Gemmology
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Tuesday, 30 May 2023


Gemmology — gemstones — characteristics, classification, specimens, library
Rhodolite

GEMMOLOGY — GEMSTONES

characteristics, classification, specimens, library

As gemstones we accept cut specimens of crystals of natural mineral species having a visible transparency and certain durability. From over 4800 known minerals (according to data of the International Mineralogical Association), approximately 150 satisfy the above conditions and form crystals of sufficient size to be cut.
Characteristics

Colour in gemstones
Clarity in gemstones
Cut in gemstones

Treatment in gemstones

The section ‘Classification’ presents descriptions of 171 different kinds of natural gemstones (106 mineral species). The Nickel-Strunz systematic order (10th edition) is used. Since gemmology does not always follow the systematics of minerals in naming, many popular varieties or just ’names’ are listed.

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List of minerals
Alphabetic list of gemstones
Synthetic stones and simulants
Classification
Featured

Scolecite

— Primarily in cavities in basalts; in gneisses and amphibolites, and in dikes derived from syenitic magmas (Anthony et al., 2001—2005). Extreme rarity as faceted specimens.
Scolecite
Lazulite
Lazulite
Phenakite
Phenakite
Pyrope
Pyrope
Euclase
Euclase

The section ‘Repository’ contains data and photos of 760 specimens of gemstones. The smallest is just 1.96 mm (0.02 ct) ruby from Mozambique, and the largest — 70.11 mm (326.60 ct) rock crystal from Africa. Besides there are 8 specimens of synthetic stones.

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Simple colour schemeredorangey redreddish orangeorangeorangey yellowyellowgreenish yellowyellowish greenslightly yellowish greengreenvery slightly bluish greenbluish greenvery strongly bluish greengreen-blue or blue-greenvery strongly greenish bluevery slightly greenish bluebluevioletish bluebluish violetvioletbluish purplepurplereddish purplestrongly purplish redslightly purplish redcolourlessgreyblack
Repository
Heliodor — specimen 0497

Some exceptional specimens of gemstones from our ‘Repository’

More specimens of gemstones
Sapphire — specimen 0263
Malaia garnet — specimen 0268
Malaia garnet — specimen 0269
Colour change garnet — specimen 0272

— More from ‘Repository’

Currently there are 283 bibliographical references and abstracts to publications with gemmological or mineralogical thematics in the ‘Library’. The section comprises also a glossary with 391 terms.
Library
Glossary

chromian diopside — variety of diopside; see chromian diopside in ‘Classification’
chromian pyrope — variety of pyrope; see chromian pyrope in ‘Classification’
chromium-dravite — species of mineral; see chromium-dravite in ‘Classification’
chrysoberyl — species of mineral; see chrysoberyl in ‘Classification’
Publications

Anthony, J. W., Bideaux, R. A., Bladh, K. W., Nichols, M. C. (Eds), 2001—2005 — Burbankite — Features the data of burbankite; from ‘Handbook of Mineralogy’.
Anthony, J. W., Bideaux, R. A., Bladh, K. W., Nichols, M. C. (Eds), 2001—2005 — Azurite — Features the data of azurite; from ‘Handbook of Mineralogy’.


Gemmology — gemstones
Front page | Introduction | Classification | Repository | Library

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The specimens illustrated in this site do not exist in the collections of the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia.