When you imagine brightly colored things, stones and minerals probably aren’t the very first items that come to mind. However, while many rocks are a nondescript brown or gray, there’s a sizable portion of stones and minerals that offer up a cornucopia of color.
Here’s our list of the world’s most colorful minerals and stones:
1. Tourmaline
- Class: Cyclosilicate mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Tourmaline can be found in a variety of environments across the world, but it is especially prevalent in Brazil and parts of Africa.
- Hardness: 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: It is typically used as a gemstone, but it was used to polarize light by chemists in the 19th century.
- Colorful feature: These stunning crystals come in a variety of colors. They can be reddish, green, pink, or blue. And as you can see in the picture, individual crystals can include multiple colors.
Tourmaline is a striking mineral that makes beautiful jewelry. It’s also very chemically complex. Tourmaline is a silicate mineral, but the name “tourmaline” covers a group of similar minerals, namely elbaite, schorl, and dravite. It sometimes can form very large crystals of over 100 pounds. While most tourmaline crystals are black, colored versions can be especially brilliant, and they make stunning gemstones.
2. Opal
- Class: Mineraloid; amorphous
- Occurrence: Though opal can be found in many parts of the world, it is primarily found in Ethiopia and Australia. It often forms in seam-like deposits.
- Hardness: Between 5.5 and 6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Thanks to their brilliant colors, opals are commonly used as gemstones.
- Colorful feature: Opals often have an iridescent appearance. Many gemstone-quality opals are white or bluish, but fire opal is an especially stunning orangish color.
Opal is probably one of the most famous colorful stones, and it is also the birthstone of October. Much of its color comes from its refraction of light; opals have a glimmering rainbow sheen that makes them brilliant gemstones. Opals can command very high prices, so there is a large market for similar-looking but more affordable synthetic opals.
3. Fluorite
- Class: Halide mineral; crystals are isometric
- Occurrence: It usually crystallizes in igneous rock, often forming in vein deposit.
- Hardness: 4 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Fluorite is used as an ornamental stone, but it also is used for smelting and in the manufacturing of glass and enamel.
- Colorful feature: Fluorite comes in almost every color imaginable, and it is sometimes even called the world’s most colorful mineral.
Fluorite is a mineral that often includes traces of impurities, and these impurities are frequently responsible for its huge range of colors. While it is too soft to be reliably used as a gemstone, fluorite can sometimes be carved into trinkets or figurines. Among those who believe in the powers of different crystals, fluorite is considered to be able to remove negative energy.
4. Lapis Lazuli
- Class: Metamorphic rock; crystal structure is trigonal
- Occurrence: Lapis lazuli usually can be found in crystalline marble.
- Hardness: Between 5-6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Lapis lazuli is often used in jewelry, and it can be carved into figurines or made into vases.
- Colorful feature: This stone has been prized for centuries thanks to its brilliant blue color. The blue is especially striking when the stone is polished.
Of all the stones on the list, lapis lazuli has one of the longest histories of use in art. Even ancient Greek, Roman, and Sumerian civilizations carved it into jewelry. Cleopatra even turned it into powder and used it for eyeshadow!
5. Agate
- Class: Chalcedony rock formation; crystal system is rhombohedral
- Occurrence: Agate forms in rock crevices from groundwater that contains silica.
- Hardness: Between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Agate is used to make jewelry and ornamental items. It also is used for making mortars and pestles and other laboratory supplies.
- Colorful feature: Agate comes in a variety of colors. It usually has a pattern of wavy lines, and they can be blue, yellow, red, gray, and brown.
Like lapis lazuli, agate has a long history of use in jewelry. In ancient Greece, it was carved into seal stones for warriors, and it was also carved into various types of jewelry. It doesn’t have a specific color. Because it forms from pooling groundwater, it usually has a wavy and water-like pattern.
6. Emerald
- Class: Mineral; crystal formation is hexagonal
- Occurrence: Emerald can usually be found within formations of mica that forms both from metamorphism and hydrothermal processes.
- Hardness: Between 7.8 and 8 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Emerald is primarily used in jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Emeralds come in a variety of shades of green. Some are a pale yellow-green or blue-green, but the most valuable stones are a deep, intense green.
Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May, and it is the most popular green gemstone in the world. It is a variation of the mineral beryl. However, emeralds with a high degree of clarity are very difficult to find. This is a disappointing fact for jewelry collectors, but lab-grown diamond technology has evolved to be able to produce realistic-looking diamonds that are less expensive.
7. Zoisite
- Class: Mineral; crystals are orthorhombic and prismatic
- Occurrence: Zoisite forms in both pegmatitic and metamorphic rock.
- Hardness: Between 6 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Transparent zoisite stones are often used for jewelry, while opaque stones can be carved into figurines.
- Colorful feature: Zoisite comes in many different colors, including purple, blue, white, green, pink, gray, or yellow. Some stones are translucent, and others are opaque or close to it.
Zoisite is one of the stones on the list that isn’t especially well known. It comes in many colors, but the blue form of zoisite is more commonly called tanzanite. The name comes from the fact that tanzanite is typically found in Tanzania. As you can see from its Mohs hardness value, it is strong enough to resist scratching and chipping, so it’s a good candidate for use as a gemstone.
8. Titanium Aura Quartz
- Class: Mineral; quartz has a crystal structure that is trigonal or hexagonal. The titanium coating the quartz is a chemical element.
- Occurrence: Titanium aura quartz does not occur in nature. It’s made from quartz that has had titanium bonded to its surface.
- Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Titanium aura quartz can be used in jewelry or as an ornamental stone by itself. It also frequently appears in collections of crystals that are said to have strong metaphysical properties.
- Colorful feature: This stone has a stunning metallic luster thanks to the titanium coating on the quartz. Its color and shine are similar to that of bismuth.
For those interested in stones with possible metaphysical properties, titanium aura quartz is a fascinating stone. It’s sometimes called the stone of universal light, and it’s said to stir enthusiasm for life by activating all of the body’s energy centers. Even for those who don’t believe in the metaphysical properties of stones, it’s striking enough that it makes an excellent choice for jewelry. Crystal clusters also make beautiful decorations on their own!
9. Bismuth
- Class: Chemical element; crystal structure is rhombohedral
- Occurrence: Bismuth can be found in various places of the Earth’s crust. It forms unique spiraling crystals that look like stairs.
- Hardness: 2.25 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Bismuth can be used to make various metal alloys. It also can be used in cosmetics and sometimes is added to pharmaceuticals.
- Colorful feature: Many bismuth crystals are covered with a thin film of oxide. That film has an iridescent sheen that reflects a mixture of yellow, green, purple, and blue.
Thanks to its rainbow shine, bismuth is one of the most beautiful stones on the list. While it is technically a chemical element, it forms unique “stair-stepping” crystals both in nature and when created in the lab. Extended exposure to bismuth will very rarely cause a skin condition called bismuthia. Bismuthia will make the skin appear to be tinted a blue or gray color.
10. Bornite
- Class: Sulfide mineral; crystal class is orthorhombic
- Occurrence: Bornite crystals mostly form in copper ores around the world.
- Hardness: Between 3 and 3.25 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Bornite is mostly useful for its copper content, as it is about 63% copper.
- Colorful feature: While bornite is dark in color, it is frequently covered with an iridescent tarnish. Usually, that tarnish is purple to green. Thanks to this glimmering color, it is often called “peacock ore.”
Several of the rocks on the list have the striking combination of a dark brown or gray base color and a rainbow sheen. But since that sheen only comes from tarnish, you won’t see it on every type of bornite. This stone is generally too soft for use in jewelry; its sheen also isn’t often brilliant enough to make it an ornamental stone.
11. Rhodolite
- Class: Nesosilicate mineral (Pyrope variety); cubic crystal system
- Occurrence: Rhodolite occurs in a variety of environments around the world.
- Hardness: Between 7 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Thanks to its variety of colors and excellent clarity, rhodolite is typically used as a gemstone.
- Colorful feature: This beautiful stone comes in a variety of pink, red, and purple colors. It can range from a light lavender to a grape-like purple, and there are many raspberry-like shades in between.
This beautiful gem is part of the garnet family. Some rhodolite gemstones have a soft rosy glow, and others are a purplish red color that is similar to garnets as we know them. Unlike some of the stones on the list, rhodolite’s name is a trade name. As a mineral, it is usually called a pyrope garnet.
12. Azurite
- Class: Carbonite mineral; crystals are monoclinic
- Occurrence: Azurite can often be found in copper ore deposits.
- Hardness: Between 3.5 and 4 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Azurite was once used as a blue pigment. It occasionally can be used as jewelry, and it is commonly sought by collectors.
- Colorful feature: This stone has a brilliant, royal blue coloring. Since its shape is irregular, azurite sometimes forms shapes that look like blue clouds.
Azurite is a fairly soft yet beautiful stone. Its softness on the Mohs scale makes it a non-ideal choice for use as a gemstone. When it’s used in jewelry, it’s usually carved into beads. However, over time, azurite loses its brightness.
13. Amazonite
- Class: Tectosilicate mineral; crystals are triclinic
- Occurrence: Amazonite is rarely found, but it does occur in granite and similar stones.
- Hardness: Between 6 and 6.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Amazonite is very occasionally used as a gemstone.
- Colorful feature: Amazonite is a beautiful blue-green color that is similar to turquoise.
Many blue and blue-green stones get their coloration from copper content. But amazonite is different. Scientists have conducted extensive studies to determine what gives amazonite its unique and brilliant color, and they found that much of its color comes from lead. A recent study found that if a person ingested 11g of amazonite, they would be exposed to five times the amount of lead that the European Union has deemed safe.
14. Kyanite
- Class: Aluminosilicate mineral; crystals are triclinic
- Occurrence: Kyanite is usually found in different types of metamorphic rock, especially types that form at high pressure.
- Hardness: One crystal axis is between 4.5 and 5 on the Mohs; the perpendicular axis is between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Though kyanite is a beautiful stone, it is rarely used as a gemstone. However, it has several industrial uses. It is often a component of porcelain, and it also can be used in various electronics.
- Colorful feature: Kyanite is a translucent crystal that is a dark blue roughly between royal and navy blue.
Kyanite is sometimes called cyanite, and it’s easy to see why; it is one of the most intensely blue minerals on the list. Unlike most stones on the list, kyanite has crystals that are slightly flexible. The fact that its hardness varies depending on its axis makes it fairly easy to identify.
15. Uvarovite
- Class: Nesosilicate mineral; crystals are cubic
- Occurrence: Uvarovite is commonly found mixed in with other types of rock. It can be found with serpentine, andradite, glossular, and other rock types.
- Hardness: Between 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Uvarovite can be used as a gemstone because of its emerald-like appearance. Those who believe in healing powers of crystals say that uvarovite is useful for supporting heart and lung health.
- Colorful feature: Uvarovite has an intense green color that makes it look a lot like emerald.
Uvarovite is a mineral in a group with garnets. However, within that group, it is the only green mineral. Its crystals are very fine, and it looks especially nice when a broad collection of crystals is included on a flat pendant. Some of the largest and most beautiful pieces of uvarovite, some of which are parts of museum collections, have been found in a Finnish copper mine that has now been closed.
16. Chrysocolla
- Class: Phyllosilicate mineral; crystals are orthorhombic
- Occurrence: It sometimes can be found in large, round masses, but it also forms vein-like deposits, usually in copper ores.
- Hardness: Usually between 2.5 and 3.5 on the Mohs scale, although high-silica specimens have a value of 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Chrysocolla is frequently used as a gemstone, and it also is an ideal choice for carving thanks to its softness. Its visual similarity to turquoise makes it relatively popular.
- Colorful feature: Chrysocolla has a blue-green color that is often very close to the color of turquoise, although some specimens are more blue than green.
This mineral has a somewhat odd-sounding name. It comes from the ancient Greek words for “gold” and “glue” because it was initially used to solder gold. It is much easier to work with than turquoise is, so it is frequently incorporated into the work of silversmiths as a turquoise substitute.
17. Blue Howlite
- Class: Borate mineral (inoborate); crystals are monoclinic
- Occurrence: Blue howlite usually occurs as small, nodular clusters. It is very rare and is usually only found in parts of Nova Scotia and California.
- Hardness: 3.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Howlite is often used in jewelry, but it can also be carved into decorative figurines.
- Colorful feature: Most howlite stones are white, so the blue variety is especially rare. These stones can range from a bright sky blue to a greenish, turquoise-like color. Like their white counterparts, blue howlite stones have veining that is gray or black.
For those who believe that crystals possess healing powers, blue howlite is a powerful stone. It is said to be able to enhance communication thanks to its connection with the throat chakra. Though its name sounds like the word “howl,” howlite was actually named for Henry How, the mineralogist who discovered it.
18. Jasper
- Class: Mineral aggregate; crystals are hexagonal
- Occurrence: Jasper usually occurs in vein-like deposits in volcanic rock.
- Hardness: Between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Thanks to its remarkable patterning, jasper is usually used in jewelry or incorporated into carvings or other ornamentation. In these applications, it is usually especially polished.
- Colorful feature: There is no set color for jasper. This unique and brilliant stone can be found all over the world, but different localities are home to different colors and patterns. For example, one jasper deposit in Russia has a turquoise-like variety, while a remarkable red/green/yellow variety occurs in China.
Jasper is the birthstone of March, and it is also one of the most colorful and varied stones on the list. Technically, it is a combination of mineral types, as it is an aggregated form on quartz, chalcedony, and other mineral phases. Larger pieces of jasper have been carved into vases, baskets, and snuff boxes.
19. Carnelian
- Class: Chalcedony mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Carnelian can be found in many areas in the world where quartz and moganite can intermingle.
- Hardness: Between 6 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Carnelian is primarily used in jewelry, although it is not nearly as popular as it was in ancient times.
- Colorful feature: Carnelian varies dramatically in color. Its crystals can be a light red-orange to a deep red. Some varieties are so dark that they appear black at first.
In ancient times, carnelian was fashioned into jewelry for the wealthy. Ancient Egyptians and Romans found that it created a beautiful contrast with both lapis lazuli and onyx. It also had a very important niche use: stamping wax seals onto letters. Since hot wax will not stick to carnelian, this mineral was an ideal choice of material.
20. Heliotrope
- Class: Mineral aggregate; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Heliotrope can be found in many environments in several countries, including Bulgaria, Italy, Australia, Brazil, and the United States.
- Hardness: Between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: In many cultures, heliotrope has been worn as a stone of protection. In some cultures, it also is believed to be able to slow or prevent bleeding.
- Colorful feature: Heliotrope is an interestingly-colored stone. It has a base color of green and spots of red, yellow, or both. The green base color varies quite a bit. Sometimes, it is so dark it appears black, but many individual stones are a paler green. The size of the red and yellow spots also varies significantly.
Heliotrope is often called “bloodstone,” although there are conflicting stories of where the name comes from. In India, the stone is believed to help stop bleeding when it is applied to a wound. Roman soldiers wore it because they believed it had the power to slow bleeding. There also is a Christian legend that says the red spots on heliotrope stones came from the blood of Christ on the cross.
21. Rhodonite
- Class: Inosilicate mineral; crystals are triclinic
- Occurrence: Rhodonite usually occurs as compact masses. These masses sometimes have a brownish appearance due to surface oxidation.
- Hardness: Between 5.5 and .5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Rhodonite is sometimes used as a gemstone, although its crystal clusters make beautiful ornamental stones on their own.
- Colorful feature: Rhodonite has a warm, rosy pink coloration that is brighter than that of many similarly-colored stones.
Rhodonite might not sound familiar if you aren’t a gem enthusiast. However, it makes a beautiful and unique choice of gemstone. These stones don’t necessarily have to be pure rhodonite, either. This mineral sometimes appears to be marbled with black oxides of magnesium, and that combination is incredibly striking.
22. Amber
- Class: Fossilized tree resin (used as a gemstone)
- Occurrence: Amber is frequently found in coal seams around the world.
- Hardness: Between 2 and 2.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Amber is most commonly used as a gemstone. It has been used as an ornament since the Stone Age.
- Colorful feature: Amber is famous for its translucent golden color that looks a bit like that of honey.
Like many stones and minerals on the list, amber frequently has inclusions. But since this stone forms from fossilized tree resin, its inclusions tend to be a bit different. Insects, especially ants, that became trapped in the tree resin can often be seen in amber stones.
23. Turquoise
- Class: Phosphate mineral; crystals are triclinic
- Occurrence: Turquoise is often found in copper mines, especially in Iran and in parts of the United States.
- Hardness: Between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: This stone has been used in jewelry and ornamentation since ancient times.
- Colorful feature: This stone is famous for its energetic blue-green color.
Few stones have the rich history of cultural importance that turquoise does. It was worn by Aztec rulers and ancient Mesopotamians. Turquoise inlays were included in King Tut’s famous burial mask. Archaeologists have even uncovered 17th-century Russian swords adorned with turquoise inlays. And today, you can find turquoise jewelry in a number of styles. It is frequently paired with silver.
24. Shattuckite
- Class: Inosilicate minerals; crystals are orthorhombic
- Occurrence: It usually forms massive deposits in areas where chrysocolla, turquoise, and malachite can be found.
- Hardness: 3.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Despite its relative softness, shattuckite is sometimes used in jewelry, especially in pendants. It also is a sought-after stone for those who believe crystals have healing powers.
- Colorful feature: Shattuckite is a bright cerulean blue that can’t be missed.
Shattuckite gets its name from the place where it was originally discovered: the Shattuck Mine in Arizona. As minerals go, it is a relatively recent discovery. Shattuckite was first discovered in 1915, while many minerals on the list were discovered in the 1800s. Though it is dazzling on its own, this mineral is especially striking when it’s marbled with green malachite.
25. Alexandrite
- Class: Oxide mineral; crystals are orthorhombic
- Occurrence: Alexandrite can be found as part of pegmatitic igneous rock formations, although it can also be found near formations of metamorphic rock.
- Hardness: 8.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Thanks to its beauty and unique color-changing ability, alexandrite is primarily used as a gemstone.
- Colorful feature: Alexandrite is a stone whose color varies dramatically based on lighting. Typically, alexandrite stones will be greenish or yellowish in daylight, but under incandescent light, they will turn red or pink.
Alexandrite is a specific variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Although the story of its discovery and naming is not entirely clear, it is believed to have been named for Alexander II Romanov, a Russian emperor.
26. Torbernite
- Class: Phosphate mineral; crystals are tetragonal
- Occurrence: It is typically found in deposits along with other uranium-containing minerals, including uraninite, uranocircite, and autunite.
- Hardness: Between 2 and 2.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Torbernite is sometimes used as a uranium ore, but its beautiful color makes it popular among collectors as well.
- Colorful feature: Tobernite has an especially beautiful color; it is a deep, medium green similar to that of emerald.
Tobernite is beautiful enough to be a component of jewelry. But there is one problem: it’s a radioactive mineral. In particular, it releases radon gas. This gas can sometimes cause lung cancer, so collectors often take precautions to ensure specimens are stored in well-ventilated rooms.
27. Moonstone
- Class: Orthoclase mineral; crystals can be triclinic or monoclinic
- Occurrence: Large moonstone deposits can be found in many areas of the world, including Sri Lanka, Norway, Austria, Mexico, and the United States.
- Hardness: 6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Moonstone is primarily used in jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Moonstone is prized for its unique silky sheen, called “adularescence.” This effect is caused by light diffraction, and it makes moonstone specimens look like they have layers of glossy colors.
Moonstone jewelry has been around since ancient times. The Romans believed that it came from rays of the moon, and in both Greek and Roman cultures, it was associated with gods and goddesses of the moon. Interestingly enough, even though it does not occur in Florida, moonstone is the Florida State Gemstone. It was declared the official gemstone in 1970 in honor of the moon landings.
28. Ruby
- Class: Oxide mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Rubies can be mined all over the world, although they are most common in parts of the Middle East and Asia.
- Hardness: 9 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Ruby is primarily used as a gemstone.
- Colorful feature: Of all red gemstones, rubies have the most intense red color. However, you can also find pink or purplish rubies.
Ruby is the birthstone of July, and it’s also one of the most valuable stones on the list. An especially beautiful specimen, the Sunrise Ruby, has the honor of being the world’s most expensive stone that is not a diamond. It sold at auction for $30 million. In the past, rubellite, a prized variety of tourmaline, has been mistaken for ruby.
29. Dumortierite Quartz
- Class: Silicate mineral; crystals are either trigonal or hexagonal
- Occurrence: While this stone is relatively rare, it can be found in several countries across the world. These include Canada, the United States, Brazil, France, Mozambique, and Sri Lanka.
- Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale, although the inclusion of dumortierite will usually make it a bit softer
- Uses: Though it is not especially common, dumortierite quartz is usually used as a gemstone.
- Colorful feature: This stone is a variety of quartz that includes the mineral dumortierite. Since dumortierite is usually bluish, this variety of quartz can either be a uniform bluish color or appear to have splotches of blue. Sometimes, the included dumortierite is reddish brown instead of blue.
Quartz is a common mineral, but varieties with impurities make beautiful and unique gemstones. Dumortierite quartz is most often blue, and it looks especially nice when polished and cut into spheres or ovals.
30. Cuprite
- Class: Oxide mineral; crystals are cubic
- Occurrence: Cuprite is usually found in copper deposits, especially those in the Ural and Altai Mountains.
- Hardness: Between 3.5 and 4 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Faceted cuprite is exceedingly rare, but when it is found in faceted form, cuprite can be used as a gemstone.
- Colorful feature: Cuprite is usually a dark red in color. In some cases, crystals are so dark that they are almost black.
Many people haven’t heard of cuprite. But among serious gem collectors, it is especially prized when in faceted form. When cut well, cuprite gems in this form have greater brilliance than diamonds do. If it weren’t for their relative softness on the Mohs scale, these stones would likely be among the most valuable gemstones in the world.
31. Lizardite
- Class: Phyllosilicate mineral (Kaolinite-serpentine group); crystals are orthorhombic
- Occurrence: This mineral is most commonly found on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall in the United Kingdom.
- Hardness: Between 2 and 2.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Thanks to its softness and interesting color, lizardite is frequently carved into small figurines.
- Colorful feature: Lizardite usually has a marbled or patchy appearance, but its base color is usually an apple-like green. Different specimens have varying amounts of black, white, and darker green.
Lizardite is part of a group of “serpentine” minerals. Based on that fact and its green color, you’d probably think that it is named because it looks a little like lizard skin. But lizardite is actually named for a place; it is named after the Lizard Peninsula in the UK. Local people often carve it into statues to sell to tourists.
32. Fuchsite
- Class: Silicate mineral; crystals are monoclinic
- Occurrence: It is often found in areas of metamorphic rock where plenty of chromium is present.
- Hardness: 2.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: An impure yet especially green variety of fuchsite, known as verdite, is frequently carved for ornamental purposes.
- Colorful feature: Fuchsite can be found in a range of green shades from apple to emerald. The exact shade of green depends on how much chromium is present.
While fuchsite might not be the most famous of minerals, it does have some uncommon properties. Under some kinds of UV light, it shines fluorescent green. It also is radioactive. However, its radioactivity is so slight that it is nearly undetectable, so it is widely considered to be a safe mineral to be around.
33. Snowflake Obsidian
- Class: Volcanic glass; shape is amorphous
- Occurrence: Snowflake obsidian can be found near volcanoes.
- Hardness: Between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Obsidian can be used to make very sharp knife blades, and it also is commonly used as a gemstone.
- Colorful feature: Snowflake obsidian consists of obsidian with cristobalite inclusions. It has a deep black base color with grayish-white splotches that look like snowflakes.
Many of us know obsidian as a deep black stone, but snowflake obsidian is a beautiful variation that includes paler crystals. And while this is a lovely type of obsidian, it isn’t the only one. Fire obsidian has a rainbow-like shine, while sheen obsidian has a golden shine. In Mexico, you can sometimes find rainbow obsidian, a unique striped variety.
34. Star Sapphire
- Class: Oxide mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Sapphires generally occur in many of the same areas that rubies can be found. Madagascar is especially notable for production of sapphires.
- Hardness: 9 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Star sapphires are mainly used as gemstones and are often incorporated into jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Star sapphires are the same brilliant blue as typical sapphires, but they have a white, star-like shape at the center. This shape is from an inclusion of rutile. Rutile is a mineral that is mostly made of titanium dioxide.
When you look at a star sapphire, it’s hard to believe that it is a gem that occurs naturally. Typically, these sapphires appear to have a six-pointed star when there is a light source pointing directly down at them. However, there are some especially rare variants where the star has 12 points. Star sapphires look especially beautiful when they are made into rings or pendants.
35. Marble
- Class: Metamorphic rock; crystals usually monoclinic
- Occurrence: Marble can be found in areas where limestone or dolomite are subject to metamorphism.
- Hardness: 3 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Thanks to its relative softness, marble is ideal for carving and use in sculpture. It also is used in construction, especially for making countertops.
- Colorful feature: Marble comes in a wide range of colors, and the color of a given piece of marble often depends on where it came from. For example, Carrara marble from Tuscany can be a blue-gray color like the marble pebble in the picture. Yule marble from Colorado is a smooth, uniform white. Etowah marble, found in Georgia, is often a salmon pink color.
Marble is one of the most familiar stones on the list. And while most of us probably picture it as being a beautiful but plainly colored white stone, marble actually comes in a surprising range of colors. It looks especially striking when polished.
36. Charoite
- Class: Silicate mineral; crystals are monoclinic
- Occurrence: It only occurs near limestone deposits on the Aldan Shield in Russia.
- Hardness: Between 5 and 6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Though charoite is rare, it is often incorporated into jewelry. Its unusual appearance also makes it popular with mineral collectors.
- Colorful feature: Charoite is a mineral that looks as though it has been enhanced, but its pearlescent, swirling purple color is completely natural. Charoite stones can range from a pale, translucent purple to a bolder, pearlescent purple.
This is one of the most beautiful and unusual stones on the list. It also was discovered relatively recently. While some people knew about charoite in the 1940s, it was not well known in the mineral world until the 1970s. Part of the reason for the delay in its discovery was likely its appearance in nature. When it hasn’t been cleaned up or polished, this mineral tends to look dull and opaque.
37. Azurmalachite
- Class: Carbonite mineral; crystals are monoclinic
- Occurrence: Azurmalachite can be found above copper deposits, often in Namibia, France, and the United States.
- Hardness: Between 3.5 and 4 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Azurmalachite is an uncommon stone, but it is sometimes made into jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Azurmalachite is a mineral that is made up of azurite, a blue mineral, and malachite, a green mineral. As you can see in the photo, these two colors typically appear to be swirled together.
Azurmalachite is very rare, but it’s hard to forget. Its exquisite swirling pattern means that no two pieces are completely alike. And though it can be made into eye-catching pieces of jewelry, its relative softness means that it should be protected from bumps and scrapes.
38. Sardonyx
- Class: Oxide mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Sardonyx can be found in many regions in the world, including Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
- Hardness: Between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Sardonyx has been used to make carvings for centuries. And thanks to its relative hardness and banded appearance, it also is often made into beads, pendants, and other types of jewelery.
- Colorful feature: Sardonyx is a form of onyx that involves the banding of “sard,” or reddish brown, with white. This is slightly different from onyx, where the minerals are black with bands of white and other colors.
Sardonyx is an especially striking variety of onyx. But this stone still comes in a variety of colors. Most sardonyx stones are marked with wavy white bands that parallel each other. Those bands are set against a red-brown base color. Depending on the individual stone, the base color may be a more intense red, a pale orange, or mostly brown.
39. Tiger’s Eye
- Class: Mineral; crystals are trigonal and/or hexagonal
- Occurrence: Tiger’s eye is usually a metamorphic rock that is present in many parts of the world.
- Hardness: Between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: This stone is often used in jewelry. A slightly altered form, known as tiger iron, is especially useful for making knife handles.
- Colorful feature: This unique stone has a silky shine and a striated appearance that usually combines amber and reddish brown.
Tiger’s eye is an especially stunning gem. Part of that comes from chatoyance, or the cat’s eye effect. This effect happens when a stone or piece of wood has a fibrous appearance combined with a silky gloss.
40. Variscite
- Class: Phosphate mineral; crystals are orthorhombic
- Occurrence: Variscite forms from water that carries phosphate. The phosphate then reacts with aluminum-containing rocks. It can be found in the United States as well as in Brazil and certain countries in Europe.
- Hardness: 4.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Variscite is often used in place of turquoise, and it is frequently made into jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Variscite usually has a bright blue-green color that is very much like that of turquoise. Variscite that comes from Nevada often has web-like veining that makes it look especially like varieties of turquoise that are more green.
To the untrained eye, a variscite stone may look identical to turquoise. And interestingly enough, even though this stone is rarer, it commands a lower price than turquoise does. This is likely due to the fact that far fewer people are familiar with it. In order to help buyers make the association, variscite is sometimes sold as “variquoise.”
41. Apatite
- Class: Phosphate mineral; crystals are hexagonal
- Occurrence: Apatite is frequently found in deposits of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock.
- Hardness: 5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Usually, apatite is used as a phosphate source for various industries. However, especially beautiful specimens sometimes are used as gemstones.
- Colorful feature: Apatite comes in a range of colors, although it is usually green. It is sometimes blue, pink, yellow, or clear.
Apatite gems aren’t the easiest to find, but a high-quality stone is especially memorable. Usually, translucent stones are faceted to increase their brilliance. Some specimens with fiber-like coloring display the cat’s eye effect.
42. Spessartine Garnet
- Class: Neosilicate mineral (garnet group); crystals are isometric
- Occurrence: Spessartine garnet usually occurs in granite pegmatite. It can be found in a number of countries across the Middle East and Africa, although it also forms in the United States and Australia.
- Hardness: Between 6.5 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: This lovely stone is frequently incorporated into jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Since spessartine garnet is always mixed with impurities, its color can vary somewhat substantially. Generally, you can find spessartine garnets from a light orange to a dark red-brown.
These shiny, translucent stones often look a bit like a mixture between garnet and topaz. They are also somewhat confusingly named, as there is also an igneous rock that is called spessartine.
43. Hackmanite
- Class: Tectosilicate mineral; crystals are cubic
- Occurrence: Usually, hackmanite, like other types of sodalite, is found in vein-like deposits in igneous rock.
- Hardness: Between 5.5 and 6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Hackmanite is occasionally used in jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Hackmanite is usually a whitish color, but it has the power to change color based on light exposure. The picture shows a hackmanite stone fluorescing under UV light.
Hackmanite is a form of sodalite that can change color temporarily. For example, hackmanite found in Burma and Afghanistan starts out white. But if it is left in sunlight, it turns violet. If it is kept away from light for a long period of time, it will fade back to white.
44. Crocoite
- Class: Chromate mineral; crystals are monoclinic
- Occurrence: This mineral can usually be found in veins of quartz moving through gneiss or granite.
- Hardness: Between 2.5 and 3 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Crocoite can be used to produce chrome yellow pigment.
- Colorful feature: Crocoite is usually bright red to red-orange.
In terms of structure, crocoite is one of the most interesting minerals on the list. It forms long, slender crystals that often cross over one another. Crocoite clusters often look like abstract sculptures.
45. Sodalite
- Class: Tectosilicate mineral; crystals are cubic
- Occurrence: Sodalite usually forms vein-like deposits in certain types of igneous rocks.
- Hardness: Between 5.5 and 6 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Thanks to its relative hardness and beautiful coloring, sodalite is often used to make beads, jewelry, and sculptures.
- Colorful feature: Sodalite is usually bright royal blue in color, but it is sometimes mixed with white.
This striking rock is usually blue, but it also comes in an uncommon rainbow of colors. Sometimes, sodalite can be pink, yellow, or green. It gets its name from its high sodium content.
46. Dioptase
- Class: Cyclosilicate mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Typically, dioptase is found in desert regions near copper deposits.
- Hardness: 5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Despite its beauty, dioptase is very rarely used as a gemstone. However, it is fairly popular among mineral enthusiasts.
- Colorful feature: Dioptase can range from a deep bluish green to an intense emerald green.
Dioptase’s beautiful colors grace many mineral collections, but they also have a history of being used in art. This stone can sometimes be ground up to make pigment for painters. It has been used for this purpose as far back as 7200 B.C.!
47. Osmium
- Class: Chemical element; crystals are hexagonal close-packed
- Occurrence: Osmium can be found in large deposits in craters and deposits of igneous rock.
- Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Osmium is often used to create metal alloys. It adds a high degree of durability, so it often is used in metal moving parts.
- Colorful feature: Osmium is an especially beautiful chemical element. It has a bluish, silvery look with a high shine.
Osmium crystals can be found in the Earth’s crust, but they also can be grown in the lab. The resulting crystal clusters have a futuristic look about them with a high shine.
48. Cinnabar
- Class: Sulfide mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Cinnabar usually forms vein-like deposit in areas where volcanic activity has recently happened.
- Hardness: Between 2 and 2.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Cinnabar is used as a source of mercury, and it was the original material used to make bright red pigments.
- Colorful feature: Cinnabar can be an energetic red in color. Sometimes, it is a more subdued red-brown.
Cinnabar is one of the handful of stones on the list that is a bright, intense red in color. Notably, it is nature’s best source of mercury. Though it has had many uses throughout history, even ancient Roman civilizations took precautions while handling it because they recognized its toxicity.
49. Amethyst
- Class: Silicate mineral; crystals are trigonal
- Occurrence: Amethyst is found in many locations all over the world. Notably, it sometimes forms within hollow stones of agate.
- Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Amethyst is primarily used as a gemstone and incorporated into jewelry.
- Colorful feature: Amethyst is usually a soft lavender in color, but it also occurs in darker shades of purple.
Amethyst is the traditional February birthstone. And though it comes in many shades of purple, experts say that the ideal coloration has 75-80% purple and 15-20% of blue and/or red hues.
50. Labradorite
- Class: Tectosilicate mineral; crystals are triclinic
- Occurrence: Labradorite can be found deposited in different types of igneous rocks.
- Hardness: Between 6 and 6.5 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Especially iridescent specimens are used as gemstones. They are usually marketed as spectrolite.
- Colorful feature: Thanks to special structural features, labradorite has a magnificent, glossy iridescent sheen called a schiller. The schiller includes nearly every color of the rainbow.
This beautiful stone is named for Labrador, Canada, where it was first found. However, it has subsequently been found in countries around the world.
51. Moissanite
- Class: Mineral; crystals are most often hexagonal
- Occurrence: Moissanite was initially only found in meteorites from outer space. However, it has since been found in a few areas of the world.
- Hardness: 9.25 on the Mohs scale
- Uses: Moissanite can often be made into diamond alternatives. Moissanite “diamonds” are sometimes regarded as a more ethical alternative to mined diamonds. But since they look very similar, scammers sometimes market them as actual diamonds.
- Colorful feature: When made into diamond alternatives, moissanite sometimes has a brilliance greater than that of a diamond. Natural moissanite also has an iridescent sheen.
Moissanite is a truly unique and exceedingly rare mineral, and it’s the only one on the list to come from outer space! It’s also the hardest stone on the list. On the Mohs scale, diamonds have a value of 10, while moissanite has a value of 9.25.
Nature’s Brightly Colored Minerals and Stones
So there they are: some of the world’s most truly striking minerals and stones. You might not spend a lot of time in your day-to-day life thinking about rocks, but we hope that some of these can add a memorable burst of color to your life!
