Howlite possesses various gemstone qualities that make it a very popular choice for jewelry making; it can be dyed with different colors to make it look like a semi-precious gemstone and is often used to make imitation jewelry. This borate mineral is found in sedimentary rocks and was first discovered...

Often compared to ruby, the garnet stone is one of the foremost gemstones discovered by man. Its history goes back more than 5000 years, and it was first discovered along with the artifacts of Ancient Egypt and Sumeria. It is known that the ancient Greeks and Romans traded with the...

Fluorites’ unique combination of dazzling crystal habits makes it a very popular stone among mineral collectors. Roman historian Pliny the Elder named fluorite his "most precious substance"  and many would agree with him. Fluorite is considered to be the second most popular mineral, only second to quartz. One of the...