Semi-Precious Gemstones You Should Know About

Precious gemstones like diamonds, emerald, rubies, and sapphire are very popular and well known to many people.

However, there are good semi-precious gemstones like amber, amethyst, alexandrite, beryl, garnet, lapis lazuli, jadeite, moonstone, topaz, turquoise, and opal. Not many people know about them and their significance.

The beautiful alexandrite gemstone was discovered in Russia during 1831. The transparent alexandrite becomes bright green when you are out in daylight and changes to raspberry red color when you are away from daylight.

some semi-precious gemstones

Amber is a peculiar gemstone made out of the fossilized resin from the trees. These are mostly found in the Baltics region. Amber gemstones can be expensive.

If you are an emotional person choose amethyst. This gemstone is believed to calm the mind. Amethyst is available in purple shades.

Beryl gemstone is believed to bring strength and power and so in olden days fighters wore this gemstone to protect themselves. Beryl is available in pink, green, blue, yellow, and golden. This semi-precious stone is popular in its durability.

Another popular semi-precious stone known for its durability is the garnet gemstone. This red gemstone is believed to purify the blood and also protects from blood problems like hemorrhaging. Jadeite gemstone originated from Guatemala and Myanmar.

This gemstone is available in the shades of green, gray, brown, white, yellow, orange and lilac. Jadeite gemstone is adored by the people of China.

An elephant carving on high-quality lapis lazuli, that includes gold-colored pyrite, is a rare example of Mughal inspired art.

Lapis lazuli is one of the rare semi-precious gemstones with intense blue color. This fascinating gemstone is available in Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile, Canada, and Russia.

Moonstone is available in white, grey, blue, green, pink and brown shades and it belongs to feldspar variety.

Of all the colors, the blue moonstones are costlier as well as liked by many people. Opal is silicate and it is available in variety of colors. However, opal gemstones with rare colors are quite expensive like the rare black ones.

semi-precious gemstone topaz

Topaz is a rare semi-precious gemstone which is available in white, pink, green, blue, yellow, brown-yellow, and even colorless. This gemstone is believed to control mental imbalances and calms the mind.

It is also associated with love and affection. Turquoise is considered as precious gemstone in Asia and Africa. This gemstone is available in a variety of colors.

Here is a list of a Few more popular semi-precious gemstones.

1. Coral – this is a porous and organic gemstone. Don’t expose this gemstone in direct sunlight especially for long hours and you should also avoid large temperature variations. Simply wipe it with a damp smooth cloth.

2. Pearl – this is less durable as compared to other gemstones. Pearl is sensitive to dryness, acids, and humidity. After using pearl jewelries, you have to wipe it because they are easily discolored.

You should have one pearl jewelry box. Don’t mix it with other harder gemstones. If you have a cultured pearl, you can wash it in soapy yet mild water. Never dry the pearl in heat. Make sure you restring it every two years.

3. Larimar – you can keep this in a tissue or chamois bag, or in a separate box. Avoid direct contact with perfumes, hairsprays, and other chemicals. Color fading occurs when exposed to bright sunlight. You can use a drop of ammonia and soapy water to clean it; you can also soft brush to clean it.

semi-precious gemstone moonstone 4. Labradorite and Moonstone – these stones are primarily stored in oils before made into jewelries. Because of this, the gemstones don’t crack or dry out easily.

However, it is easily scratched. Wipe it with smooth and damp cloth and never use ultrasonic cleaners or jewelry dips.

5. Onyx and Chalcedony – avoid contact with harsh chemicals. Chipping and scratching can be avoided if the jewelry has a separate container. Use a soft brush and soapy water to clean it. Rinse the gemstones well.

6. Rose Quartz – avoid prolonged sun exposure to prevent color fading. Don’t soak the gemstone and you can clean it using soapy water and soft brush. Never steam clean the gemstone and rinse it well.

7. Topaz – this is a very durable stone and does not easily chip nor scratch. Avoid too much heat and chemical exposure. Don’t use ultrasonic cleaners, steam clean, nor soak. Use soft brush and soapy water to clean the gemstone.

8. Garnet – this gemstone is brittle. Avoid chemicals. Ultrasonic cleaners can’t be used with an andradite but all other garnets can be cleaned with it. Don’t soak.

9. Peridot – avoid too much heat exposure, harsh chemicals, and extreme temperature changes. Use soft brush and soapy water to clean it and then rinse thoroughly. Don’t use ultrasonic cleaners nor steam clean.

labradorite semi-precious gemstone These gemstones are considered semi-precious. They are less expensive as compared to the precious gemstones but still need extreme and proper care. Gemstone jewelries are great investments and ancient people believed that the stones bring good luck.

So if you have several different pieces of gemstones, be sure to get a jewelry box with different compartments so that you can place the gemstones in separate bins.

So now you know some the well-known semi-precious gemstones which are available in big jewelry showrooms worldwide. However, there are also imitation versions of these stones. You should be very careful while you are purchasing the genuine semi-precious stones.

Choose a reputable jewelry store to purchase the real semi-precious gemstones. If you are planning to purchase these stones online you can find out the quality of the gemstones by going through the customer testimonials.

While you are purchasing precious or semi-precious gemstones you can also look for the gemstones that are associated with your birth date. To find out your exact gemstone you can check on the internet.

The internet also provides you with information about the best deal you can afford from reputable jewelry stores.

You can also find some great deals on the internet that are hard to beat compared to physical stores. Places like Amazon can be a great place to buy semi-precious and precious gemstone jewelry.

You can purchase a suitable gemstone for you as well as for your beloved or friends to give them as a gift on special occasions.

If you’ve had any good luck experience with these semi-precious gemstones, please leave a comment below.