WikiJewelry and Gemstone Wiki - Concise definitions of terms relating to jewelry (jewellery) & gemstones. If you would like to know "what is turquoise?" or "what are minerals?", then Mochishop's wiki can help.
amber (adj, n) is fossilized tree resin used as a gemstone. Most amber comes from trees that were extant 30-90 million years ago. The name "amber" is descriptive of the resin's rich golden colour. Note, however, that amber can range in color from milky white to cognac. [buy Amber jewelry from Mochishop]
amethyst (n) a gemstone of the quartz family, usually found in hues of violet and purple. [buy Amethyst at Mochishop]
agate (n) is a gemstone belonging to chalcedony family which, in turn, belongs to a family of cryptocrystalline quartzes. Agates are found in an array of colors. There are many subtypes of agate, including banded agate, dendritic agate, fire agate, iris agate and moss agate. [buy Agate at Mochishop]
chalcedony (n) a family of cryptocrystalline quartzes including, for example, agate, jasper and onyx.
cryptocrystalline (n) tiny crystals which are not discernable through optical microscopes. Cf Microcrystalline.
crystal (n) a substance with a regular atomic structure. Cf mineral
crystalline (adj) of or like crystal, formed by crystalization.
cardinal [gemstones] (n) an historical/obsolete classification of five gemstones (diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire and amethyst) considered to be of highest importance or value. Cf precious.
diamond (n) the hardest naturally occurring mineral. It is a gemstone whose hardness and transparency make it highly desirable in jewelry making. Diamond is an allatrope of carbon.
gemstone (n) a precious or semi-precious stone that can be cut or otherwise worked into an ornamental object or item of jewelry
goldstone (n) a synthetic material made from glass used as a gemstone.
jewellery (n) British variant of jewelry
jewelry (n) a personal adornment, such as a bracelet or necklace, made from precious and semi precious materials, locally-available or culturally significant materials, and base metals or plastics in the case of costume jewelry.
microcystalline (n) tiny crystals which are discernable with the use of optical microscopes. Cf Cryptocrystalline.
mineral (n) a naturally occuring substance with a regular atomic structure, that is a crystalline structure.
opaque (adj, n) generally speaking, that which is not transparent, impenetrable to light. In context of gemmology, a non-transpararent gemstone such as turquoise or jasper.
precious (adj) a precious stone or metal is that which is highly valuable or desirable. Cf cardinal gemstones. NB. The "preciousness" of a gemstone is not absolute: Amethyst was once considered a precious gemstone until vast deposits were located in Brazil. Since then, Amethyst has been re-classified semi-precious.
quartz (n) an abundant mineral. Varieties of quartz include agate, amethyst, chalcedony, citrine and rose-quartz.
rock (n) an aggregate of minerals. Unlike mineral gemstones, rock gemstones do not have a regular atomic - crystalline - structure. For example, turquoise.
rose quartz (n) a variety of quartz. The pink colour is caused by trace elements such as titanium or iron, for example. [buy rose quartz at Mochishop]
semi-precious (adj) used to describe gemstones that do not belong to the "precious" category of gemstones (diamond, ruby, emerald or sapphire).
turquoise (n) meaning "Turkish", an opaque mineral of blue-green colour. Its crystals are usually of the cryptocrystalline type. [buy turquoise at Mochishop]
