Zimagal Monthly Magazine - Volume One, Issue Ten

Emeralds
Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl, which like corundum, comes in multiple colors. Beryl is a fairly brittle stone and is often quite full of inclusions (gaseous, liquid, or solid material of various natures incorporated in a crystal during its growth). The most valuable emeralds combine brilliant color with transparency.

Beryl is a very widespread mineral - it occurs in many areas from Europe to North America, South America, East Africa, South Africa, and Himalayan Asia. One of the most famous mining areas, however, is Columbia.

Emerald Green?
The typical color of emeralds is distinctive hue known as "emerald green." The coloration is due to the traces of chromium in the crystal structure. But emeralds can be light or dark, bright or dull green.

Not all gem-quality beryls are green, nor are all green beryls emeralds. Yellow-green stones are called heliodors; pale bluish-green stones are called aquamarines; pink beryl is called Morganite; yellow beryl does not have a special name; the extremely rare red beryl is known as bixbite.

Other Gemstones
There are many many more types of precious gemstones, altogether too many to even go into. Some that you may be more familiar with are: amethyst, citrine, jasper (actually all members of the very large quartz family); garnets (rhodolite, pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular green, hessonite, and demantoid - betcha didn't know there were so many varieties!) which come in red, orange, brownish, greenish-yellow, purple, and vivid green; peridot; jade; turquoise; lapis lazuli; tourmaline (red, green, blue, "watermelon", Paraiba); and topaz (there is no such thing as "smoky topaz" - the gem mislabled in such a manner is nothing more than brownish-gray quartz).

Andalusite
An unusual gemstone that is rather simple to distinguish from other gems because of its peculiar color range and pleochroism.

It is usually a dull yellowish green with faint pink or brown reflections - both colors can be seen at the same time without tilting the stone, as often must be done with less pleochroic stones. The example above shows a yellowish-brown center with obvious sherry-colored ends.
Not particularly rare or valuable, but very interesting.

See the "Wing Ring" I designed with a pear-shaped andalusite.

Unusual Gems
Cymophane - also known as cat's-eye, a variety of chrysoberyl
Spinel - a natural gem which occurs in colors from red to violet to blue. One of the most famous "rubies" in the world, the Black Prince's Ruby in the English crown jewels, is actually a beautiful spinel
Labradorite - an iridescent feldspar.
Kunzite - a pink variety of spodumene, often resembling pink tourmaline.
Chrome Diopside - a lively green stone whose color beauty rivals that of fine emerald.
Moonstone - a practically colorless stone displaying adularescence: a whitish or blue shimmer with a mobile reflection.