Jewel

Jewels (or gems or gemstones) are rare minerals. They usually come in colours and sizes. They begin in a rough rock form, but can be cut and polished to turn into a jewellery.

However, some other non-mineral rocks (such as lapis lazuli) or organic materials can also be also used for jewelry and are called gemstones. These include amber or jet. Pearls and coral are sometimes also called gemstones.

Most gemstones are hard. Soft minerals are used in jewelry too, because of their luster that gives them value. 

Being rare or in short supply also makes a gemstone valuable.

 History 
The Ancient Greeks and Ancient Egyptians began to decide which gems are Precious and semi-precious. This continued in other cultures.::.

In modern times, the precious stones are diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald, with all other gemstones being semi-precious.::.

Types 
 Amethyst
 Aquamarine
 Alexandrite
 Diamond
 Emerald
 Jade
 Peridot
 Ruby
 Sapphire
 Topaz
 Turquoise
 Opal
 Spinel

 References 

Other websites
 "Book of Royal Gemstones" is a book from 1554 that talks about gemstones.
 "The Blossoms of Thoughts Regarding the Precious Stones" is an old book from the 1600s that is considered one of the most important books about precious stones. It is written in the Arabic language.

Category:Basic English 850 words