of mineral that is treated, cut, and polished accordingly to make it fit for different purposes (jewelry, adornments, spiritual and metaphysical realms).
The history of gemstones is as archaic as the existence of human civilization. Only the usage and implications have changed and diversified as well with the evolution. The first classification of the gemstones was done by the Greeks into precious and semi-precious categories. With the passage of time and the emergence of umpteen precious and semi-precious gemstones, the classification become more broad and deep.
Let’s make you all familiar with Gemstones names of all noteworthy gemstones, types of gemstones on value, and the complete list of gemstones by color.
In the exquisite and enchanting world of gemstones, you can seamlessly find gemstone names from A to Z and every gemstone has some intriguing story behind its name. It would be more than daunting to state the name of all gemstone names in one go as the classification on the basis of the different categories is quite extensive.
If you want to explore a myriad of gemstones, we have all the names of gems stated below with a clickable picture. You can click on the preferred gemstone name that you want to explore and you will find an all-inclusive guide enclosing the origin, history, quality guidelines, benefits of that gemstone, tips to clean and care, price guide, and frequently asked questions about that particular gemstone.
Moreover, Caratgallery has also provided high-resolution images of every gemstone on their respective page along with an immersive video that will help you to under the gem effortlessly as well as render a vivacious shopping experience.
Though gemstones can be classified into numerous categories, we are going to take into account only the principal ones like value, species, cut, and purpose for expanding knowledge as well as better clarity for our readers. In each category, we will mention only the noteworthy gemstones that are most revered and popular among the masses.
On the basis of value, the gemstones are classified into two principal categories: -
Precious Gemstones: Gemstones in this category are exquisite, delightful in appearance, and highly valuable in the global market. Precious gemstones are extensively used in the jewel domain, investment purposes, and collection as well. Below, you can check out the precious gemstones list.
Semi-Precious Gemstones: Most people have the perception that semi-precious gemstones are not par-excellent in quality and cheap as well. However, that’s not the case. Unlike precious gemstones, semi-precious stones are mundane in existence and available in a varied price range. Below, you can check the comprehensive semi-precious stones list enclosing only key semi-precious stones.
On the basis of species, the list of gemstones is broadly classified into 3 major categories.
Organic Gemstones: This type of gemstone is formed by the fossils of living organisms or organic substances produced by living organisms. Some of the finest examples of organic gemstones are pearls, white coral, and amber. Organic gemstones are available in limited quantities, hence, they are rare as well as quite valuable.
Rocks: Only a smidgen of individuals know that some exquisite rocks are also considered as gemstones. These valuable rocks are carefully cut and polished in state-of-the-art facilities to doll them up and give the vibes of natural gemstones. Some of the renowned gemstones that fall into this category are bloodstone, moonstone, tanzanite, tourmaline, and topaz.
Minerals: A major chunk of some of the most ethereal and revered gemstones fall into this category. These gemstones are cut dexterously to make them market ready and they are evaluated by considering parameters like cut, color, clarity, carat weight, origin, and treatment. Some classic examples of gemstones derived from minerals are rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.
Considering the cut factor, gemstones are primarily divided into 3 main categories.
Calibrated Gemstones: The ultimate purpose of calibrating any gemstone is to make it fit into a standard size and industry ready as well. These gemstones are majorly used for commercial purposes like necklaces, rings, pendants, and bracelets.
Faceted Gemstones: All gemstones comprising multiple facets fall under this category. Sometimes, facets are natural in a gemstone and sometimes, facets are created to make a gemstone look scintillating and exorbitant in value. The gemstones with unmatched quality, clarity, and transparency are given facets to amplify appearance and value.
Cabochon Gemstones: Cabochon is an intriguing type of gemstone that is polished extensively to be a round or oval shape from the top and flat from the bottom. Gemstones with high opacity are preferred to carve as cabochons and gemstones with profound transparency are faceted.
Collection Gemstones: Not all gemstones are used for commercial purposes. Gemstone enthusiasts also strive to lay their hands on the rarest and highly-prized gemstones to make and flaunt a drool-worthy collection. To satiate the demand of consumers, gemologists often go length and breadth of different geographical conditions to elicit gemstones that are ingenious, special, and super valuable. Gemstones that are roped specifically for collection purposes are called collection gemstones.
Jewellery Gemstones: The world of ornaments is fanciful, whimsical, and quite alluring. Though pieces of jewellery are exquisite in themselves, embedding entrancing and color gemstones in them can ramp up their beauty by leaps and bounds. Most gemstones can be used for jewelry purposes, however, there are particular gemstones used dedicatedly for jewelry purposes like malachite, diamond, garnet, and aquamarine.
Astrological Benefits: The implications of gemstones in the realm of Astrology are gargantuan and jolting as well. Most gemstones hold a profound astrological significance and are used for rectifying horoscope-related issues, healing purposes, Treating physical issues, improving luck and wealth, and the list of benefits is towering. Some of the most revered gemstones with massive Astrological significance are alexandrite, amethyst, emerald, red coral, etc./span>
When it comes to classifying as well as evaluating the quality of gemstones, color factor plays one of the most crucial roles. The intensity and degree of color in a gemstone largely depend on the crystalline structure. Certain gemstones exhibit phenomena like pleochroism and chatoyancy, while others don't. To ensure you don’t have to hop on different platforms to find gemstones on the basis of color classification, we have carved a comprehensive list below that will make the process of distinguishing gemstones on the basis of color easier for you.
White Gemstones: Moonstone, pearls, opals, diamonds, howlite, grey star sapphire, white sapphire, white spinel.
Black Gemstones: Black Onyx, Hakik stone, black star diopside, black tourmaline, black spinel, schorl, etc.
Red Gemstones: red coral, ruby, red tourmaline, red garnet, cuprite, fluorite, Mexican opal, quartz, red beryl, sapphire (corundum), Red Zircon, Carnelian, etc.
Yellow Gemstones: Golden Beryl, yellow fluorite, yellow sapphire, chrysoberyl, golden beryl, lemon jade, precious topaz, etc.
Blue Gemstones: Alexandrite, Aquamarine, blue topaz, apatite, Tourmaline, blue opal, turquoise, Blue Zircon, etc.
Green Gemstones: Azurite, Bismuth, Amazonite, Peridot, Bloodstone, Malachite.
Brown Gemstones: Jasper, Agate, Unakite, smoky quartz.
Grey Gemstones: Grey moonstone, grey star sapphire, Russian Agate, Iolite.
Orange Gemstones: Citrine, Garnet, Golden Tourmaline, Mexican fire opal.
Colorless Gemstones: Beryl, calcite, diamond, howlite, Quartz, Opal, Spinel.
Multicolor Gemstones: Watermelon Tourmaline, bi-color sapphire, bi-color quartz, Azurite, ammolite, Labradorite.
