Gemstone

A gemstone is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Certain rocks and occasionally organic materials that are not minerals may also be used for jewelry and are therefore often considered to be gemstones as well. Most gemstones are hard, but some softer minerals such as brazilianite may be used in jewelry because of their color, luster, or other physical properties that have aesthetic value.

However, generally speaking, soft minerals are not typically used as gemstones by virtue of their brittleness and lack of durability.

Back to Gemstones & Materials →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

JEWELRYSTORM

Jewelry, demystified — how to choose, size, and care for rings, gemstones, gold and pearls, plus birthstones, metals, and the tools that make it easy.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every species, image, fact, and figure is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.