How are Gemstones Formed?

How are Gemstones Formed?

Gemstones are formed in several specific and different ways. Their colors are almost always a result of their chemical composition while they form.

Turquoise 


Turquoise forms when water moves through a rock containing copper, aluminum, and phosphorus. Turquoise often occurs in arid or desert environments, such as the Southwestern part of the United States. You may be familiar with beautiful Native American jewelry from the Southwest, which is often made with turquoise.

Garnet

People commonly think of garnets as being red, but they are found in many colors ranging from yellow to black. Color-changing garnets look different when viewed in daylight and incandescent light.
Garnets often form in hot metamorphic rocks under great pressure. Garnets occur in every color. Their color is determined by the chemical composition of the melted mineral mix as it solidifies. Red garnets, or pyrope, get their color from magnesium silicate, the melted chemical mixture in which they form.

Jade

Jade was a highly-valued material used in burial ceremonies, royal crowns, jewelry and for the hieroglyphics of many cultures such as the Olmecs of Mesoamerica and Chinese.

Jade is a gem that can be cut and polished from two minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Both minerals form in metamorphic rocks at high temperature and under high pressure deep within the earth.