Gemstone

:This article is about gemstones as jewelry or decorative art. For other uses of the word see (Gemstone (disambiguation)).

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A gemstone is a mineral, rock (as in lapis lazuli) or petrified material that when cut or faceted and polished is collectible or can be used in jewellery. Others are organic, such as amber (fossilised tree resin) and jet (a form of coal). Some beautiful gemstones are too soft or too fragile to be used in jewelry, for example, single-crystal rhodochrosite, but are exhibited in museums and are sought by collectors of mineral or crystal specimens.

Related Topics:
Mineral - Rock - Lapis lazuli - Petrified - Collectible - Jewellery - Amber - Fossil - Jet - Coal - Rhodochrosite

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