Any gem material other than Diamond (Precious stone) is called Colored Stone or Gemstone. A mineral deposit, once cut and polished, is called a ‘gem’. A mineral, stone or an organic matter that has been cut, polished and/or treated for use in jewelry is termed ‘natural gemstone’.

Although the terms are interchangeable in modern lingo, gems refer to the stones used in jewelry.

Gems symbolize Love, eternal and ethereal. It symbolizes wealth, beauty, power. Some colored stones come in such striking colors, that their names are synonymous with the particular color.

Are all gemstones from a single source?

Not all gemstones are mined. Gemstones are of two categories.

They can be organic. These are sourced from or produced by living organic flora(plant) or fauna(animal).

Corals (Moonga), Pearls (Moti), Ivory,  Amber from tree resin, all fall into this category.

Gemstones can be Inorganic.

These are natural, inorganic minerals with specific chemical composition.

Most gemstones belong to this group. Molten rock from hot magma slowly rises from deep in the Earth’s mantle to the crust and in this process cools. As it cools, the liquid rock crystallizes to form mineral stones that vary in the atomic structure and physical properties depending on the chemical and mineral deposits in them.

Internal arrangement of atoms, Chemical composition and physical environment determine the external shape of the mineral deposit. These have to be mined from deep in the Earth’s crust and are not found on the surface, as is a common misperception.

In our following blog, we discuss important traits that gemstones share.
Follow us as we explore the fascinating world of Gemstones.