List of False or Misleading Gemstone Names
A list of False or Misleading Gemstone Names and its Actual Gemological Name. Gathered by the source "Gemstones of the World, 3rd Edition, Walter Schumann.
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False Gemstone Name | Actual Gemological Name |
Adelaide ruby | Almandite |
African emerald | Green fluorite |
Alaska diamond | Rock crystal (quartz) |
American jade | Green idocrase |
American ruby | Pyrope or almandite (garnet) or rose quartz |
Arizona ruby | Pyrope (garnet) |
Arizona spinel | Red or Green garnet |
Arkansas diamond | Rock crystal (quartz) |
Balas ruby | Red spinel |
Blue alexandrite | Color-change sapphire |
Blue moonstone | Artificially blue-tinted chalcedony |
Bohemian chrysolite | Moldavite (natural glass) |
Bohemian diamond | Rock crystal (quartz) |
Bohemian ruby | Pyrope (garnet) or rose quartz |
Brazilian aquamarine | Bluegreen topaz |
Brazilian ruby | Red or Pink topaz |
Brazilian sapphire | Blue tourmaline |
Californian ruby | Hessonite (grossular garnet) |
Candy spinel | Almandite (garnet) |
Cape-chrysolite | Green prehnite |
Cape-ruby | Pyrope (garnet) |
Ceylon diamond | Colorless zircon |
Ceylon opal | Opal-like glimmery moonstone |
Copper lapis | Azurite |
German diamond | Rock crystal (quartz) |
German lapis | Artificially blue-tinted jasper (chalcedony) |
Gold topaz | Citrine (quartz) |
Indian jade | Aventurine (quartz) |
King's topaz | Yellow sapphire |
Korean jade | Serpentine |
Lithia amethyst | Kunzite (spodumene) |
Lithia emerald | Hiddenite (spodumene) |
Madeira topaz | Citrine (quartz) |
Marmarosch diamond | Rock crystal (quartz) |
Matura diamond | Colorless fired zircon |
Mexican diamond | Rock crystal (quartz) |
Mexican jade | Artificially tinted green marble |
Montana ruby | Red garnet |
Oriental amethyst | Violet sapphire |
Oriental hyacinth | Pink sapphire |
Oreintal topaz | Yellow sapphire |
Palmyra topaz | Brown synthetic sapphire |
Salmanca topaz | Citrine (quartz) |
Saxon chrysolite | Greenish-yellow topaz |
Saxon diamond | Colorless topaz |
Serra topaz | Citrine (quartz) |
Siamese aquamarine | Blue zircon |
Siberian chrysolite | Demantoid (garnet) |
Siberian ruby | Red tourmaline (rubellite tourmaline) |
Simili diamond | Glass imitation |
Slave-diamond | Colorless topaz |
Smoky topaz | Smoky quartz |
Spanish topaz | Citrine (quartz) |
Strass diamond | Glass imitation |
Transvaal jade | Green hydrogrossular garnet |
Ural sapphire | Blue tourmaline |
Viennese turquoise | Artificially blue-tinted argillaceous earth |
Source: Gemstones of the World, 3rd Edition, Walter Schumann.
International Gem Society
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