Gemstones are nothing more than attractive minerals of the earth, although some organic material has made its way into the gemstone world. They are generally broken down into two categories: precious and semi-precious. One man’s precious, however, is another’s Semi-precious, so they say. The lists change depending on where you are and how rare the gem in that area.

Take Dungeon!, for example, that great old board game where you go from room to room beating up bad guys and picking up treasure. I seem to recall that the diamond was worth the most. However, if the game were set in, say, China or Mesoamerica, a jade statue would be the most valuable item. It also depends on the era. Today, emeralds are technically worth more than diamonds because they are harder to locate now than back then, and diamonds can be reproduced with incredibly pressure in laboratories.

The love of these sparkling rocks led to the creation of some of the longest most difficult trade routes in ancient times. Gemstones like jade and lapis lazuli had to be carried up to 1400 miles away to get to where they were most prized.

Nearly all ornamentation right up until the Renaissance involved ritual or magic of some sort. Certain stones were regarded as holy and the gems developed their own legends and folklore (another article).

Using them in Roleplaying

Rather than limiting a character party to the common gem mix, throw some of the lesser known jewels in to add variety to a treasure trove. Put them in places where they proudly show a sapphire to a local merchant to trade, only to learn that the local market has been flooded and the gems are not as valuable. Have a pearl they obtained be worth a castle inland. Or perhaps they steal a load of gems from somewhere only to learn they are fake.

The Stones

Emerald: Emeralds belong to the beryl family. True beryls are colorless, but emeralds have vanadium and chromium mixed in and only formed after serious amounts of tectonic activity. Top-quality stones today are more valuable than diamonds. The oldest finds were along the Red Sea in Egypt and called Cleopatra’s Mines, but these were mostly dried up by the first century BCE. The Incas and Aztecs, in an area where currently the best finds are to be had, regarded the gem as a holy stone. Other countries include Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and Russia.

Ruby: For thousands of years the ruby was considered one of the most valuable gemstones. India was considered the capital of ruby mining and considered the stone to be the “king” of the gemstones. A member of the corundum family, pure corundum is colorless and the addition of aluminum oxide and chrome, which causes its scarcity as well as the best rubies grow underground undisturbed and chrome causes cracks and fissures. Only red corundums are called rubies; the rest are called sapphires. Early civilizations thought all reds jewels were forms of rubies right up until the 19th century, and this included garnets and spinels. Rubies are found in India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Northern Pakistan, Kashmir, Tadzhikistan, Laos, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Myanmar is currently the mine of the 90s, and lately there is talk of searching East Africa for ruby deposits. Star rubies—cabachons with certain inclusions in their caps—are extremely rare and becoming rarer.

Sapphire: It was once said that the heavens were an enormous blue sapphire where earth was embedded. Sapphires not only come in all shades of blue, but yellow, pink, orange, and purple. Second only to diamonds in hardness, these are also corundums and all corundums that are not red were considered sapphires. They are some of the most difficult stones to cut, not only because of their hardness, but because their tones and clarity change with their position. Sapphires are found in India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, and Africa. The Kashmir sapphires, found after a landslide in the 1880s are considered some of the best, most valuable sapphires in the world. The oldest mines were in Ceylon, but today most blue sapphires come from Australia or Thailand. In the 21st century a mine was discovered in Madagascar that has since replenished the market, driving down prices. Further newly discovered mines in Brazil and Tanzania will continue the trend. Top quality gems are still a rare commodity. While not as rare as star rubies, star sapphires are still very collectible. The other colors are rarer than blue, but are generally less expensive. The most valuable non-blue sapphire today is the orange-pink or pinkish-orange sapphire called the “padparadscha” or “lotus flower".

Amethyst: This extravagant member of the quartz family has been coveted since early times. It was a major symbol in the robe of the High Priest of the Jews back in Moses’ days and Catherine the Great sent thousands of miners into the Urals for it. Popular belief had it that the amethyst protected against drunkenness and there are many more legends associated with it. Strangely the stone is affected by heat or even too much daylight, turning it almost colorless. The largest deposits are found in Brazil, Uruguay, and Madagascar, but amethysts can be found all over the world. Most amethysts are found in agate almonds or geodes. The new finds of amethyst have dropped the price considerably; in the 1800s amethysts went for 20 times more than they do today. In earlier times amethysts were more likely to be cut into sculptures or utensils, such as cups, than gem-cuts.

Opals: People have always been fascinated with opals and are named depending on their place of origin, the color of the main body, and the type of opal. The variations in the play of color are caused by tiny spheres of silica gel within the stone. They always contain water and can dry out and become brittle. Although found in Ethiopia, Mali, the United States, and Brazil, the biggest pot comes from Australia’s outback, which now supplies 95% of the world’s opals.

Topaz: Another ancient gemstone, it was used in the Holy City of Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Otherwise known as fluorine aluminum silicate, it was found for a long time as small stones in Germany, the fist-sized gems of Brazil and Siberia were considered priceless at first until they spread through the market.

Peridot: It was found in ancient Egyptian jewelry, from on a small island in the Red Sea. This supply was quickly exhausted but there were many others, including Myanmar, China, the U.S., Africa, and Australia. Also known as olivine and chrysolite, peridot is iron magnesium silicate and the color varies depending on the amount of iron. Incredible valuable and rare are the peridot cat’s eye and the star peridot. Thanks to recent rich finds along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan there is plenty to go around now, but in earlier times this was a rare and valuable stone even at smaller sizes. Today large transparent stones are still incredibly expensive.

Aquamarine: Always considered a lucky stone for sailors, today it is one of the most popular gemstones. One of the beryl family, it is found in Nigeria, Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The richest mines of today are in Brazil. The more intense the blue, the more valuable it is on the market.

Tanzanite: Found only in Tanzania, this stone is a deep blue with purple highlights and was only discovered in 1967. Usually only tiny fragments are found but once in a while a larger gemstone is retrieved from one of the small mines in that area. The gem consists of calcium aluminum silicate and is a member of the gemstone family zoisite. The rare gems are priced accordingly.

Citrine: Commonly called “gold topaz,” citrine is a member of the quartz family and is fairly rare in nature, only forming when trace amounts of iron comes in contact with silicon dioxide. Historically it was found in Spain, Arran of Scotland, Germany, France, Hungary, and several mines in Brazil and Uruguay. It didn’t become truly popular until the 1930s.

Ametrine: Sometimes amethyst and citrine colors are found in the same stone and when this happens the gem is called an ametrine. It is amazingly inexpensive considering only one mine in the world, the Anahi mine in Bolivia, produces it. It was discovered by Europe when a Spanish Conquistador wanted to marry a local princess and was presented with ametrine. The colors can be altered with cutting, much to the delight of sculptors.

Garnet: Although known for its deep dark-red color, garnets come in a variety of shades such as green, yellow, earth-tones, and orange. The only color it cannot come close to is blue. The garnet also comes in star form and certain cuts can cause the color to change depending on if the stone is seen in sunlight or artificial light. Noah is said to have used a garnet in his lantern for steering at night. Garnets were also used in jewelry in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Garnets were very popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and were mainly supplied at that time by a mine in the former kingdom of Bohemia. It is also mined through Czechoslovakia, East Africa, Sri Lanka, the U.S., and India.

The individual make-ups of garnets have further granted them individual names, such as almandines, the larger pyropes and rhodolite, and the newer spessarites found in between Angola and Namibia. Spessarites were found only ten years ago, but have gained popularity for their special brilliant red-orange color. The mines quickly were exhausted and the gem shot up in value until 1994, when a lode of slightly lesser quality stones was found in Nigeria. Green garnets are called grossularites, found in Mali, and tsavorite, in Tanzania. A rare green garnet is the demantoid, found in the Urals and Namibia. It is rare to find a tsavorite any larger than two carats. The demantoid is the most expensive of the garnets, due to its exclusivity and its brilliance, which outshines that of the diamond. Russian jeweler Faberge fell in love with the demantoids and helped it gain popularity. A Russian demantoid with the classic “horsetail” wisps radiating from the center are considered some of the most rare and valuable gemstones in the world.

Tourmaline: The ancient Egyptians believed the gemstone passed through a rainbow, splitting it into so many colors. Often stones will have more than one color and are cut to display them both. There are as many names as there colors for this gemstone, from the black schorf to the red rubellite, although the green tourmaline is the most classic of colors. They are found all over the world, throughout Africa, North America, and South America. With every stone being unique, the tourmaline is very special and highly prized.

Lapis Lazuli: The stones are deep blue with an inclusion of pyrite causing gold flecks throughout the gem. Among the first gems to be used in jewelry, it was seen in ancient Mesopotamia, Ur, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Known as ultramarine, the gem also supplied its rich blue to the painting world back in history until the late 1800s. The best supply comes from an ancient source in northeast Afghanistan, and is also seen in the Russian mountains and Chilean Andes, Italy, Mongolia, the US and Canada, Myanmar, and Pakistan. Quality forces the price up, which is why some pieces are inexpensive but others invaluable. The more evenly the gold flecks are distributed, the more quality a stone has.

Quartz: Very affordable and available in a variety of colors, quartz is commonly carved into utensils and sculptures. It was used as a cheap stand-in for more valuable stones, but has made a place of its own in today’s world. Quartz has many different popular colors, including rose quartz, smoky quartz, tiger’s eye quartz, and chalcedony.

Zultanite: Zultanite is incredibly valuable, mostly due to its single mine in Angola Turkey, but also because it is one of the rare color-changing gemstones. Depending on the light source it can appear tinted pink or turn a brilliant green or yellow. It also contains the coveted cat’s eye effect. It was first faceted in 1977 and has remained very exclusive to the already rare world of gems.

Jade: Most times seen in shades of green, jade can also be found in white, grey, black, yellow, orange, and a delicate violet hue. It was the stone of choice for pre-Bronze Age warriors in many regions but quickly gained popularity in China, called “the royal gem” as early as 3000 BCE. In the pre-Columbian period, the Mayans, Aztecs, and Olmecs also believed jade to be more valuable than gold. New Zealand’s Maoris carved their weapons from jade and it was an admired stone in ancient Egypt. Jade is the universal name for two stones, jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is rarer than nephrite and thus more precious. Nephrite is found in China, New Zealand, Russia, Guatemala, and the Swiss Alps. Western Canada produces a very dark-green nephrite. Jadeite is found in China, Russia, and Guatemala, with the best-quality stones coming from Myanmar, which was once known as Burma. Outside of China and Mesoamerica, jade is judged by its color, intensity, and texture, among other things. It also depends on the culture of the buyer; in America an apple green or spinach green can be highly valuable. In the Far East those pieces that are not green are higher priced. The highest prices are generally to be had by the vibrantly green imperial jade. Unfortunately, reproductions and fakes are easily created for jade.

Zircon: Zircon has a name similar to Cubic Zirconia, resulting in many people not knowing about this naturally occurring beautiful gemstone. It has ancient origins in Hindu literature but maintains a position as a substitute stone for higher priced gems. It comes in a colorless variety that is often used as a substitute for diamonds. It’s most common color is blue, but can also be found in green, dark red, yellow, brown, and orange. It is mined in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, New Zealand and Australia, among many other countries.

Iolite: Although usually a purplish blue, the sides of the stone will reflect other colors or become clear when looks at them straight on. Although very difficult to cut due to this effect, it is a beautiful gemstone and very common, mined in India, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Brazil. During the Viking era, there were mines in Norway and Greenland, and the Vikings used their color-changing effect to help them navigate. Although not popular today, its affordability will help it become so in the future.

Spinel: A popular substitute for ruby in medieval and Renaissance times, it was recognized as a separate gem species from rubies as early as 1587. Since that time it has become treasured on its own for its brilliance, hardness, and wide range of colors. Besides various shades of red, the spinel comes in pink and purple pastels, and an incredible hot pink with an orange tint mined from Burma. Cobalt spinel in beautiful blue tones is incredibly rare. Spinel was quickly duplicated in labs and most people believe “spinel” refers to fake jewels. Aside from Burma (Myanmar), spinel is mined in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Tadzhikistan.

Fire Opals: Very unique among the opal family, fire opals were adored in ancient times within such regions as India, Persia, and Mesoamerica. Some of the largest mines are found in Mexico and, more recently, Brazil. Other places that have found fire opals include, the Honduras, Guatemala, the US, Canada, Australia, Ethiopia, and Turkey. The most valuable fire opals not only have the intense color, but the play of colors found in opals.

Moonstone: All moonstones have a shimmer that changes as the stone is moved. The classic moonstone, a feldspar generally mined in Sri Lanka, is a pale blue on an almost transparent background. It became popular again during the Art Nouveau fad. Moonstones can be found with backgrounds of brown, green, or orange. Aside from Sri Lanka, other deposits are found in the US, Brazil, Australia, Myanmar, and Madagascar. The blue moonstone is becoming rarer, bringing up the price exponentially.

Alexandrite: Very rare and incredibly expensive, alexandrite was found in the Urals as the tsar Alexander was seated on the throne. It changes color, appearing green or bluish-green in daylight, and red, purplish red, and raspberry red in incandescent light. The more distinct the color changes, the more valuable the stone. Proof positive that the stone is from Russia can jack the price up even more. After Russian mines were thought exhausted, more deposits were discovered in Brazil in 1987. Lesser quality stones have been found in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, India, Zimbabwe, Burma, and Madagascar. Finely faceted alexandrites larger than a carat are even rarer than sapphires, rubies, or emeralds. A single carat of alexandrite can fetch up to $100,000 for top quality and $6,000 for low quality.

Chrysoberyls: Commonly referred to as “tiger’s eye,” this brown gem is related closest to alexandrite than real beryls. Found mostly in honey colors and shades of green or yellow, they are mostly found in deposits in Brazil, Sri Lanka, or East Africa.

Kunzite: This is a “young” gemstone, having only been discovered in 1902. Seen mostly in shades of pink or violet, pale-pink kunzite was found in California and other varieties are found in Afghanistan, Madagascar, the US, and Brazil. Like amethysts, the color can fade in direct sunlight. It is one of the few gems that are still reasonably prized at very large sizes. Its value is determined first from its color, then its clarity.

Morganite: related to aquamarines and emeralds, morganite is well known in the 21st century. A hundred years ago it was famous under a different name—pink beryl. Magnesium add during the creation stage gives this gemstone its pink hue. It is mined in Brazil, Madagascar, Afghanistan, and California. The color determines its value and large pieces tend to show more color, making them increase in price quickly as they are found in larger pieces.

Chrome Diopside: With a beautiful green color, it is surprising that these gems are so affordable in price. Although usually found in tiny fragments the gem cannot be used in large pieces since the color becomes darker and “too rich.” Mostly mined in Yakutia and Siberia, this gemstone once commanded a higher price until trade relations with the Soviet Union opened.

Andulasite: First discovered in the Spanish province of Andalusia, this gemstone is another pleiochroic gem, showing different colors in different directions. Cutters generally attempt to get the full range of colors—orange-brown and greenish gold—in one stone. Mined in Brazil and Sri Lanka, this gem is more common and cheaper than other similarly changing stones.

Amber: It has been used in jewelry since prehistoric times and its popularity comes and goes. The Assyrians, Egyptians, Etruscans, Phoenicians, and Greeks all held high-esteem for this gemstone. Value is determined by whether or not an insect is included in the gem. Amber can range anywhere from twenty dollars to forty-thousand. Currently mining is successful in the Baltic States and Dominican Republic, although other sources have been found in Myanmar, Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania, Germany, and Canada. During the 1400s, a sect of knights controlled most of the European trade. Substitute: Copal (hardened tree resin)

Turquoise: Found in Egyptian tombs and Aztec artwork, turquoise was commonly used in ritual. With copper giving it the blue tones, and iron the greens, the standard turquoise is known for having veins or blotches throughout its exterior. The most well-known deposits are in the US, Mexico, Israel, Iran, Afghanistan, and China.

Corals: Coral is found in waters between 3 and 300 meters around the lands of Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Red Sea, the Bay of Biscay, the Canary Islands, Australia, and the Midway Islands. There are coral banks in the Mediterranean as well found in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off Sardinia, off Tunisia and Algeria, former Yugoslavia and Turkey. Two species are used for jewelry, leaving the protected species in the Southern Pacific and around Australia alone. Closely related to the pearl in composition, coral consists of over 90 percent calcium carbonate. The process to create a coral piece takes time and patience. Coral is very porous, with holes and cracks, therefore unblemished coral gems are incredibly valuable. Coral has been used in jewelry for centuries, if not millennia.

Agate: Agate is chalcedony quartz that is formed in layers as the material fills a cavity in a rock. Regarded as a talisman in ancient days it was carved and polished into bowls and cups. In particular, the royalty of many European countries collected agate bowls and other items as a hobby of sorts. Germany was mining agate by the medieval period and used the Nahe River to power its cutting center of Idar-Oberstein. When the agate supply of Germany was exhausted, Idar-Oberstein remained open to take on cutting of deposits from Brazil, sparking new exploration of South America.

Onyx: Like agate, onyx is chalcedony quartz, but is known for being mostly or completely black. Onyx was very popular with ancient Greeks and Romans, and the name for all colors of chalcedony in those times. Only later did onyx start to refer to black or dark brown shades of chalcedony. Reddish brown onyx is called sardonyx and was especially popular with Romans, used as seals since wax did not stick to it.

Bloodstone: This stone is made up of green jasper dotted with red dots of iron oxide and was highly treasured in ancient times. Yet another chalcedony, it was called heliotrope back during the Roman Empire. The Christians took to this stone readily to use in their ornamentation as the “martyr’s stone.” Fine specimens have only become rarer as time passes, although it is still mined in the US, Australia, and India.

Jasper: Now considered common and affordable, jasper was a favorite of many ancient civilizations and fetched high prices around the old empires. Jasper are named from their patterns, including landscape jasper, picture jasper, ribbon jasper, and orbicular jasper. It was used to make utensils and as ornamentation on buildings. As people explored more and more of the world, they found that jasper, once rare, could be found in nearly every region.

Jet: Jet is a minor gemstone, although not actually a true mineral—it comes from pressurized decaying wood. Usually black or dark-brown, sometimes jet contains pyrite inclusions which add a luster. The oldest jet jewelry is from 17,000 BC and it has been readily used throughout history. Queen Victoria brought it back into popularity, mainly as mourning jewelry in the 19th century. Although not as popular today, antique jewelry pieces of jet fetch high prices for their historical value. Substitute: anthracite (coal)

Pearls: Before modern technology, pearls only formed by chance; an oyster would cover a foreign particle with layers of nacre. This made them nearly priceless in early times, comparable to prices of diamonds or even higher, some fetching the equivalent of a piece of real estate. Today pearls are cultured, a seed bead is placed into an oyster and returned to the water. Most cultured pearls are harvested in Japan, but there are also the larger South Sea pearls and Tahitian black pearls, all cultured. Freshwater pearls are cultured in mussels, usually in China. Readily imitated, natural and cultured pearls feel slightly rougher.

Diamonds: The diamond is an allotrope of carbon and is the hardest naturally occurring mineral. They have been used for their hardness as tools for thousands of years. Nearly half of all diamonds currently come from central and southern Africa, although other significant sources are found in Canada, India, Brazil, Russia, and Australia. For the ancient world, India was the only source but diamonds spread quickly. Absolutely clear diamonds are very rare as most have a tint of yellow or brown and this reduces the value. Blue and pink diamonds are also highly valued and the more intense the color, even yellow, the higher the price. Originally used as eyes for religious icons in ancient India, most cultures developed religious or superstitious connotations involving the diamond. It wasn’t until the medieval Christians wrote that it brought concord between a man and wife that it was recommended to be set in jewelry.

New Gemstones

Many other minerals are currently being considered for gemstones, but they are usually rare in sufficient qualities or their structure makes it difficult to create an attractive stone. Others, like ekanite, are radioactive and degrade over time. Some of the potential newer stones to utilize in game play include:

Ammolite: Iridescent fossilized organic material from the Rockies, it officially became a gemstone in 1981 and its value has only increased.

Benitoite: A blue silicate, its use as faceted jewels is rare as sufficient quantity is sparse but when there is a large enough amount to make a jewel it is highly coveted as being the equivalent in color to the bluest sapphires.

Charosite: a rare lavender to purple mineral found only in Siberia, Russia has placed strict regulations on its export, increasing its value but limiting its potential for popularity.

Helenite: made from the fusing of rock from the eruption at Mount St. Helens, it is technically a synthetic red or green stone that can be used as a substitute for rubies or emeralds, but has gained popularity on its own as a piece of history.

Painite: only a handful of crystals are known to exist and only two have been faceted. It is considered the rarest mineral in the world, unearthed in Myanmar in the 1950s.

Sapphirine: Named for its blue colors it is a rare silicate of magnesium that is occasionally cut into treasured gemstones. Since its discovery in Greenland in 1819, other large crystals have been mined from Sri Lanka and Madagascar, and smaller crystals have been found nearly on every continent.

Reproductions Came Early

As soon as certain stones gained value, others were ready to exploit the masses. The Babylonians and Assyrians made glass in a wide range of color, and clay tablets reveal recipes for making artificial stones, such as carnelian, lapis lazuli, and sapphire. Whole factories in the Rome were devoted to producing artificial gemstones. Both the Greek and Egyptians created glass with rich blues to imitate lapis lazuli and used them for home and jewelry decorations. In the 17th to 18th century, glass was made with copper or copper salts in the presence of a reducing flame, creating a transparent bluish-green glass. Once hardened the copper is suspended in a crystalline structure with the illusion of being a reddish brown highly sparkling stone. It was discovered in Italy and was misrepresented as a natural stone from the beginning. There have been countless attempts to simulate diamonds, although the most common substitute include highly leaded glass (rhinestones) and cubic zirconia. Rhinestones were first used as diamond simulants in the Baroque period and cubic zirconia became popular in the 1970s.

Next: Gem meanings and uses other than “pretty”