The table below is a useful aid for obtaining information about gemstones, such as chemical composition, group and family membership, and their various colors, all factors that are closely interrelated. It is surprising how useful it can be to consider a gemstone in relation to its closest relatives, particularly for complex families such as Garnet.
The following table groups gemstones based on their chemical composition (e.g. silicates, oxides and hydroxides) and their mineralogical family (e.g. Corundum, Beryl and Feldspar).
Borates
Howlite
-
-
-
Sinhalite
-
-
-
Carbon
Diamond
Blue Diamond
-
-
Chamapagne Diamond
-
-
Yellow Diamond
-
-
Black Diamond
-
-
Pink Diamond
-
-
Red Diamond
-
-
Green Diamond
-
-
Carbonates
Azurmalachite
-
-
-
Aragonite
-
-
-
Azurite
-
-
-
Calcite
-
-
-
Cerussite
-
-
-
Crysocolla
-
-
-
Dolomite
-
-
-
Malachite
-
-
-
Rodocrosite
-
-
-
Smithsonite
-
-
-
Halides
Fluorite
-
-
-
Igneous Rock
Obsidian
Snowflake Obsidian
-
-
Organics
Amber
-
-
-
Jet
-
-
-
Pearl
Akoya Pearl
-
-
Freshwater Pearl
-
-
Mabe Pearl
-
-
Mother of pearl
-
-
South Sea Pearl
-
-
Tahitian Pearl
-
-
Shell
-
-
-
Oxides and hydroxides
Cassiterite
-
-
-
Chrysoberyl
Alexandrite
Cat’s Eye Alexandrite
-
Cat's Eye Chrysoberyl
-
-
-
Vanadium Chrysoberyl
-
-
-
Corundum
Ruby
Tanzanian Ruby
-
Star Ruby
-
Sapphire
Blue Sapphire
Ceylon Sapphire
Kanchanaburi Sapphire
Midnight Blue Sapphire
Fancy Sapphire
Black Star Sapphire
Color Change Sapphire
Green Sapphire
Orange Sapphire
Padparadscha Color Sapphire
Padparadscha Sapphire
Pink Sapphire
Purple Sapphire
Star Sapphire
Sunset Sapphire
White Sapphire
Yellow Sapphire
Cuprite
-
-
-
Diaspro
Zultanite
Cat's Eye Zultanite
-
Hematite
-
-
-
Rutile
-
-
-
Spinel
Black Spinel
-
-
Blue Spinel
-
-
Fancy Spinel
-
-
Gahnite
-
-
Noble Red Spinel
-
-
Pink Spinel
-
-
Purple Spinel
-
-
Phosphates
Ambligonite
-
-
-
Apatite
-
-
-
Brazilianite
-
-
-
Lazulite
-
-
-
Turquoise
-
-
-
Silicates
Amazonite
-
-
-
-
Andalusite
-
-
-
-
Axinite
-
-
-
-
Beryl
Aquamarine
Aquamarine AAA
-
-
-
Cat's Eye Acquamarine
-
-
Red Beryl
Pezzottaite (not always considered a member of the beryl family)
-
-
Emerald
-
-
-
Goshenite
-
-
-
Heliodor
-
-
-
Morganite
Bicolor Morganite
-
-
Yellow Beryl
-
-
-
Clinohumite
-
-
-
-
Danburite
-
-
-
-
Diopside
Russian Diopside (also known as Chrome Diopside)
-
-
-
Star Diopside
-
-
-
Dioptase
-
-
-
-
Dumortierite
-
-
-
-
Enstatite
Bronzite
-
-
-
Epidote
-
-
-
-
Euclase
-
-
-
-
Feldspar
Andesine
-
-
-
Labradorite
-
-
-
Moonstone
Rainbow Moonstone
-
-
Ortoclase
-
-
-
Spectrolite
-
-
-
Sunstone
Star Sunstone
-
-
Garnet
Pyralspite
Almandine
Mozambique Garnet
-
Pyrope
Mozambique Garnet (Pyrope and Almandine)
-
Rhodolite (Pyrope and Almandine)
-
Spessartite
Mandarin Garnet
-
Malaia Garnet (Spessartite and Pyrope)
Color Change Garnet
Umbalite (Pyrope and Almandine with traces of Spessartite)