List of gemstones by species


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
  • 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
  • **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
  • *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
  • Nosean
  • Nuummite
  • Olivine
  • Opal
  • *Fire opal
  • *Moss opal
  • Painite
  • Palygorskite
  • Papagoite
  • Pargasite
  • Parisite
  • Pectolite
  • *Larimar
  • Pentlandite
  • Peridot
  • Periclase
  • Perthite
  • Petalite
  • 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
  • **Carnelian
  • **Chrome chalcedony
  • **Chrysoprase
  • **Dendritic agate
  • ***Moss agate
  • **Fire agate
  • **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
  • 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
  • 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
  • *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
  • Operculum
  • Pearl
  • Seashell

    Mineral aggregates and other rocks

Some rocks are used as gems, including:
  • Anthracite
  • Anyolite
  • Bauxite
  • Concretions
  • Bloodstone
  • Eilat stone
  • Epidosite
  • Glimmerite
  • Goldstone
  • Hawk's eye
  • Helenite
  • Iddingsite
  • Kimberlite
  • Lamproite
  • Lapis lazuli
  • Libyan desert glass
  • Llanite
  • Maw sit sit
  • Moldavite
  • Obsidian
  • Apache tears
  • Pallasite
  • Peridotite
  • Siilinjärvi carbonatite
  • Soapstone
  • 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:
Some minerals made into gemstones may display asterism or "star light" effect, usually caused by impurities of rutile and hematite. These include: