gemstone, any
of various minerals highly prized for beauty, durability, and
rarity. A few noncrystalline materials of organic origin
(e.g., pearl, red coral, and amber) also are classified as
gemstones. jewelry: gems.
A gem is a stone that is
considered precious or semi-precious, particularly when it is
polished or cut. Stones that have come to be defined as gems are
well known for their unique
beauty, color, patterns, or clarity.
We believe that the most
important single gem characteristic is colour.
Gems such as ruby, amethyst, sapphire and emerald have attractive
colour as their main attraction, and are generally expected to be
transparent, however it is not necessary for gemstone to be
transparent.
A gemstone is also called
a fine
gem, gem, jewel, semi-precious stone, or precious
stone.
