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GEMS AND STONES

Across
the hardness and toughness of a stone; the harder and tougher the stone, the more resistant it is to damage (scratching, chipping, or fracturing). The experts rank stones according to the Mohs hardness scale, with diamonds scoring a perfect 10.
the scarcity of stone’s occurrence in nature as well as its public popularity. Its rarity affects its perceived value: the more difficult to acquire, the more precious a stone becomes. The difference between precious and semi-precious stones mostly depends upon availability and market conditions.
Groups of gems within a class that share a common chemical formula. Species are sub-divisions of classes.
Minerals that are mostly made of phosphorus. Turquoise is an example of a phosphate gem.
Minerals with complex chemical structures built around oxygen atoms that have bonded to the element silicon. Some examples of silicate gems include tourmalines, garnets, and emeralds
Gems that possess similar characteristics and origins are clustered into classes. Most gems fall into five basic classes according to their mineral compositions: elementals, oxides, silicates, phosphates, and organics.
Down
is subjective; however experts judge gems according to specific scales that measure color, clarity, carat (weight) and cut (how well a gem’s shape and faceting reflect and absorb light).
Minerals made of two kinds of atoms—oxygen and another element, typically a metal such as aluminum. Examples of oxide gems include rubies, amethysts, sapphires, and more.
the base rock in which a gemstone crystal is found; the parent rock.
Minerals made entirely of a single type of atom. In other words, they’re made of an element on the periodic table. For example, colorless diamonds are made solely of the element carbon.
a naturally occurring inorganic solid, usually crystalline in structure, whose composition can be expressed by a chemical formula.
And within each species, gems can be grouped into varieties, according to trace impurities that affect their color.