THE JOURNAL / Gemstone Identifier
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Showing 19–36 of 150 guides
THE READING ROOM / 02Botryoidal Mineral Identification: Recognizing Rounded Crystal Forms
Learn how to recognize botryoidal mineral surfaces, distinguish common lookalikes, and understand what visual clues can—and cannot—confirm.
Read the guideBrown Gemstones: Types, Colors, and How to Identify Them
Explore popular brown gemstones, the causes of their color, and the clues that can help distinguish them from lookalikes.
Read the guideBubbles in Gemstones: What They Can—and Can’t—Tell You
Learn how bubbles form in gemstones, how they differ from inclusions and lookalikes, and when professional gem testing is needed.
Read the guideCalcite Identification: Visible Clues and Reliable Tests
Learn how calcite’s crystal shape, cleavage, hardness, and reaction clues can help distinguish it from similar minerals—and where identification has limits.
Read the guideCan a Gemstone Be Identified From a Photo?
A photo can reveal useful gemstone clues, but appearance alone cannot confirm a stone’s identity, authenticity, treatment, origin, or value.
Read the guideCan Photos Reveal Gemstone Treatments? Visible Clues and Their Limits
Photos may show features that prompt questions about gemstone treatments, but lighting and camera settings can make clues easy to misread.
Read the guideCarnelian Identification: Color, Texture, and What to Check
Learn the visible clues that help identify carnelian, how it differs from similar stones, and when reliable testing is needed.
Read the guideCelestite Identification: How to Recognize This Blue Mineral
Learn the visible clues that can help identify celestite, how it differs from similar blue minerals, and when professional testing is needed.
Read the guideCitrine Identification: How to Recognize Natural Citrine
Learn the visible clues that help identify citrine, how it differs from similar quartz, and when gem testing is needed for a reliable answer.
Read the guideCitrine vs. Heat-Treated Amethyst: How to Tell Them Apart
Learn the visible clues that distinguish citrine from heat-treated amethyst, and what gemological testing can—and cannot—confirm.
Read the guideCitrine vs. Lemon Quartz: Key Differences and How to Identify Each
Compare citrine and lemon quartz by color, clarity, treatments, and what gemological testing can—and cannot—confirm.
Read the guideClear Crystals: How to Identify and Understand Them
Learn how to compare clear crystals by appearance, understand common lookalikes, and know which questions require professional testing.
Read the guideClear Quartz Identification: How to Recognize It and What Tests Can Tell You
Learn the visible clues that help identify clear quartz, how it differs from common lookalikes, and why photos and simple checks cannot confirm composition.
Read the guideClear Quartz vs. Selenite: How to Tell Them Apart
Compare clear quartz and selenite by appearance, hardness, cleavage, and reliable identification methods, while understanding what photos can’t confirm.
Read the guideCleavage vs. Fracture in Minerals: How to Tell Them Apart
Learn how cleavage and fracture differ, what broken surfaces can reveal, and why visible clues alone may not identify a mineral with certainty.
Read the guideColor Zoning in Gemstones: How to Recognize Color Patterns
Learn what color zoning looks like, which gemstones commonly show it, and how to distinguish a visible clue from a reliable identification.
Read the guideConchoidal Fracture in Gemstones: What Curved Breaks Can Reveal
Learn how conchoidal fracture appears in gemstones, what it may suggest about a stone, and why visual clues cannot confirm identity or authenticity.
Read the guideCrystal Point vs. Crystal Cluster: How to Tell Them Apart
Learn how crystal points and clusters differ in shape, formation, display, and care—and which visible clues cannot identify a mineral with certainty.
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