Agate:

A common and important type of Chalcedony in which successive layers differ markedly in colour and degree of translucency creating a banded effect. Varieties include Blue, Blue Lace, Mexican Crazy Lace, Green, Indian, Moss, Tree and Wood.

Almandine:

is a variety of Garnet and is typically red to brown, sometimes with a tinge of purple and can appear black.

Alexandrite:

is a rare variety of Chrysoberyl. Alexandrite was discovered in the Ural Mountains in Russia in 1830, and was named after Alexander II. Other sources now include Sri Lanka, Burma, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and North America. It is notable in that it is green by daylight and red under artificial light. It measures 8.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness making it the third hardest naturally occurring gemstone.

Amber:

is fossil resin or tree sap that is millions of years old and can be found in many colours including green, honey, cognac, lemon, cherry, white and butterscotch. This is due to the numerous varieties of sap producing trees in prehistoric times. Unfortunate insects that became trapped in the tree sap millions of years ago can be found in some pieces of Amber. Our Amber is mainly sourced from the Caribbean and the Baltic.

Amethyst:

is a purple variety of Quartz. The name comes from the Greek for “not intoxicated” and was believed to protect the wearer from becoming drunk. It is also due to its supposed protecting qualities that Amethyst has strong religious links and is commonly worn by bishops. Sources of Amethyst are Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Uruguay, Africa, Europe and the USA. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Amethyst is the birthstone for February.

Ametrine:

is a variety of quartz that is part Amethyst and part Citrine giving Ametrine stones a beautiful bi-colour and is mainly found in Bolivia but can be found in India and Brazil. Ametrine measures 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Ammolite:

Ammolite is Canada's Gemstone and is considered to be one of the rarest organic gem materials. Millions of years of pressure created this beautiful gem from the fossilized remains of the ammonite shell. Ammolite's luminous qualities rival the famous black opal for colour and fire. Each Ammolite gem is unique in brilliance, colour and pattern. The rarest and most desirable show three or more colours and are graded AA. Ammolite measures between 4.5 and 5.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Andradite:

A variety of Garnet that is typically green (Demantoid) but can also be black or yellow. Andradite measures between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale.

Aquamarine:

is a transparent variety of Beryl and is the most commonly occurring. It has a blue or turquoise colour like seawater. Aquamarine is the birthstone for March and measures between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Beryl:

The name comes from the Greek beryllos for the precious blue-green colour of sea water. Green beryl is Emerald, blue beryl is Aquamarine and pink beryl is Morganite. Beryl measures 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale.

Blueberry Quartz:

Discovered deep in the Montezuma Quartz Mine in Brazil, Blueberry Quartz is a real gemstone – one of extreme beauty. Part of the same quartz family to which amethyst belongs, this stunning gem is an intense blue-violet shade of quartz.

Find out more about blueberry quartz

Blue Topaz:

is a light blue form of Topaz and is found in Brazil, U.S., Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Myanmar (Burma), the former USSR, Australia, Pakistan, Mexico, Tasmania, Japan and Africa. Blue Topaz is sometimes referred to by its brand names, Sky Blue Topaz (light blue topaz), Swiss Blue Topaz (deep blue topaz) and London Blue Topaz (the deepest inky blue Topaz).

Carnelian:

is fiery orange red in colour with the best stones found in India and is a variety of Quartz. It was widely used by the Romans to make seals or signet rings as wax does not stick to Carnelian. Carnelian measures 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Chalcedony:

Chalcedony is a form of quartz which is cryptocrystalline (contains microscopic crystals and is opaque or translucent.) It occurs in a huge array of colours and patterns. Aventurine, Jasper, Chrysoprase, Bloodstone, Carnelian, Onyx, Lapis lazuli, Tiger’s eye and Agate are all varieties of Chalcedony.

Citrine:

is a variety of quartz that has an amber colour and is found naturally mainly in Brazil. Citrine can also be formed by heat treating Amethyst or Smoky quartz stones. It measures 7 on the Mohs scale.

Corundum:

is a very hard rock forming mineral group that contains the gems Sapphire and Ruby.

Cubic Zirconia:

is the most widely used mineral as a Diamond simulant as it can be reproduced at a low cost and has a close visual similarity to Diamond although Cubic Zirconia has much more fire than Diamond and is only 8.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. They also weigh significantly more, about 1.7 times heavier. Cubic Zirconia can be coloured to provide dazzling pinks, greens, oranges, reds, purples and even black making it a highly versatile gemstone. Here at Ideal World we use our brand name of Czarlite. Most cubic zirconias are measured by comparing them to the diamond carat weight equivalent.

Demantoid:

A variety of Andradite, the colour of Dermantoid ranges from light yellowish green to an almost Emerald green colour. Demantoid measures 6.5 on the Mohs scale.

Diamond:

The name diamond derives from the ancient Greek adamas (“invincible”). Diamond is a highly refractive crystalline form of carbon and is the hardest naturally occurring gemstone known to man measuring 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Diamonds actually exist in every colour of the rainbow from the clear or white diamonds to intense pink and the darkest black diamonds. Diamonds have beautiful fire and brilliance when cut making them a very popular gemstone, although they can appear in their rough state also. They are measured by their carat, clarity, colour and cut. Diamond is the birthstone for April.

Emerald:

A brilliant green to grass green variety of beryl. Emeralds are found in Brazil, Pakistan, Africa and Russia with the most valuable stones found in Colombia. Emerald measures 7.5 – 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness and is the birthstone for May.

Feldspar:

Feldspar is a group of minerals which are important in the formation of many rocks. All feldspars are types of aluminium silicate, with potassium, calcium, sodium or barium. Varieties include Sunstone, Moonstone, Labradorite and Amazonite.

Garnet:

Garnet measures between 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness and is the birthstone for January. Varieties of garnet include; Almandine, Andradite, Demantoid, Topazolite, Grossular, Pyrope, Malaia, Rhodolite, Spessartine and Uvarovite.

Grossular:

Garnet measures between 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness and is the birthstone for January. Varieties of garnet include; Almandine, Andradite, Demantoid, Topazolite, Grossular, Pyrope, Malaia, Rhodolite, Spessartine and Uvarovite.

Hematite:

is coloured black to steel or silver grey normally with a rust red streak. In jewellery it is generally found highly polished and was very popular in the Victorian era.

Iolite:

The name "iolite" comes from the Greek word for violet and iolite varies in colour from sapphire blue to blue violet and yellowish gray to light blue depending on which angle you look at it. Iolite is found in Sri Lanka, Burma, Australia's Northern Territory, Namibia, Brazil, Tanzania, Madagascar, Connecticut, and the Yellowknife area of the Northwest Territories of Canada. Iolite measures 7 - 7.5 on the Mohs scale.

Jade:

is the name given to two distinct minerals, Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite is usually emerald to light green in colour but sometimes is white, auburn, buff, or violet. Nephrite ranges from white to dark green in colour. Jade measures 6.5 – 7 on the Mohs scale. Jade is found mainly in Burma, Guatemala and Canada.

Jasper:

is an opaque variety of quartz and is usually red, yellow or brown in colour sometimes with banding or stripes through the stone. It measures 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale.

Kunzite:

is a pink to lilac colored gemstone. It was named in honor of New York mineralogist and gemologist George Frederick Kunz. It has been found in Brazil, USA, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Western Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kunzite measure 6.5 – 7 on the Mohs scale.

Lapis Lazuli:

is a vivid blue coloured rock that is made up of various minerals including Pyrite. The finest Lapis Lazuli comes from Afghanistan; it was widely used by the Egyptians including Cleopatra who used powdered Lapis Lazuli as eye shadow. It measures 5 - 5.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Malachite:

is a green banded mineral that is usually cut into cabochons and beads as it is a fairly soft mineral measuring 3.5 – 4 on the Mohs scale. It can be found worldwide but is mainly mined in the Urals and Israel.

Marcasite:

is often confused with Pyrite as the two minerals are very similar although Marcasite is lighter in colour. Marcasite is normally rose cut and was very popular during Victorian times and in the Art Deco movement.

Moissanite:

is named after its discoverer, Dr. Henri Moissan and is similar to Diamond as it is also transparent and hard (measuring 9 on the Mohs scale) but has a higher refractive index. Naturally occurring Moissanite is very rare so synthetic Moissanite is used in jewellery and is highly valued for its brilliance, fire and amazing sparkle.

Mohs Scale:

The Mohs scale is named after Friedrich Mohs (1773–1839), who was a German mineralogist. It is a scale used for classifying minerals based on relative hardness of harder minerals ability to scratch softer ones. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring mineral and is classed as 10 on the Mohs scale, talc measures 1 as it does not have the ability to scratch any other mineral.

Obsidian:

is a naturally occurring glass that is formed by rapidly cooling lava and is black and usually banded. It was used by the Greeks for mirrors and by Native American Indians for weapons.

Onyx:

is a form of Quartz, is banded and varies in colour from white, red, brown and black. It measures 7 on the Mohs scale.

Opal:

Opals can be a range of colours but are commonly found to be mainly green or white but always with a beautiful iridescence. The most commonly known types of Opal are black Opals (Generally darker in colour with impressive colours), white or milky Opals (With very light or pale background colour) and fire Opals (Opals that have more red colouring making them more desirable). Opal is the traditional birthstone for October and measures 5.5 – 6.5 on the Mohs scale.

Peridot:

Can also be known as Olivine and is yellow-green to olive to brownish green in colour. Pakistan produces a special variety called “Kashmir” Peridot. Peridot is the birthstone of August and measures 6.5 – 7 on the Mohs scale.

Pearl:

Pearls are created when an irritant enters a Mollusk, either naturally (freshwater) or deliberately (cultured), and the Mollusk reacts by surrounding the foreign object with layers of nacre (Mother of Pearl) slowly forming a pearl. Pearls are normally white or cream in colour but can be found in many different colours like pink or gold (Like cultured South Seas pearls) or black or peacock green (Like cultured Tahitian pearls).

Pyrite:

is also more commonly known as ‘fools gold’ due to its similar metallic lustre and yellow brass tones. Pyrite is used mainly in fashion jewellery and measures 6 – 6.5 on the Mohs scale.

Quartz:

Has many different varieties and is the most commonly occurring mineral on Earth (after Feldspar) and can be found almost everywhere on Earth. Quartz measures 7 on the Mohs scale.

• Rock crystal: Colourless
• Amethyst: Purple
• Citrine: Yellow to amber
• Morion: Black
• Smoky quartz or cairngorm: smoky grey to brown
• Rose quartz: Translucent pink
• Green quartz or praziolite: Green
• Chalcedony and Jasper (variable)
• Agate: Bull's eye agate, Iris or fire agate, Onyx, Sardonyx. Bloodstone or heliotrope. Carnelian. Chrysoprase. Moss agate. Plasma. Prase. Sard. Jasper.

Rose de France:

is a pale pinkish lavender or lilac shade of Amethyst.

Ruby:

A pale pink to blood red coloured gemstone variety of Corundum that is mainly mined in Africa, Asia, Australia, Greenland, Madagascar and North Carolina. They measure 9 on the Mohs scale making them the second hardest naturally occurring gemstone together with Sapphires. Some rubies show a 3-point or 6-point asterism or ‘star’ and are found only in Sri Lanka and Burma and are highly coveted. Rubies are the birthstone for July and are associated with 40th wedding anniversaries.

Sapphire:

is a variety of Corundum and are commonly thought of as blue in colour but can be found in every colour (except red which are known as Rubies) and are typically known as fancy Sapphires. Sapphires measure 9 on the Mohs scale making them the second hardest naturally occurring gemstone together with Rubies. Sapphires are the birthstone for September and 45th wedding anniversaries are known as Sapphire anniversaries.

Spinel:

can appear in many different colours from red to blue and from dark green to black. They have been mistaken for Rubies due to the visual similarity and famously The Black Prince’s Ruby which is set in the British Imperial State crown is actually a Spinel. They measure 8 on the Mohs scale.

Tanzanite:

is blue to purple in colour and was discovered in Tanzania in 1967. It is a very popular and valuable variety of Zoisite that has strong trichoism (showing three different shades of colour). It was named by Tiffany and Company. It measures 6.5 on the Mohs scale.

Tiger's-eye:

is usually yellow to red/brown in colour with stripes and has a silky golden lustre and was worn by Roman soldiers for protection in battles. It measures 7 on the Mohs scale.

Topazolite:

A variety of Garnet that is golden yellow in colour.

Tourmaline:

can vary in colour from red to green and from blue to yellow and often have two or more colours. The most commonly found in jewellery are green Tourmaline, pink Tourmaline and Paraiba Tourmaline (a pale blue colour). It measures 7 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale.

Tsavorite:

is a green variety of Grossular and is found in Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Tsavorite is named after Tsavo National park in Kenya. It measures 7 – 7.5 on the Mohs scale.

Turquoise:

is a blue to green opaque mineral. The burial mask of Tutankhamen is inlaid with Turquoise (Amongst other gemstones). It measures 5 – 6 on the Mohs scale. Turquoise is found in USA, Mexico, Israel, Afghanistan and China although the most beautiful stones are found in Iran.

Zoisite:

Zoisite may be blue to violet, green (Tanzanite), brown, pink, yellow, grey, or colourless. It has a vitreous lustre and measures 6 – 7 on the Mohs scale.

Zircon:

The natural color of zircon varies between colorless, yellow-golden, red, brown, and green. Zircons measure 7.5 on the Mohs scale and has a high refractive index making it a very beautiful gemstone.