Definitions can vary as I have already mentioned. Sometimes this can include limited organic material. For instance, most gemstones require a hardness factor of at least 7 on the "Mohs Scale". But most real gemstones have very strict guidelines on what qualities a stone must have to qualify within the meaning of "gemstone". As we can see, it is difficult to have any objective consensus of what exactly is a gemstone. Some have defined a gem as a mineral that has been.

In this article, I will attempt to give the reader an objective identity of just what a gemstone is. The higher the light refraction, the better. They must be somewhat transparent.

A plain rock of copper and iron with pretty colors could also be considered a gemstone. Another way of asking the question, "What are Gems?".

Finally, it needs to be rare enough to have a high monetary value. Again the question, how do you identify a gemstone. I have seen fossilized marine life called a gemstone.

The word gemstone could mean a variety of things.