Gemstones are some of the most beautiful natural resources the world has to offer. Many of them occur naturally miles beneath the surface of the earth’s crust, where they usually take several years to form (as a matter of fact, some gemstones such as diamonds may require up to billions of years to form, in some instances).
There are many different types of gemstones and they include; quartz, rose quartz, citrine, emerald, peridot, spinel, carnelian, amethyst, agate, alexandrite, celestite, jade, kyanite, garnet, topaz, turquoise, lapis lazuli, ruby, sapphire, diamond and many others.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF GEMSTONES IN THE WORLD?
There are different types of gemstones in the world, all of which have their own unique characteristic physical and chemical properties. Although, some gemstones may bear striking similarities to one another (e.g. in the case of white topaz and diamonds), no two different types of gemstones are exactly alike. Also, it is simply unheard of for all the different gemstones in the world to be found in the same site or area; meaning, each unique type of gemstone can only be found in very specific places in the world (diamonds, for instance, can only be found in 35 known countries across the globe).
All the different types of gemstones in the world can be divided into two major categories, which are;
- Precious stones
Precious stones are the type of gemstones that are relatively more expensive compared to other types of gemstones because of their superior quality. They are usually in higher demand compared to other types of gemstones that do not fall into their category. Examples of precious stones are; diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires.
Precious stones are usually more highly demanded compared to other types of gemstones because of how valuable they are, and the sentimental – and commercial – value attached to them (e.g. diamonds – which are generally regarded as the hardest known natural materials in the world, as well as the hardest known gemstone in the world – are often used in the jewelry making industry, where they have a high demand in the production of engagement and wedding rings. This is because their remarkable hardness has earned diamonds a reputation for being the forever kind of stone; that is, the kind of stone that lasts forever. And, over the course of several decades, a lot of people have taken to seeing this gemstone as a classic symbol of long-lasting love). Apart from diamonds, other precious stones such as rubies, sapphires and emeralds also have high social sentimental value attached to them, and have been used in making many ancient crowns and important jewelry pieces, which are highly valuable.
- Semi-precious stones
Semi-precious stones are the type of stones that do not have as much commercial value per unit, compared to precious stones. This is usually because many of them are not as rare as precious stones (rarity is an important factor, when it comes to the determination of a gemstone’s category and subsequent value. This is because the rarer a gemstone is, the more it would generally be worth. Conversely, the more common a gemstone is, the less its subsequent commercial value would be. An instance of this can be seen in the case of amethyst, the violet gemstone, whose commercial value dropped significantly when large deposits of it were discovered in Brazil).
Examples of semi-precious gemstones include; kyanite, citrine, alexandrite, lapis lazuli, jade, carnelian, agate, peridot, quartz, turquoise, tiger’s eye and many others, which have high applications in the jewelry and ornamental making industries across the world.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF BLUE GEMSTONES IN THE WORLD?
The color blue is one of the most common colors in nature. It is the color of the sky and it is usually used to represent the sea. It also happens to be the color of some gemstones, which also occur naturally in nature. Some of these gemstones include the following:
- Sapphire
Sapphire is a blue precious stone that is renowned for its brilliance. It also happens to be one of the most popular stones in the world, though it is quite rare.
Sapphire is usually seen as a symbol of royalty and elegance, which is why it has been used in making many ancient crowns in the world. Sapphires are also seen as powerful stones, which can attract good luck into the life of those who wear them. Culturally, it is seen as a symbol of wisdom and it is said to help its wearer make good decisions, even as it invites good energy into their life.
- Tanzanite
This extremely rare gemstone can only be found in very specific regions of the African country, Tanzania. The stone is usually identified by its brilliant blue and purple (or violet) color, which makes the stone resemble sapphire. However, as rare and precious as tanzanite is, it is also very easy to break (i.e. it breaks very easily).
- Lapis Lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a blue gemstone with a very long history. It is one of the most popular gemstones of this color in the world’s history. The gemstone is known for its toughness, though it tends to be scratched easily. It is easy to access around the world (i.e. it is not very rare, relative to some other gemstones).
- Blue diamond
Blue diamond is a relatively rare type of diamond that occurs naturally in nature. This amazing gemstone is formed when boron manages to infiltrate the rigid structure of a diamond’s crystal lattice. It can also be formed synthetically by subjecting pure carbon samples to the required amounts of boron.
WHAT IS THE MOST POPULAR BLUE GEMSTONE IN THE US?
According to the International Gem Society, turquoise is the most popular blue gemstone in the US. Despite the fact that it is a semi-precious stone, this gemstone is highly preferred above all other blue gemstones in the United States. One of the reasons for this is that turquoise is usually compatible with both luxury jewelry pieces and pieces that are relatively cheap.