Semi-Precious Stone Jewelry

Aside from precious gemstones, semi-precious stones are often used for jewelry. These beautiful stones can be made into a variety of pieces such as rings, earrings and necklaces.

While only three stones are classified as "precious" (emeralds, sapphires and rubies) there are several stones that are considered semi-precious. The most common stones that are classified this way include opal, topaz, lapis lazuli, aquamarine, turquoise, garnet, amethyst and tourmaline.

Opal

As jewelry, opals are exceptionally pretty but their soft material can lend brittleness to the stone. Because of this, it's important to avoid exposing your opal jewelry to intense heat for a prolonged period of time. This will help avoid color loss and durability in your opals.

Topaz

There are several colors of topaz, but yellow topaz seems to be the most common. Other colors of topaz include blue, red, pink, green and brown. Green topaz is quite rare, therefore making that particular color much more costly than other shades.

Lapis Lazuli

A gorgeous, opaque dark blue stone, lapis lazuli has been quite popular throughout the decades. "Lapis" comes from the Latin word for stone while "Lazuli" stems from the Arabic term for blue. It's quite durable, and the intense blue color of this semi-precious gemstone works beautifully in jewelry.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine stones range from light blue shades to a deeper, more intense blue color. Arguably one of the most popular gemstones, aquamarine gets its color from iron and works well as the focal point for any piece of jewelry. Additionally, this gemstone is quite durable and will defend well against scratches while retaining its brilliant shine.

Turquoise

These gemstones are relatively soft, but are still quite popular among jewelry wearers. Colors range from a light blue to a blue-green color. In order to protect the stone's durability, most jewelers will use a wax treatment to harden the stone.

Garnet

While garnets are prized for their rich red color (and highly sought after for this reason,) few people are aware of the spectrum of colors found in garnets. These stones can also be found in a wide variety of green and yellow tones, as well. The stone is relatively hard but cannot stand up well to improper heating techniques.

Amethyst

A beautiful gemstone, amethyst can range from a pale mauve color to a deeper purple (the most sought after shade of this semi-precious stone.) If exposed to intense heat for any length of time, amethysts can change color. For this reason, amethyst jewelry should not be worn in the sun for an extended period or anywhere where the color can be ruined.

Tourmaline

The vast majority of tourmaline is multicolored, ranging in hues from beautiful greens, reds, pinks and blues. Nearly all tourmalines are unique, so jewelry wearers are almost guaranteed to find a piece of jewelry that looks nothing like any other tourmaline. They are quite popular among semi-precious stone collectors and are usually easy to find.

While there are numerous other gemstones that could be considered semi-precious, these stones are easily some of the most common stones found in jewelry. Each stone has a unique characteristic that make them beautiful and jewelry wearers will love the brilliance these stones lend to a piece of jewelry.