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2 Gemstones. 3 Metals. 4 See also. 5 References. Toggle the table of contents. Lists of countries by mineral production. 4 languages.
Samarian Spinel, the world's largest spinel; Menshikov Ruby, the world's second largest spinel set on top of the Great Imperial Crown of Russia; Timur Ruby, believed to be a ruby until 1851, hence its name; Black Prince's Ruby, the famous spinel mounted on the Imperial State Crown of the United Kingdom
Charoite (/ tʃ æ r oʊ. aɪ t / CHAR-ow-ait) is a rare silicate mineral with the chemical composition K(Ca,Na) 2 Si 4 O 10 (OH,F)•H 2 O, first described in 1978.It is named after the Chara River, despite its being 70 kilometres (43 mi) away from the discovery place.
Dravite species such as green chromium dravite and brown dravite are diamagnetic. A handheld neodymium magnet can be used to identify or separate some types of tourmaline gems from others. For example, blue indicolite tourmaline is the only blue gemstone of any kind that will show a drag response when a neodymium magnet is applied.
Azurite was known in the pre-classical ancient world. It was used in ancient Egypt as a pigment, obtained from mines in Sinai. Ancient Mesopotamian writers report the use of a special mortar and pestle for grinding it. It was also used in ancient Greece, for example on the Acropolis in Athens.
Zambia is the world's second biggest producer, with its Kafubu River area deposits (Kagem Mines) about 45 km (28 mi) southwest of Kitwe responsible for 20% of the world's production of gem-quality stones in 2004. [28] In the first half of 2011, the Kagem Mines produced 3.74 tons of emeralds. [29]
Jasper is known to have been a favorite gem in the ancient world; its name can be traced back in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Assyrian, Greek and Latin. [10] On Minoan Crete, jasper was carved to produce seals circa 1800 BC, as evidenced by archaeological recoveries at the palace of Knossos. [11]
This is a list of gemstones, organized by species and types. Minerals ... Gemstones of the World revised 5th edition, 2013 by Walter Schumann ISBN 978-1454909538;