Rock And Gem Identification Guide

Gemstones in the rough look more like rocks than the polished stones used in jewelry.

Rock and gem identification guide.

Positive identification requires much more than looking at a photo. The mineral and gemstone kingdom is a free informational and educational guide to rocks minerals gemstones and jewelry. Soft rock does not scratch steel but will scratch fingernails mohs scale of 3 to 5 5 while very soft rock won t even scratch fingernails mohs scale of 1 to 2. Follow this handy guide to learn more about your gems rocks minerals our gemstones and minerals traveled across the world to become a part of your collection.

Anyone interested in seeking out and identifying rough gemstones should start by buying an illustrated guide or looking up images online of rough gemstones. Printable tumbled stone identification chart. Impurities may cause the marbel to be green red blue yellow etc. Magnetite is sometimes called lodestone.

Our mining rough contains gems and minerals that were mined in countries as far away as brazil peru mexico india and madagascar. The highest grade calcite marble is pure white. Marble is a crystalline rock composed predominantly of calcite dolomite or serpentine minerals. Hematite is one of the most prevalent and useful forms of iron on our planet.

This site has been providing detailed information and photos of hundreds of mineral and gemstone since 1997 and is one of the leading education resources on minerals and gemstones. It was used by the ancient chinese to make the first magnetic compasses. If your specimen is a rock you will need to identify the individual minerals that compose it by following the mineral identification guide below. It has a hardness of 3 4.

It is a common iron ore and is often used in jewelry and other decorative items. An interactive reference guide to rocks minerals and gemstones. Picture identification guide for polished stones and tumbled rocks these photos will give you some idea of what various stones look like but other types of stones can have a very similar appearance. The colors of marble vary depending on the impurities within the marble.

Once you have identified the relative abundance of different minerals in your rock you can come see examples of common upstate rocks at the museum or you can refer to an online or other reference. Rock identification chart once you ve determined what type of rock you ve got look closely at its color and composition. The chemical formula is fe 3 o 4. Interactive guide to hundreds of rocks and minerals.