recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Mahogany obsidian

Likely first discovered in prehistoric times due to it’s documented use in arrowheads and spear tips by aboriginal humans, mahogany obsidian is a black obsidian with mahogany colored patterns, hence it’s name. Obsidian in general has been used as a gemstone since antiquity. Imagine a fine piece of mahogany furniture that gleams like glass--that's mahogany obsidian. Many native americans on the US west coast used this material in weaponry due to it’s sharpness and easy cleavage, and was most likley discovrered in Oregon.

Color: black w/burgandy patterns

Name: Mohagony obsidian

Family: Obsidian

M.o.h:  5-5.5

Occurrence: much of north and south america

Mcch: amorphous

Rarity: uncommon
Rosetta lace agate

A subvariety of Mexico’s famous Crazy Lace Agate, Rosetta lace agate was actually the first ever mined pieces of Crazy lace mined in the 1950’s! Unlike the crazy, sporadic banding of crazy lace, Rosetta lace has more muted, swirly, watercolor like patterns. It has the same scarlett, cream, and white coloring as high quality crazy lace as well!

Color: white, red, brown, cream

Moh: 7

Family: agate

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: Mexico

Mcch: veinular
Rose calcite

Rose calcite is a somewhat rare, strawberry pink to red variety of banded calcite which was discovered in the late 2010’s in Pakistan’s Shigar Valley, the same place where Pistachio and Lemon calcite are mined. It is named for it’s color!

Color: strawberry red

Moh: 3

Family: Calcite

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: Pakistan

Mcch: massive
Poppy jasper

First discovered in the late 1960’s, Poppy Jasper is a famous, but increasingly rare orbicular jasper with red and yellow dots of "poppy flowers". It is a brecciated jasper, meaning it probably came from sun-dried and oxidized iron-rich clay. The cracks were filled in by other substances. It is Also called ‘’morgan hill’’ jasper as morgan hill, in california, was the first and only place it has been found.

Color: red, yellow, orange, tan

Name: Poppy jasper, morgan hill jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: California

Mcch: massive

Rarity: rare
Irnimite

Irnimite Jasper is a very rare variety of microquartzite Jasper known for it’s unique combination of pink and blue hues that was first discovered in the Taikan mountain range of eastern Siberia, Russia. It has not been found in any location since then! It is also sometimes reffered to as watercolor jasper.

Color: Pink, black, Blue

Name: Inirmite, Watercolor jasper

Family: quartz (jasper)

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Russia

Mcch: Microcrystalline

Rarity: Very rare
Nephrite

Nephrite is a type of jade that was first used for weapons, and later for ornaments. Nephrite is referred to as the old and true Chinese jade. Nephrite and Jadeite are both recognized as jade, but nephrite is more common, and therefore, the less expensive of the two. For centuries, jadeite and nephrite were considered the same. They were not identified as different until 1863. The two stones actually differ in color and hardness. In ancient China, nephrite was known as the Yu stone, or the Stone of Heaven. In archaic burial sites, it was common to bury a person with six specific nephrite jade figures, to ensure his passage to Heaven. Nephrite jade was excavated from the Kunlun Mountains of northwest China. Nephrite was also valuable in Russia, with one czar having his casket carved from it. In recent years the US states of Washington, and Woming, as well as the canadian province of british columbia, have been found to have nephrite deposits.

Color: forest - light green

Name: Nephrite

Family: jade

M.o.h:  6.5-7

Occurrence: china, siberia, Russia, WA, WY, BC

Mcch: massive/nodular

Rarity: uncommon
Ocean jasper

Discovered on a coastal schist shelf in Madagascar in the late 1990’s, ocean jasper is a rare, beautiful, orbicular jasper mixed with agate, quartz druze, and fossilized orbs of sea sediment! It’s age is unknown, but based on surrounding material, it is likely up to 2 billion years old. In 2006, the original mine was ‘’mined out’’ meaning the supply was eliminated, and now most of this material comes from another mine a short distance away. However, in 2016 the mine was flooded after a cave in, and is currently being re-built for operation. The mine began operating again in 2022.

Color: green, gray, cream, red, yellow, white

Name: Ocean jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Madagascar

Mcch: massive

Rarity: uncommon
Herkimer Quartz

Herkimer diamonds are not actually diamonds, but double terminated quartz crystals discovered within exposed outcrops of dolomite in and around Herkmier county, New York, and the Mohawk river Valley. Discovered by workers in the late 18th century, these stones were immediately brought to local gem shops, thought to be diamonds. They were quickly identified as quartz, and became their own phenomenon within the lapidary community. They became very popular by gem collectors by the 1970’s and are still a bit of a collectors item to this day.

Color: colorless-pale grey

Name: Herkimer diamond/quartz

Family: quartz

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: herkimer county, New York.

Mcch: prismatic

Rarity: rare
Little naches agate

One of washingtons only thunderegg’s, little naches eggs are found in a fairly unfamiliar and unusual location on a hill above the Little Naches River, northwest of Yakima and in the Wenatchee National Forest. These eggs have a wonderfully soft colour scheme with predominantly green matrix and quiet grey agate. They can also display evidence of a lot of geological activity during their formation, featuring many 're-healed' breakages and natural cracks

Color: grey, cream, white

Moh: 7

Family: quartz

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: US (WA)

Mcch: Nodular
Melanite

Discovered in 1868 in Morocco, Melanite is a deep black, titanium rich variety of Andradite garnet. Like other garnets, it is very popular in jewelry, with melanite being one of the major black gems in the jewelry market. It is named after the Greek word ‘’Melan’’ meaning ‘’Black’’. Most material is found in Mali, Morocco, and Pakistan!

Color: black

Moh: 7-7.5

Family: Garnet

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: mali, morocco, pakistan, angola, namibia

Mcch: euhedral
Mali garnet

The most recently discovered garnet species, as well as One of the rarer varieties in the garnet group, Mali garnet is a blend of grossular and andradite. Discovered in 1994 in Mali (still its only known source), this gemstone has great brilliance and a high dispersion. Its colors range from almost tsavorite green to yellow-green, yellow, gold, and brown. It is the national gemstone of Mali.

Color: yellow, green, gold, brown

Name: Mali garnet

Family: garnet

M.o.h:  6.5-7

Occurrence: Mali

Mcch: prismatic

Rarity: rare
Kimberlite

Kimberlite is a fairly uncommon, deep grey to slate green igneous rock that forms far beneath the earth’s crust. Although fairly boring on it’s own, it’s what kimberlite can hold within it’s construct that makes it so special. You see, kimberlite is the main host rock of diamonds, and therefore, if you come upon kimberlite, there is a fair chance that diamonds exist nearby!

Color: gray-slate green

Name: Kimberlite

Family: Igneous rocks

M.o.h:   6-7

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: massive

Rarity: uncommon
Hessonite

hessonite is a rare variety of garnet also known as ‘cinnamon stone’ because of its color. The name hessonite comes from the ancient Greek word esson, meaning inferior, because of the stone’s low density and hardness, (rude, lol)  compared to other kinds of garnet. Hessonite has been prized for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and Romans used the stone in jewelry, and for Cameo and intaligo pieces. Today it is most often used in jewelry!

Color: cinnamon-pumpkin orange

Name: hessonite

Family: Garnet

M.o.h:  6.5-7

Occurrence: brazil, canada, russia,

Mcch: cubic

Rarity: rare
Hourglass selenite

Oklahoma designated the unique hourglass selenite crystal as the official state crystal in 2005 after elementary school students from Bryant and Red Oak School petitioned the state legislature. All State Minerals & Rocks Hourglass selenite crystals are found only on the salt plains of Oklahoma, a unique 11,000-acre geological area. The salt plains were formed by repeated flooding by sea water millions of years ago!

Color: colorless w/brown inclusions

Moh: 2

Family: Gypsum/Selenite

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: US (OK)

Mcch: monoclinic
Misty mountain jasper

Misty mountain jasper, also sometimes called dune jasper, is a very rare variety of picture jasper, very similar to polychrome jasper, found in madagascar. With beautiful teal, mauve, and orange hues that make it a very popular, if rare, form of jasper!

Color: teal, mauve, tan, orange

Name: Misty mountain/dune jasper

Family: Jasper/quartz

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Madagascar

Mcch: nodular

Rarity: Rare
Hauyne

Hauyne is a rare, intense blue gem variety of the stone Sodalite. It was first discovered in 1807 in the vesuvian lava flows of monte somma in Italy. The stone was named after french minerologist abbe rene hauy. A man who researched and discovered much of what we now know about crystallography, and mineralogy!

Color: electric blue

Moh: 5.5-6

Family: sodalite

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: europe

Mcch: Isometric
Linda marie plume agate

found in the high desert forming the oregon idaho border around 1959, linda marie is another iconic name in the lapidary world. named after its discoverer, linda marie of oregon, the stone quickly joined the ranks of carey plume, graveyard plume, and many other infamous agates as a coveted choice for designing beautiful pacific northwest jewelry!
Phosphosiderite

First discovered in 1890 in Spain, phosphosiderite is a rare phosphorus iron stone. Closely related to, but not the same, as turquoise, it is prized for it’s unique purple hue, and is often labled as ‘’purple turquoise’’ which, although they are similar, is not true. The stone is seldom seen, but when it is it is usually used in jewelry, or found in collections.

Color: lilac purple

Name: Phosphosiderite

Family: phosphorus mineral

M.o.h:  3.5-4

Occurrence: chile, argentina, peru, portugal

Mcch: massive/ rarely prismatic

Rarity: rare
Northosite

Northosite is a rare variety of anorthosite Feldspar, It is a scarce stone, made up almost entirely of Plagioclase Feldspar (Labradorite).This stone is a soft grey and black colour. It has a similar effect to Labradorite with exciting patterns and inclusions with colour variations visible throughout. It was discovered in Finland in 2012!

Color: brownish black w/ multi color inclusions

Moh: 6

Family: Anorthosite

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: Finland

Mcch: massive
Perthite

Perthite is a rare variety of Pinkish orange Amazonite feldspar. First discovered in the Australian outback in the early 1900’s, it was named after the Australian city of Perth, which was the hometown of the mineral’s discoverer! It can be found in small deposits worldwide, and is considered slightly more rare than green Amazonite!

Name: perthite, peach amazonite

Color: pinkish orange

Moh: 6-6.5

Family: Amazonite

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: triclinic
Lapis Lazuli

Unarguably one of the most historically rich minerals, the link between humans and lapis lazuli stretches back more than 6,500 years. The gem was treasured by the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. They valued it for its vivid, exquisite color, and prized it as much as they prized other blue gems like sapphire and turquoise. Often worn by the wealthy pharohs of egypt, lapis was prized for it’s deep blue color, and unique golden specks of pyrite, and much of the egyptian ornaments and jewelry was carved from it! Even today, humans still slave away in the hot deserts of afghanistan for this beautiful stone.

Color: deep blue w/ golden speckles

Name: lapis lazuli, lapis lazureth

Family: metamorphic stones

M.o.h:  5-5.5

Occurrence: afghanistan, isreal, pakistan, mauritania, egypt

Mcch: massive

Rarity: uncommon
Pentagonite

Desired by collectors for it’s intense, creamy blue colors and swirls, Pentagonite is a rare germinate silicate famed for it’s unique five pointed crystals, and it’s milky blue color. It was discovered in 1960 in Fruitland, Idaho, by a geologist couple doing field research! It is named after the Greek word ‘’Penta’’ meaning ‘’five’’ in reference to it’s unusual crystal habit!

Color: mid blue

Moh: 3-4

Family: Germinate silicates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: US (OR,ID), India, pakistan

Mcch: spherulitic
Rhodusite

Rhodusite, also sometimes called Magnesium Riebeckite, as it is a manganese analog of Riebeckite, is a rare, deep blue, silky gemstone that has become popular recently due to it’s electric cobalt blue color and sheen, and it’s unique fibrous appearance. It is not known when it was discovered, but estimates put it around 2015!

Color: deep blue

Moh: 6

Family: Riebeckite

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Russia

Mcch: fibrous
Inferno plume agate

ressurected from one of the sites of the iconiv laguna agates of mexico, inferno agate certainly deserves it name, having risen from the ashes of its ancestor much like a phoenix from an inferno! the material is known for its plumes and denrites of striking red, yellow, and orange agate, making a fiery cocktail of color!
Inesite

Prized by collectors for it’s intriguing radial sprays of multi colored crystals, ranging in color from orange, to pink, to reddish mauve, Inesite was first discovered in Hesse, germany in 1887, by german geologist Adolph Schneider, who named it after the greek word ‘’Ines’’ meaning ‘’flesh fibres’’ alluding to it’s color!

Color: pink, red, orange, mauve

Moh: 5.5-6

Family: innocilicates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: US (WA,CA,WY), sweden, china, japan

Mcch: triclinic
Nevada rose

Nevada rose, also known as purple dumortierite, is an extremely rare form of lavender dumortierite quartzite which was discovered on a horse ranch in northern Nevada by John sinkankas in 1959. He chose to name the stone after it’s state of discovery, as well as it’s unique coloration. The mine was originally owned by an auto parts company mining titanium, but was bought by an anonymous bidder in the 1980’s, making the material exceedingly hard to come by!

Color: lilac-fuchsia

Name: Nevada rose, Purple Dumortierite

Family: Quartz

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: US (NV)

Mcch: massive

Rarity: Very rare
Imperial jasper

Imperial jasper is a rare, near gem quality variety of porcelain jasper found entirely in mexico. Known for it’s distinct rich colors and overlapping orbs and patterns, it is considered to be one of the more valuable jasper varieties, and has become partticularly popular in india. The stone is found in the side of a canyon wall, where it is mined, and it is believed that the vein could be up to a mile long!

Color: red, gray, green, beige, brown, pink

Name: Imperial jasper, royal jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: mexico

Mcch: veinular/massive

Rarity: rare
Rosasite

Rosasite is a rare copper zinc carbonate hydroxide mineral that crystallizes in the form of spheres, botryoidal, and rarely, tiny crystals over matrix. The color is usually a light to sky blue, but can also be seen as green. This mineral was first discovered in 1908 by Domenico Lovisato in Sardinia, Italy. He named it after the mine in which it was pulled out of, The Rosas Mine. This mineral usually forms on Red Limonite and can be found in Australia, Chile, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Iran, and the USA.

Color: Electric blue

Moh: 5-6

Family: Zinc Carbonates

Rarity: Rare

Occurrence: italy,mexico,iran,chile

Mcch: prismatic
Olympic jasper

Closely related to poppy jasper, a form of orbicular jasper of similar appearance from California, Olympic jasper is a rare, red orbicular jasper found exclusively on the Olympic peninsula region of Washington state. First mentioned in around 1930 in local books, it was most likely first discovered by the native Americans, with the local Quinault tribe having been known to treasure them. They are most commonly found on Rialto beach, a basalt stone beach on the pacific coast.

Color: red, green, yellow

Name: Olympic jasper, Orbicular jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Washington state

Mcch: nodular

Rarity: rare
Quintinite

A fairly recent discovery for a unique mineral species, Quintinite is an orange or yellow iron oxide crystal that was discovered at the infamous poudrette quarry in 1997 by Canadian author and mineralogist Quintin Wight. It has since also been found in Brazil, as well as Russia's remote but mineral-rich Kola penninsula.

Color: yellow-orange

Name: Quintinite

Family: iron oxides

M.o.h: 2-2.5

Occurrence: Canada, Russia, Brazil

Mcch: hexagonal

Rarity: very rare
Mt sommers agate

A very rare and unique variety of forest green banded agate, mt. Somers agate is a variety of nodular agate which was discovered 8,100 feet up in the mountains of New Zealand in the mid 2000’s. Most if not all of the specimens are now in a private collection, as the land it was mined on was made a national park not even a year later, and the remaining material has since been scavanged!

Color: white, tan, red, forest green

Name: Mt. somers agate

Family: agate/quartz

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: New Zealand

Mcch: Nodular

Rarity: Very Rare
Queensland agate

Discovered by local fossickers scouring the scorching outback for Opals, Queensland Agate is a new, and popular discovery! It was discovered in Agate creek, Queensland, Australia (Hence the name) in 2014, and is prized for it’s beautiful colors ranging from pink to red, grey, black, orange, and white!

Color: pink, mauve, white, peach

Moh: 7

Family: quartz/agate

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Australia

Mcch: nodular
Moroxite

Moroxite is a rare variety of deep teal Apatite which is only found in one location worldwide, the old city of Arendel, Norway, a city which is famous for being the inspiration for the city depicted in the hit Disney movie, Frozen! It is quite rare, and few cut specimens exist! In 2009, large quantities were discovered in madagascar, and it has quickly become a very appealing blue gemstone!

Color: teal

Moh: 5

Family: apatite

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Norway, Madagascar

Mcch: hexagonal
Kanoite

One of just a handful of mineral discoveries of Japan, Kanoite is a very rare, pinkish brown pyroxene mineral which was first discovered in 1977 on the Oshima peninsula on the japanese island of hokkaido by an unknown discoverer who named it after a local petrology professor, Hiroshi Kano. Since then, smaller deposits have also been found in the UAE, and Sweden!

Color: pinkish brown

Moh: 6

Family: pyroxenes

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Japan, UAE, Sweden

Mcch: grainular
Magnetite

Named for it’s manganese origin, magnetite was once a very important sort for magnesium, so much in fact, that good quality pieces have become somewhat of a rarity nowadays. The most important sources include the Carpathian mountains, Germany, and england!

Color: gray, silver

Name: Magnetite

Family: Iron ores

M.o.h: 5.5-6.5

Occurrence: Worldwide

Mcch: Cubic

Rarity: Common
Indochinite

An Indochinite is a type of tektite. Tektites were ejected into the Earth's upper atmosphere by a meteorite impact and subsequently cooled to form the distinctive glass-like structure. Indochinites are distinctly dark black in contrast to the green of European moldavite tektites. It is estimated that these bodies of solidified magma are 700,000 years old! Indochinite tektites, as the name suggests, are found in the Indochinese peninsula, from Australia and the Pacific islands of Micronesia in the east and south, to China and Indonesia in the north and west!

Family: none (Tektite)
Mansfieldite

Mansfieldite is a very rare white - pale bluish green mineral which was first discovered in 1948 in a hydrothermic cave in Lane county, Oregon, it is exceedingly rare, being found in just a few places such as the above mentioned lane county, OR, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. It was named after scientist George Rodgers Mansfield.

Color: colorless to pale blue

Name: Mansfieldite

Family: arsenates

M.o.h:  3-3.5

Occurrence: US (OR), Kazakhstan, Pakistan

Mcch: spherulitic

Rarity: Very rare
Inyoie

Inyoite, named for Inyo county, California, where the first specimens were discovered in either 1914 or 16, (the exact date is actually unknown due to a fire destroying the original records), is a rare nesobarate mineral that is often found in salt lakes, and other evaporite deposits, with the best localities being searles lake in California, and lake salinas, Peru!

Color: colorless - light yellow

Moh: 2

Family: Nesoborates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: US (CA) China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Peru

Mcch: prismatic
Leopard jasper

Famous for it’s jungle-like colors, leopard jasper, or Leopardskin jasper,  is a beautiful stone of many colors with distinct spotted patterns. Jasper, in fact, gets its name from the Greek word *iaspi*, which means "spotted stone. Found mostly in Mexico, and South Africa, the stone is well known for being used in lower grade chiche jewelry.

Color: cream, orange, green

Name: leopard jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Mexico, south Africa

Mcch: massive

Rarity: uncommon
Fryite jasper

Perhaps the rarest porcelain jasper in the world, fryite jasper is an absolute beauty of a jasper. Discovered along the Snake river on the washington/idaho border in 1969, it's known for its beautiful, fading shades of tan, midnight blue, and grey! Appearing unlike any other jasper i have personally ever seen! Sadly, it has been largely mined up as of 2022, and can be found only in the existing market as a premium collectors jasper!

Color: midnight blue, grey, tan

Name: Fryite jasper

Family: jasper

M.o.h: 7

Occurrence: US (WA,ID)

Mcch: massive

Rarity: very rare
Lepidolite

Lepidolite, a shimmery lilac - lavender form of sheet mica. It was first discovered in 1861 by Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff. Originally called "lilalite" because of its lavender color, it was later named "lepidolite" from the Greek "lepidos"--which means "scale"--because of its scaly appearance caused by flakes of lithium, for which it is often mined. Due to it’s very soft nature, it is a popular stone for carving!

Color: pinkish gray to lavander

Name: lepidolite

Family: mica

M.o.h: 2.5-3

Occurrence: mexico, northern africa, india

Mcch: tabular scales

Rarity: uncommon
Rose de France Amethyst

rose de france, or rose of france, is a variety gem quality amethyst, and more specifically, a term used to describe the top grade of amethyst. however, its name has been revitalized recently as a deposit of extremely gemmy, girasol-esque amethyst was unearthed in brazil. it has been sold mainly as tumbled stones, and has become a popular amatuer jewel in the lapidary craft world.
Miriam jasper

Miriam jasper, also known as calligraphy stone, elephant stone, and arabic jasper, is actually not truly a jasper, but rather a variety of fossilized shell psuedomorph, created by the shifting of the himalayan mountain range millions of years ago, the newly churned soil making for fertile soil for fossilization!

Color: orange, brown

Name: Miriam stone, elephant stone, ETC

Family: none (organic)

M.o.h:  6-6.5

Occurrence: India, Nepal

Mcch: none (organic)

Rarity: Uncommon
Germanite

A very rare mineral, and an important source of the element Germanium, Germanite was actually one of the first finds at the world famous Tsumeb mine of Namibia, just one year after it opened in 1922. It is rarely cut into gemstones, but it is prized for it’s unique elemental properties, as well as it’s beautiful blueish black hues!

Color: blueish grey to black

Moh: 4

Family: sulfides

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Namibia, DRC

Mcch: massive
Pyrite

Used since ancient times, Pyrite is one of the most widely used and distributed sulfide minerals. The name pyrite comes from the Greek word pyr meaning fire, because pyrite actually emits sparks when it’s struck by iron. In fact, it has been used to start fires since prehistoric times. Pyrite has also been used in jewelry for thousands of years. Examples of this jewelry from the ancient times of the Greeks, Romans and Incas have been found. Pyrite was, and still is, an ornamental material. Ancient Greeks polished it to make pins, earrings and amulets. It was also popular in Victorian Britain. Pyrite is highly reflective so the Incas used pyrite tablets as mirrors. Although lighter than gold, prospectors used to mistake pyrite for gold, earning it the synonym, fools gold. It is also famous for forming in perfect cubes.

Color: metallic golden

Name: Pyrite, fool’s gold

Family: sulfide mineral

M.o.h:  6-6.5

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: cubic

Rarity: uncommon
Proustite

First discovered at the Himmelsfurst mine in Germany in 1832, Proustite is a very rare, scarlett red sulfosalt mineral. Proustite is filled with a rather large content of silver, which has earned it the nickname of ‘’silver ruby’’ However, it is very rare in collections for one main reason. You see, when exposed to light for an extended period of time, proustite’s silver content oxidizes, resulting in an unfixable white or black tarnish!

Color: scarlett - vermilion

Moh: 2-2.5

Family: sulfosalts

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: central europe, Chile

Mcch: scalenohedral
Ibis jasper

First discovered in the late 2010’s,Ibis Jasper is a unique and rare type of brecciated jasper from Madagascar. These gems are actually made up of broken pieces of stones and minerals that have been fused together by different varieties of Quartz. It is most common in jewelry, and entered the gem market shortly after it’s discovery.

Color: orange, yellow, beige

Name: Ibis jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: madagascar

Mcch: veinular/massive

Rarity: rare
Realgar

A very historically active stone, realgar was first used in ancient egyptian times, and it is assumed they knew it was poisonous, as it is thought to have been used in assasinations or murder. Later, in medieval England and Europe during the plague, it was laced into foods to poison rats. And in ancient china, it was used as a pigment, as well as a way to repel snakes and insects from people’s homes, and was also used in small amounts to create ‘’realgar wine’’ a wine that the elite consumed during the new year, and dragon festivals! Today it is mostly used as a specimen, although it has been used in modern toxins and poisons as well.

Color: yellow, orange, red

Moh: 1.5-2

Family: arsenic sulfide

Rarity: common

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: monoclinic prisms
Grandidierite

Discovered in the jungle of the notoriously geologicaly rich island of Madagascar in 2006, Grandidierite is a very rare, very valuable stone famous for it’s incredible cyan to aqua blue colors! Even rarer are specimens that are at least eye-clean transparent gemstones. In 2014 miners in southern Madagascar struck a vein of Grandidierite which yielded 800kgs of rough material. From this they were able to glean 60g of transparent gemstones! To this day, it has not been found elsewhere, and is a very precious, very sought after gemstone!

Color: cyan - turquoise

Name: Grandidierite

Family: itself

M.o.h:  7.5

Occurrence: Madagascar

Mcch: Orthorombic

Rarity: Rare
Geyserite

Perhaps one of the more obscure gems out there, Geyserite gets its name from the place it forms, at the openings of thermal geysers! Created over thousands of years of silica, mud, and mineral buildup at the base of a geyser, it is an opaline material, and due to its fragile environment, is arely mined. However, some speciens that have been cut open reveal a beautiful, opaline landscape, much like that of a picture jasper!

Color: white,brown,beige,cream,yellow,

Name: Geyserite

Family: opal

M.o.h: 5.5-6

Occurrence: worldwide in thermal geysers

Mcch: amorphous

Rarity: very rare
Pineapple quartz

Discovered in the early 1990’s, Pineapple Quartz is the name given to a silicon dioxide mineral and is characterized by hundreds of small terminations forming around the base and sides of the main crystal termination all of which point in the same direction. Most of this form of Quartz is from Madagascar and the colour is off white/cream, sometimes with pinkish/red/brown markings and inclusions!

Color: colorless-pale yellow

Name: Pineapple quartz

Family: Quartz

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Madagascar

Mcch: Elestial

Rarity: Uncommon
Moissanite

A whopping 9.5 on the moh’s scale, moissanite is an interesting, and ancient, gem! A rare variety of gemmy silicon dioxide, moissanite is thought to be billions of years old, and even older! Having been found in multi billion year old meteorite fragments! In modern times, it has been synthesized, and used as an artificial replacement for diamonds! Making it the hardest material synthesized artificially!

Color: colorless, yellow, green

Moh: 9.5

Family: carbon sillicates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: South africa, kenya, belarus, norway

Mcch: hexagonal
Rhodotrolite

Discovered on the island of Java in Indonesia just a bit back in early 2020, Rhodatrolite, or Pink natrolite, is, as its name suggests, a variety of pink Natrolite! The discoverer of this gorgeous new gemstone named it after the words, ‘’rose natrolite’’. People often confuse it as pink larimar, however, Larimar is a pectolite, not a natrolite! Nonetheless, rhodotrolite is already becoming a pretty popular new gem!

Color: light pink - orange

Moh: 5.5

Family: Natrolite

Rarity: Rare

Occurrence: Indonesia

Mcch: Botryoidal
Rainforest jasper

Another ‘’jasper’’ like bumblebee jasper, rainforest jasper is also a mixture of volcanic materials, like rhyolite and granite, rather than a chalcedony like a true jasper! It is currently only found in Australia, and is most often used in chiche jewelry like beaded bracelets, and pendants! It was also quite recently discovered, most likely first discovered in the 1990’s.

Color: tan, green, gray

Moh: 7

Family: granite / rhyolite compound

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: Australia

Mcch: massive
Jarosite

A rare, gemmy amber yellow variety of Alunite, Jarosite is famed for it’s numerous and diverse crystal habits! It was named upon it’s discovery in 1852 by the man who discovered it after the mine where the discovery was made, the Jarsoso ravine mine in Andalusia, spain. Since then, it has been found in small deposits worldwide!

Color: amber yellow - brown

Moh: 2.5-3.5

Family: Alunite

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: worldwide

Mcch: trigonal
Pietersite

A very unique stone, Pietersite, also called "eagle's eye," was named in honor of Sid Pieters who discovered it in 1962 in Namibia, Africa. Pietersite is a trade name for a dark blue-grey breccia aggregate made up mainly of hawk's eye and tigereye. It is a variety of chalcedony (itself a variety of quartz) with embedded fibers of amphibole minerals in varying degrees of alteration. The fibers cause a blue chatoyancy like that seen in tigereye Pietersite is almost always cut into cabochons. This is because, to maximize pietersite's chatoyancy, a tall, round cut is required. It is crucial that the cut must be precisely parallel to the length of the pietersite's fibers.

Color: golden, red, orange, navy blue

Name: Pietersite, eagle’s eye

Family: quartz/tigers eye

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Namibia

Mcch: massive/ breccicated

Rarity: rare
Gormanite

A rare aluminium phosphate mineral, Gormanite was discovered in the inhospitable Yukon territory of canada in 1977, although it would not recieve a proper name until 4 years later in 1981 when it was named after canadian explorer and minerologist Donald Herbert Gorman!

Color: blue-green

Moh: 4-5

Family: phosphates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Canada, US (AZ), Namibia

Mcch: elongated
Lazulite

Lazulite is a rare, azure-deep plum blue colored gemstone that was first discovered in Germany all the way back in 1795 by Martin H klaproth. He named the stone after the german word ‘’Lazurstein’’ meaning ‘’blue stone’’. A common misconception is that lazulite is found in lapis lazuli, however it is rather an entirely different mineral, lazuRite, that is found in it instead!

Color: Deep blue

Name: Lazulite

Family: Aluminium Phosphate

M.o.h: 5-6

Occurrence: Canada, Austria, Sweden

Mcch: massive, rarely prismatic

Rarity: rare
Frugardite

Although typically yellowish green, Vesuvianite can also very rarely be purple! It is colored by inclusions of Manganese, and was first discovered in the region of Frugard, Finland, which is where it’s name comes from. It often grows interetwinned with green vesuvianite, so gemcutters must separate it for a perfect, non bi-color stone!

Color: purple

Moh: 6.5

Family: vesuvianite

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: finland

Mcch: grainular
Honey opal

Honey opal is a name used to refer to yellow-orange common opal. It was first discovered in the mountains of Chile thousands of years ago, where it was used in sharp hunting tools like spears, axe blades, and arrowheads. Similar artifacts have been discovered in the US, specifically in southeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon!

Color: Yellow/orange

Name: Honey opal

Family: Opal

M.o.h:  5.5-6

Occurrence: US: (OR, WA,) Brazil, Chile, Peru, Madagascar

Mcch: none (mineraloid)

Rarity: uncommon
Healerite

Only discovered very recently in Snohomish county of Washington state,  Healerite is a newly discovered gemstone, coming to us from the Northwest USA mountain area in Washington State. Healerite is a form of Serpentine and is also called Noble Serpentine, a name given to this yummy stone by the gentleman who harvests it. It is currently only found In washington state.

Color: apple green

Name: Healerite

Family: serpentine

M.o.h:  2.5-4

Occurrence: Washington state

Mcch: massive

Rarity: rare
Honey calcite

Honey calcite, or Amber calcite, is a fairly common variety of golden brown - orange calcite that was first discovered in chihuahua, Mexico, in the late 1970’s. Since then, it has become one of the most popular varieties of colored calcite on the market, and is commonplace in mineral collections both ameteur and professional!

Color: honey orange

Name: Honey calcite

Family: Calcite

M.o.h:  3

Occurrence: Mexico, Pakistan

Mcch: Rhombohedral

Rarity: Common
Grape agate

Only just recently discovered in 2015, grape ‘’agate’’ is a rare, botroydial form of what is actually not agate, but cryptocrystalline amethyst. It is only found in Indonesia, and is famous for it’s resemblance to a vine of delicious grapes! Usually a soft purple, the stone sometimes has a cotton candy blue appearance caused by blue chalcedony as well! It is certainly a unique gem, and has become very popular in it’s so far short life!

Color: purple-aqua blue

Name: Grape agate

Family: quartz/chalcedony

Moh: 7

Occurrence: Indoneisa

Mcch: botroydial

Rarity: rare
Picasso Marble

Named after the painter Pablo Picasso, this unique gemstone is found in the state of Utah in the United States. The gemstone has an abstract, modernistic look with its wide streaks of black, grey and occasional red. Although it is often referred to as jasper, it is actually a metamorphic limestone marble, and not a jasper at all! it is one of just a scarce few marble varieties mined in the US!

Color: gray, black, red

Name: Picasso jasper

Family: limestone

M.o.h:  5.5-6

Occurrence: Utah

Mcch: massive

Rarity: uncommon
Howardite

Howardite, or Rattlesnake Jasper, is a very unique and rare material of opalized silica with banded jasper that is only found in the hillsof the infamous virgin valley of northern Nevada. It was discovered there in the late 1970’s alongside the famous Virgin valley black opal. It is well known for it’s intricately banded pink, yellow, and red jasper mixed with creamy common opal!

Color: yellow, pink, orange, red

Name: Howardite/Rattlesnake jasper

Family: Quartz/Agate/Opal

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: US (NV)

Mcch: veinular

Rarity: Very rare
Polychrome jasper

Polychrome, or desert jasper, was first found on the northwest coast of Madagascar in 2008, while searchers were looking for more deposits of the popular Ocean Jasper.  Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa.  The deposit is said to be small, but It has been said there are actually 3 different locations in close proximity to each other and the Ocean Jasper locations. All of the material is dug by hand.  However it is found in boulders, some huge. It is prized for it’s soft, terracotta like colors, and easyness to cut.

Color: multiple, mostly tan, orange, and clay blue.

Name: Poppy jasper, morgan hill jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: California

Mcch: massive

Rarity: rare
Johanchidolite

First discovered in the so far unmentioned (and perhaps fairly) country of North Korea in the late 1940’s in the johanchida district for which it is named as tiny 1 milimeter grains, Johanchidolite is an extremely rare vivid honey yellow borate gemstone with a surprisingly high hardness of 7.5! It gained fame after it was rediscovered in the 1990’s in Myanmar’s famous mineral gravel bars in pieces large enough to be cut into beautiful glowing gemstones!

Color: honey yellow

Moh: 7.5

Family: borates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Myanmar, North Korea

Mcch: subhedral
Maxixe

A very rare, Deep blue variety of beryl, maxixe was first discovered in the maxixe mine in minas gerais, Brazil, in 1917, for which it was named. For decades, it was thought to be the only source for maxixe, until the 1990’s when a new deposit was finally located in the himalayan mountains of Nepal! Pieces from Brazil have also been known to exhibit pleochroism.

Color: deep blue

Moh: 7.5-8

Family: Beryl

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Nepal, Brazil

Mcch: hexagonal
Hexagonite

Hexagonite is an extremely rare lavender to light purple variety of Tremolite that was discovered in 1789 in the US state of New York by J.G.A Hopfner. The stone’s name comes from it’s unique and beautiful Hexagonal crystal habit, a growth pattern not before seen in Tremolite. To this day it is only found in New York!

Color: Lilac-Lavender purple

Name: Hexagonite

Family: Tremolite

M.o.h:  5-6

Occurrence: US (NY)

Mcch: Hexagonal

Rarity: Very rare
Jet

Jet is an organic gemstone that is a type of lignite. This jet black gem was used in Britain as far back as the Neolithic period when it was made into beads for personal adornment. The Romans used jet for rings, hair embellishment, pendants and other forms of jewelry. Popular use of this stone died out until the Victorian era, though it was still occasionally used. Jet was often used in mourning jewelry that was worn in remembrance of a dearly departed family member or friend. Queen Victoria wore a specific, fine-quality jet called Whitby jet as part of her mourning dress after Prince Albert's passing. The Whitby jet was also used in a jewelry set for Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday. When the demand for this jet spiked, it resulted in the cliffside of Whitby, England to nearly collapse. Mining for this particular variety of jet became illegal in an attempt to preserve what was left of the cliffs. Today, the jet is valued for its beautiful luster, and is seen alongside even the most expensive of gems in jewelry, including diamonds!

Color: Black

Name: Jet

Family: Ignite coal

M.o.h:   2.5-4

Occurrence: England, Spain, France

Mcch: none (organic)

Rarity: Uncommon
Hijo del sol agate

discovered in 2015 on accident by a miner fossicking in mexico, hijo del sol agate is a type of nodular agate displaying hues of orange, pink, and white. the miner named them after the mexican, ''hijo del sol' meaning ''son of the sun'' as a joke, and the name stuck. it is a rare material, and is little known by most.
Indigo light

Indigo Light is a stone composed of several minerals. The most prominent components are Blue Tourmaline and a milky, semi-transparent Quartz. Some pieces also contain Fluorite and/or Lepidolite, and there are other unidentified minerals as well. It is very rare, and can only be found in the south american country of Brazil!

Color: milky white w/ dark blue

Name: Indigo light, indicollite in quartz

Family: quartz, Tourmaline

M.o.h:   7

Occurrence: Brazil

Mcch: Massive

Rarity: Rare
Gahnite

A rare electric blue variety of the spinel group, Gahnite was first discovered way back in 1807 in Sweden, where it was named for it’s discoverer Johann Gottlieb Gahn, a local mineralogist. It can be found in zinc deposits worldwide, though most notable are Sweden, Colorado, Australia, and Germany!

Color: electric blue

Name: Gahnite

Family: Spinel

Moh: 7.5-8

Occurrence: Sweden, US (CO), Germany, Australia

Mcch: trapezoidal

Rarity: Rare
Mottramite

A rare variety of gemmy descloizite, Mottramite was discovered in Shropshire, England, in 1876. However, it was originally believed to have been found in Mosstram, hence the mineral's name. It is usually very small, and hard to cut into gemstones, but when it is, it is prized for it’s caramel orange hues!

Color: orange, green

Moh: 3-3.5

Family: Descloizite

Rarity: uncommon, rare in quality pieces

Occurrence: england, chile, namibia, zambia

Mcch: prismatic
Mosandrite

Mosandrite is an extremely rare, honey orange gemstone that was first discovered on Russia’s remote Kola Peninsula in 1841, and later in norway! It is very slightly radioactive as well due to small inclusions of Cerium. It is named after Carl Mosander, Swedish chemist and mineralogist credited with the discovery of multiple rare earth elements!

Color: honey orange

Moh: 4

Family: prismatic

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Russia, Norway

Mcch: Prismatic
Humite

First discovered in 1813 in Campania Italy by English connoisseur sir Abraham hume, for which it is named, Humite is the main member of the humite group of minerals, it is rarely cut into gemstones, but when it is, they are often most prized in a deep red color!

Color: orange-red

Moh: 6

Family: neosilicates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: worldwide in small amounts

Mcch: orthorhombic
Luna agate

Luna agate is a purple and white orbed agate from Mexico. It ranges from a light, gray/blue/purple with green tones to a vibrant amethystine purple. Luna Agate comes from deposits in Durango and Chihuahua Mexico. Named "Luna" because it was found around the Apollo mission hype and because the spots look like moon craters. The rough material has been said to have a stromatolite texture or a texture from ancient microbes!

Color: lilac, white

Name: Luna agate

Family: Quartz/Agate

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: Mexico

Mcch: veinular

Rarity: very rare
Isua stone

An extremely ancient stone geologicaly speaking, Isua stone is exceedingly old, even more so than zircon and Nuumite, at an approximate age of around a whopping 3.8 billion years old! It was discovered in 2016 near Nuuk, Greenland, and consists of banded layers of ancient algae, and iron. For a short period of time, it was considered one of the oldest forms of organic matter ever found!

Color: black, grey

Moh: 5.5-6

Family: multiple

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: Greenland

Mcch: massive
Papaya quartz

One of the rarer varieties of colored quartz, Papaya quartz is a variety of reddish pink or orange quartz which was first discovered in the famously mineral rich brazillian state of Minas Gerais in 2006. It is colored by amphibole fibres, and small flecks of hematite, and named after the local Papaya fruit of a similar color!

Color: pinkish-orange

Moh: 7

Family: quartz

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: Brazil

Mcch: prismatic
Porcelain Jasper

A striking, white with pale blue and pink colored jasper from central mexico, porcelain jasper is thought to have been used by humans since mayan times, as it was used in mayan pendants and amulets. Found as boulders in the deserts of central Mexico, the gem is famous for it’s soft, pastel - like colors, resembling the pale colors of porcelain. It is also sometimes called exotica jasper, and is very popular in jewelry.

Color: white, pale pink, blue, and brown

Name: Porcelain jasper, exotica jasper

Family: quartz/jasper

M.o.h:  7

Occurrence: mexico

Mcch: massive

Rarity: rare
Kolicite

Discovered in 1966 at the infamous sterling mine in New Jersey, Kolicite is a very rare, reddish orange vanadium phosphate mineral which got it’s name after local mine celebrity John A. Kolic, who was well-known to have a "3D" image of the mine and orebody in his mind. He provided critical expertise to converting the Sterling Mine to a public-access museum and made numerous contributions to the mineralogy of the Sterling Hill orebody!

Color: red brown, orange

Moh: 4.5

Family: vanadium phosphates

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: US (NJ)

Mcch: Orthorhombic
Pargasite

Discovered in 1841 in Pargas, Finland, for which it was named, pargasite is an unusual innocillicate mineral. It often forms in colorful tabular crystals with green and red coloration similar to that of watermelon tourmaline. It is most commonly mined in Pakistan, as most finnish material has been mined up!

Color: green, yellow, red

Name: Pargasite

Family: Innosillicates

M.o.h:  5-6

Occurrence: Finland, Pakistan

Mcch: Tabular

Rarity: Rare
Ledgrandite

A very rare lemony yellow Zinc Phosphate, Legrandite was first discovered in the deserts of Mexico in 1932, and was named after mr. Legrand, who collected the first specimen from the flor de pena mine! It is very rarely any bigger than a few centimeters per crystal, and so cut gems and polished pieces are exceedingly rare, but it is also very rare in general!

Color: pale yellow

Moh: 4.5

Family: zinc phosphates

Rarity: rare

Occurrence: madagascar, australia, US (NJ)

Mcch: monoclinic
Tsilaisite

Another very recent Tourmaline discovery, Tsilaisite, which may have the most of the same letter in its name of any mineral, is a very small, orange, yellow, brown, or green variety of tourmaline discovered in 2011 in the Sahatany valley near Tsliaizina, Madagsacar, from which it is named after! Digging continues in 2021, with the hope being that larger specimens may be discovered.

Color: purple, orange, yellow, brown

Moh: 7.5

Family: Tourmaline

Rarity: very rare

Occurrence: madagascar

Mcch: pyramidal
Pink Amethyst

for centuries, the idea of a pink amethyst mineral was viewed as a concept by most, with no truly pink hued amethyst ever having been discovered. however, this changed drastically in 2016 when a revolutionary discovery was made in Argentina. a massive deposit of small geodes, and massive bands and veins of amethyst was discovered by miners, and a lot of this amethyst, was in fact, pink! the cranberry pink hue is caused by hematite entering the stones chemical makeup during the process of crystallization. this discovery debuted at the Tucson gemstone, and immediately exploded, as metaphyscists, gem collectors, and gemologists alike became enthralled with this amazing discovery.
Grunerite

Most popular by mineral collectors for it’s unique golden brown radial crystals, similar in appearance to seraphinite, Grunerite is not a clinochlore, but rather a rare magnesium Amphibole mineral. It was discovered at the serevengude ravine in France in 1847, and was named after Swiss chemist Emanuell Gruner!

Color: brownish silver

Moh: 5-6

Family: magnesium amphiboles

Rarity: ucommon

Occurrence: worldwide in small amounts

Mcch: radial
Okenite

Okenite is an uncommon Zeolite mineral which was first discovered in 1828 on the very remote Disko island, Greenland. It was named after German geologist Lorenz Oken. Okenite is a mother zeolite, meaning it is the base mineral of many other zeolite minerals, like how quartz is the mother mineral of herkimer diamonds and girasol quartz!

Color: colorless - white

Moh: 4.5-5

Family: zeolites

Rarity: uncommon

Occurrence: India, Azerbaijan, US, (WA,OR,ID), greenland

Mcch: prismatic
Fulgurite

Maybe one of the weirdest, (and coolest) Minerals on earth, Fulgurites are a rare natural phenomenon that occurs when a bolt of Lighting at least 3,000 degrees fahrenheit strikes sand, dirt, or gravel, causing enough heat and pressure to patially turn it to glass! These odd formations can be up to a foot in length, and can be found just about anywhere sand, dirt, or gravel, with the right conditions for lightning to occur, can be found! But be careful! They are VERY fragile, and it’s easy to accidentally break them!

Color: Tan, Brown, Beige

Name: Fugurite, Lightning cast

Family: None (natural glass)

M.o.h:   1-3

Occurrence: western US, himalayas, Mexico

Mcch: None (natural glass)

Rarity: Rare