What is the origin of stone?

by Gems Biz GemsBiz

It’s nearly impossible to go through life without encountering at least one piece of jewelry made from a precious stone, whether you’re on your way to work or walking down the aisle on your wedding day. But where do these beautiful gemstones come from? Find out about the origins of the different types of stone.

History of gemstones

The earliest gemstones were found on all continents, in mineral deposits. Early humans soon recognized that some rocks were harder than others, and they had special uses: they chipped obsidian into tools and weapons; seashells became decorative items and talismans. Naturally occurring precious gemstones such as ruby, sapphire, emerald, and diamond are the most popular stones. In ancient times, most gemstones were believed capable of curing illness, possessed by spirits, or having other supernatural powers.

Types of gemstones

Gemstones come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes. Each has its meaning, ranging from spiritual to healing purposes. Here are some of our favorite types of gemstones: Quartz: Often found naturally in crystal form, quartz can also be synthetically manufactured into more than 20 varieties of man-made gems. Some varieties of quartz include rose quartz, citrine, and smoky quartz.

How gems are formed

At its core, a gemstone simply occurs when minerals become concentrated enough to begin forming crystals. Most gems form in small cavities underground, where they are protected from heat and pressure; these gems are known as created gems (i.e., lab rubies). In rare cases, gems can occur in more extreme environments.

Origins of gemstones

Gemstones come in many different forms, but they all have one thing in common: rare minerals. How did gemstones originate? When Earth was first formed, it was a chaotic place full of volcanoes, earthquakes, and violent storms. It wasn’t until millions of years later that what we know as gemstones took shape. Here’s a look at some of the earliest stones and how they were formed.

Diamonds: Diamonds are found deep inside Earth's mantle—the layer between its crust and core. There, under extreme heat and pressure over billions of years, carbon atoms bonded together to form diamond crystals.

Sapphires: Sapphire gemstones come from colored deposits called corundum, which exist throughout the world. Corundum is made up of aluminum oxide and can be pink, yellow, green, or blue-violet. Sapphire’s color comes from trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, and chromium mixed with aluminum oxide. The presence of these elements determines sapphire’s color.

Tourmaline: A tourmaline is a group of related gems that range in color from red to black. These gems are usually mined in Brazil, and Africa.

Quartz: Quartz isn’t technically a gemstone because it doesn’t contain any impurities or coloring agents as most others do.

Conclusion

According to one source, it was thought that stones have come from meteorites. Many researchers have used different types of analysis to arrive at different conclusions. But after years of research and testing, they can only conclude that they don’t know where it came from and cannot tell where it was before coming here.