Howstuffworks "Gemstones - Encyclopedia Entries"

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Featured Gemstones Entry

Ruby is the red gem variety of the mineral corundum. Varieties of corundum are called sapphires if they are blue and fancy sapphires if they are any color other than red or blue. Chemically, corundum is an aluminum oxide. More »

THE GEMSTONES LIBRARY

Emerald

Emerald is a rich green gemstone that is a variety of the mineral beryl. It owes its color to... More >>

Ruby

Ruby is the red gem variety of the mineral corundum. Varieties of corundum are called sapphires... More >>

Sapphire

Sapphire, a hard and clear gem, is a variety of the mineral corundum. The best-known sapphires... More >>

Sardonyx

Sardonyx, SAHR duh nihks or sahr DON ihks, is a variety of chalcedony, a fine-grained form of the... More >>

Topaz

Topaz, TOH paz, is a white or light-colored mineral sometimes cut into gems. It is a compound of... More >>

Tourmaline

Tourmaline, TUR muh lihn or TUR muh leen, is any of a group of boron-containing minerals often... More >>

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