A TAXONOMY OF STONE
In the world of crystals, learning the nomenclature of species and subspecies is a big job. Mineralogical names are considered the 'gold standard' (pun intended!) when it comes to crystal identification, often relating to the name of the mineral's type-locality, the geologist credited with its discovery, or a Greek or Latin root describing the stone's classical properties. However, especially for those new to crystals, it can be particularly confusing to discover that all is not what it seems when it comes to names. Trade names, metaphysical names and pure misnomers abound, often with little or no reference to the crystal's actual composition. Many names were developed over the last century by the fine jewellery industry as a means of 'romancing the stone' to create more intrigue around a particular gem, and the same is true for many metaphysical and marketing names today. In some instances, misleading misnomers have also been created to obscure the true identity of a crystal. Other trade names, however, have emerged to help distinguish subtle differences in formation, colour, or inclusions - especially for such a varied mineral group as Quartz.
This list of 500+ names has been collected over the last 20 years drawing upon our extensive industry knowledge and experience, and will be expanded upon as new names emerge. It aims to shed light on the true mineral origins behind each fancy moniker (as well as some historical ones, too). We have intentionally left out certain mineralogically accepted variation names for the Garnet, Tourmaline, Beryl, and Feldspar family groups as these are not strictly marketing names. We hope this list may serve as an empowering reference to help you navigate the crystal world and perhaps discover something new about stones already in your collection. Please share this link with other crystal lovers!
See our article Toxic Crystals, Fakes & Forgeries for more about manmade and artificially-treated stones: https://www.solsticestones.com/post/crystal-cautions
ACHATE - an old name for Agate, as listed in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts
ADELAIDE RUBY - not actually Ruby, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Almandine Garnet from Australia
AERIS - an ancient Roman and medieval alchemical name for both Copper & the element of Air (though sometimes differentiated by the 'ae' ligature)
AFRICAN JADE - not actually Jade, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Verdite (Fuchsite with impurities) from South Africa; also referred to as Buddstone
AFRICAN TURQUOISE - not actually Turquoise, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for a spotty, teal-coloured Jasper
AGAPE CRYSTAL - a trademarked name for a combination of Clear Quartz, Amethyst, Smoky Quartz, Cacoxenite, Goethite, Lepidocrocite, & Rutile; a synonym for Super Seven
AGNI MANI - a fabled stone known as the 'Fire Pearl' in Sanskrit legend; now considered by some to be a variety of Tektite; an occasional synonym for Javanite and Indochinite
AGNITITE - a trademarked name for Clear Quartz with red Hematite inclusions, also known as Agni Fire Quartz
ALASKA BLACK DIAMOND - not actually Diamond, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Hematite
ALBATINE - a trademarked name for a variety of white Aragonite
ALLIGATOR QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of Quartz growth form (usually seen in Smoky Quartz) composed of multiple small terminations with parallel rhombohedral faces, often creating an overall double terminated effect; synonymous with Jacare Quartz and Elestial Quartz
ALMANDINE SPAR - an antiquated name & misnomer for Eudialyte
ALUM CRYSTAL - not a genuine crystal, but a common name for manmade lab-created material composed of potassium aluminium sulphate, seen in a variety of colours & easily grown from a science kit; also known as Cermikite or Alunite (though not to be confused with the genuine mineral Alunite)
AMARANTHINE - a trademarked name for a variety of brecciated Fluorite with Quartz
AMATRIX - a trade name for Variscite from Nevada, USA; short for 'American Matrix'; also known as Utahlite
AMAZON JADE - not actually Jade, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Amazonite (Microcline Feldspar); also known as Amazon Stone
AMBER ONYX - a trade name & misnomer for banded orange Calcite
AMBRITE - a synonym for Amber that occurs in New Zealand coal seams; also known as Resinite
AMEGREEN - a trademarked name for Amethyst with Prasiolite (Green Quartz)
AMERICAN RUBY - a trade name & misleading misnomer for Garnet from the United States
AMEZEZ - a trademarked name for banded Amethyst, otherwise known as Chevron Amethyst
AMMOLITE - a trade name for gem-quality rainbow Ammonite fossils from Alberta, Canada
AMULET STONE - may refer to any stone of ancient or modern use kept on one's person for qualities of healing, magic, or protection; also a trademarked name for a type of Rhyolite
ANANDALITE - a trademarked name for Quartz with subparallel Brazil-law twinning (not Rhodium inclusions as previously suggested); synonym for Iris Quartz and Aurora Quartz
ANCESTRALITE - a trade name for Martite (pseudomorphic Hematite after Marcasite)
ANCHI CRYSTAL - a trademarked name for a variety of lithium Pegmatite rock
ANCONA RUBY - a trade name & misleading misnomer for Rose Quartz
ANDARA CRYSTAL - not a genuine crystal, but a notorious scam for manmade coloured 'slag glass' or 'cullet glass' (used in landscaping & aquarium decoration) being sold as authentic natural crystals from the earth; also known as Monatomic Andara
ANGEL HAIR QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with fine threads of Rutile (titanium dioxide) inclusions; also known as Rutilated Quartz
ANGEL PHANTOM QUARTZ - a trade name for Amphibole included Quartz (it should be noted that these crystals do not actually include a true 'phantom' within); the red-orange variety is also known as Papaya Quartz, or Rabbit Hair Quartz if the inclusions are delicately & ubiquitously dispersed
ANGELINITE - a trade name for a variety of Quartz with Calcite
ANGELITE - a trade name for opaque massive blue Anhydrite from Peru
ANYOLITE - a trade name for a combination of green Zoisite, Pargasite, & Ruby from Tanzania; also known as Tanganyika Artstone, or more commonly as Ruby in Zoisite
APACHE GOLD - a trade name for a combination of Pyrite & Marcasite from Arizona; also known as Healer's Gold
APACHE TEAR - a common name for rounded pebbles of translucent dark brown Obsidian, often found embedded in a Perlite matrix; these formations are referred to as Marekanites in mineralogy
APHRODITE STONE - a trade name for Cobaltoan Calcite, also known as Cobaltocalcite
AQUAPRASE - a trademarked name for a variety of blue-green Chalcedony from Africa
ARIZONA RUBY - a trade name & misleading misnomer for Pyrope Garnet
ARIZONAITE - a trade name for a 'pseudotektite' variety of Obsidian; a synonym for Saffordite, Colombianite & Cintanami Stone
ARKANSAS DIAMOND - a trade name & misnomer for Quartz from Arkansas, USA
ARKANSAS STONE - a trade name & synonym for Novaculite (a variety of Chert) from Arkansas, USA; not to be confused with Arkansas Quartz
AROHA STONE - a trademarked name for Quartz, Muscovite & Piemontite Schist from New Zealand; also known as Vitalite
ASCENSIONITE - a trade name for a combination of Pyrite & Marcasite
ASTARALINE - a trademarked name for low grade Quartz with Muscovite & Cronstedtite inclusions
ASTERIA - an ancient name for any gemstone that displayed a star or asterism when cut, such as Sapphire, Ruby & Diopside, as described by Pliny the Elder in Natural History
ASTRION - an ancient name for Moonstone, as described by Pliny the Elder in Natural History
ATLANTIS STONE - a blue stone foretold in its discovery by medium Edgar Cayce, now considered by some to be Larimar (Blue Pectolite)
ATLANTISITE - a trade name for Stichtite with Serpentine from Tasmania, Australia
ATLAS ORE - an antiquated synonym for Malachite
AURA QUARTZ - a trade name for a series of artificially enhanced Quartz varieties available in a spectrum of rainbow colours, created by the deposition of pure elemental vapours of Gold, Titanium, & Indium in a vacuum chamber; varieties include Aqua Aura, Opal Aura (Angel Aura), Titanium Aura, Tangerine Aura, Imperial Gold Aura, Sunshine Aura, Tanzan Aura, Cobalt Aura, Ruby Aura & more
AURALITE-23 or AURALITE - a trade name for banded Amethyst with Prasiolite, Quartz, Hematite, Goethite & many other inclusions from the Boreal Forest in Ontario, Canada
AURORA QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with subparallel Brazil-law twinning (not Rhodium inclusions as previously suggested); synonymous with Iris Quartz and Anandalite
AVALON STONE - a trade name for a variety of Mudstone from England
AZEZTULITE - a series of trademarked names for opaque & mostly massive low grade Quartz
AZUL - an antiquated synonym for Lapis Lazuli
AZUMAR - a trademarked name for Quartz with Kaolinite from Arizona, USA
BAFFA DIAMOND - a trade name & misnomer for Clear Quartz from Cyprus; also known as Bafo Diamond
BAHIA TOPAZ - a trade name & misleading misnomer for Citrine from Bahia, Brazil
BALAS RUBY - a historical name and misnomer based on a misidentification of Red Spinel
BALINYOUQI STONE - a trade name a combination of Cinnabar, Dickite & Quartz; also known as Chicken Blood Stone, or Changhua Stone
BANALINGA - a Sanskrit name for a variety of Shiva Lingam (a sacred ovoid shaped stone) fashioned out of red & cream banded Jasper found along the Naramada River in India
BC OCEAN PICTURE STONE - a trade name for a combination of blue Chalcedony, Limonite & Serpentine from British Columbia, Canada
BELLO OPAL - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade lab-created polymer material commonly sold as an Opal imitation
BELOMORITE - a trade name for Peristerite (a variety of adularescent Plagioclase Feldspar); also known as Belomorite Moonstone
BENGAL AMETHYST - a trade name for purple Sapphire
BINGHAMITE - a trade name for a diverse range a of lapidary minerals from Minnesota, United States (most often varieties of Chalcedony, sometimes with Amphibole inclusions); also known as Silkstone or Cuyunite
BIRON EMERALD - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade lab-created Beryl
BLACK AMBER - a historical name & misnomer for Jet, as listed in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts
BLACK JACK - a historical name for Sphalerite, a term used by miners in Wales & England
BLACK LABRADORITE - a synonym & partial misnomer for Larvikite (a variety of Augite-Syenite with chatoyant Feldspar)
BLACK STRONGSTONE - a trademarked name for black Quartz from Mexico
BLEU JAUNE - a trade name for a special variety of banded purple & yellow Fluorite from Derbyshire, UK; also known as Blue John & Darbyshire Spar
BLIZZARD STONE - a trademarked name for a variety of Gabbro, an intrusive igneous rock
BLOOD JASPER - a synonym for Bloodstone; also known as Heliotrope
BLOOD STONE - a synonym for Hematite; or in other cases, a variation of Bloodstone
BLUE GOLDSTONE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade glass containing tiny glittering flecks of Cobalt particles suspended in a coloured matrix; also seen in green & copper coloured 'Goldstone' varieties
BLUE IRON EARTH - a synonym for Vivianite
BLUE JOHN - a trade name for a special variety of banded purple & yellow Fluorite from Derbyshire, UK; also known as Derbyshire Spar & Bleu Jaune
BLUE LIBERITE - a trademarked name for Rhyolite with blue Quartz phenocrysts from Brazil
BLUE MALACHITE - not actually Malachite, but an old synonym & misnomer for Azurite; now used as a trade name & misnomer for Chrysocolla
BLUE OBSIDIAN - not a genuine crystal (most often), but a trade name for a manmade glass with a bright transparent aqua or peacock blue colour; not to be confused with authentic blue Obsidian, which only occurs naturally as a turquoise-blue sheen against a black background as one of the colours sometimes seen in Rainbow Obsidian
BLUE ONYX - a trade name & misnomer for a variety of banded blue Calcite from Argentina; also known by the trademarked name Lemurian Aquatine Calcite
BLUE TARA QUARTZ - a trade name for Riebeckite (blue-grey Amphibole) in Quartz, sometimes possibly with Olenite Tourmaline inclusions
BLUEBERRY QUARTZ - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade glass with streaks of bright blue colouring, often shaped into artificial points and spheres; a red version of this manmade glass is called Cherry 'Quartz'
BLUESTONE - a synonym for Preseli Spotted Dolerite, an igneous rock from South Wales used in the construction of Stonehenge; also referred to as Preseli Bluestone or Stonehenge Bluestone
BODEACHAT - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade 'slag glass' of a dark blue colour produced as a byproduct of iron smelting in Bad Lauterberg, Germany in the late 18th century (not 1400 years ago as previously suggested); also known as Sieberachat or Sieber Agate
BOJI STONE - a trademarked name for fossilized Pyrite & Marcasite concretions from Kansas, USA; also known as Kansas Pop Rocks
BOLIVIANITE - most commonly seen as a trade name for Ametrine; however it may also refer to a combination of purple Fluorite & Serpentine
BONE TURQUOISE - a trade name & misnomer for Odontolite (fossil bone) containing microcrystalline blue Apatite; also known as Occidental Turquoise
BORT - an industry name for low grade opaque Diamonds
BRANDENBERG QUARTZ - a misspelling & synonym for Brandberg Quartz from Namibia
BRISTOL DIAMOND - a local name for Clear Quartz from the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England
BUDDHALITE - a trademarked name for a variety of white Calcite from China
BUDDSTONE - a trade name for Verdite (Fuchsite with impurities) from South Africa; also misleadingly referred to as African Jade
BUFONITE - an ancient name for the fossilized tooth plate of an extinct fish; used as a protective amulet during the Middle Ages, as mentioned in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts; also known as Toad Stone
BULGARIAN POWER CRYSTAL - a trademarked name for a variety of Quartz with Pyrite or Sphalerite
BULL'S EYE - a trade name & synonym for Red Tiger's Eye (an artificially-treated variety Quartz with chatoyant Amphibole inclusions)
BUMBLEBEE JASPER - not actually a Jasper, but a trade name and misnomer for banded Calcite with Pyrite & Realgar from West Java, Indonesia; also known as Eclipse Stone
BURMITE - a variety of Amber from Myanmar; also known as Kachin Amber
CAIRNGORM - a local name for Smoky Quartz found in the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland
CALAMINE - a medieval name referring to both Smithsonite and Hemimorphite (they were historically believed to be the same mineral)
CALLAIS - an ancient name for Turquoise, first described by Pliny the Elder; also sometimes written as Callaina; also known as Kallait
CALLIGRAPHY STONE - a trade name for a type of Jasper with fossiliferous inclusions; also known as Mariam Stone, Script Stone & Sange Maryam
CANDY SPINEL - not actually a Spinel, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Almandine Garnet
CAPE EMERALD - not actually Emerald, but a misleading marketing name for Prehnite
CAPE MAY DIAMOND - a local name & misnomer for Clear Quartz pebbles from New Jersey, United States
CARBORUNDUM - not a genuine crystal, but a common name for a manmade material composed of silicon carbide, artificially produced as an industrial abrasive & sold as dark rainbow metallic 'specimens'
CARBUNCLE - an antiquated name referring to red stones in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts, now most often believed to be Carnelian, Almandine Garnet, or Red Zircon
CASTELLITE - a synonym for Titanite; also known as Sphene
CAT'S EYE - may refer to a luminous optical effect seen in certain types gemstones (also known as chatoyancy); or it may refer more specifically to a variety of Chrysoberyl; not to be confused with Tiger's Eye or the colourful manmade 'Cat's Eye' material (composed of synthetic glass fibres)
CERMIKITE - not a genuine crystal, but a common name for a manmade lab-created material composed of potassium aluminium sulphate, seen in a variety of colours & easily grown from a science kit; also referred to as Alum or Alunite (though not to be confused with the genuine mineral Alunite)
CEYLON DIAMOND - not actually Diamond, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for colourless Zircon
CEYLON OPAL - not actually Opal, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Moonstone from Sri Lanka
CHALYBITE - a synonym for Siderite
CHANDRAKANTA - a Hindi name and synonym for Moonstone (encompassing a variety of Feldspars), meaning 'wife of the moon'; also known as Chandra Kanta Moni
CHANGHUA STONE - a trade name a combination of Cinnabar, Dickite, & Quartz; also known as Chicken Blood Stone, or Balinyouqi Stone
CHERRY QUARTZ - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade glass with streaks of bright red colouring, often shaped into artificial points and spheres; sometimes also seen as Cinnabar Quartz or Strawberry Quartz (not to be confused with the trade name Strawberry Quartz used to describe a genuine combination of Quartz with flecks red Hematite inclusions); a blue version of this manmade glass is called Blueberry 'Quartz'
CHESSYLITE - a synonym for Azurite
CHICKEN BLOOD STONE - a trade name a combination of Cinnabar, Dickite, & Quartz; also known as Changhua Stone, or Balinyouqi Stone
CHINESE CHAROITE - not actually Charoite, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for banded purple Fluorite; also known as Amaranthine
CHINESE LARIMAR - not actually Larimar, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Blue Aragonite
CHINESE WRITING STONE - a trade name for a variety of Feldspar Porphyry
CHODCHOD - an ancient name for any one of several red precious or semi-precious stones, often believed to be Ruby, Carnelian or Jasper
CHRYSANTHEMUM STONE - a trade name for a variety of stone displaying flower-like patterns with variable composition on a contrasting dark matrix; the 'flowers' are commonly Celestine, Feldspar, or Aragonite
CHRYSOLITE - an ancient name that may refer to a few different types of gemstones, but most often regarded as a synonym for gem quality Olivine (Peridot); may differently appear as a synonym for Prehnite; also an ancient name for a variety of yellow-green stones first described by Pliny the Elder, now believed to refer to Chrysoberyl or Topaz; not to be confused with Chrysotile
CINNABRITE - a trade name for Cinnabar in Quartz
CINNAMON STONE - a trade name & synonym for Hessonite Garnet
CINNAZEZ - a trademarked name for Quartz & Cinnabar with inclusions of Zinc
CINTANAMI STONE - a trade name for a 'pseudotektite' variety of Obsidian; a synonym for Saffordite, Colombianite & Arizonaite
CIRCLE STONE - a trademarked name for a variety of Flint from southwest England
COLLAMACALCITE - a trademarked name for a combination of Malachite & Chrysocolla in a white matrix (possibly Calcite)
COLOMBIANITE - a trade name for a 'pseudotektite' variety of Obsidian; a synonym for Saffordite, Arizonaite & Cintanami Stone
COLORADO JADE - an outdated trade name & misleading misnomer for Amazonite from Pike's Peak, Colorado, USA
COMPASSION STONE - a trade name for a combination of Malachite, Chrysocolla & Quartz (often incorrectly sold as Ajoite); also known as Phoenix Stone or Phoenix Pine
COPPERNITE - a trade name for an Amphibole-rich mafic rock; commonly misidentified as Nuumite; also known as Galaxy Granite
CORNISH DIAMOND - a trade name & misnomer for Clear Quartz from Cornwall, England
COROMANDEL STONEWOOD - a trademarked name for Petrified Wood from New Zealand
CRACKLE QUARTZ - a trade name for an artificially enhanced variety of Quartz that has been heated to a very high temperature and then cooled quickly, or quench-crackled; the shock creates a network of fractures which can absorb various brightly coloured dyes; also known as Fire & Ice Quartz
CRANBERRY QUARTZ - a trademarked name Hematite included Quartz from Argentina; also known as Rose Amethyst or Pink Amethyst
CRADLE OF HUMANKIND - a trade name for a variety of grey Chalcedony from South Africa
CREATION STONE - a trademarked name for Agate from Queensland, Australia
CROCODILE STONE - a trade name for a volcanic Rhyolite (not a Stromatolite fossil as some have suggested); also known as Kambaba Stone, Nebula Stone, or Eldarite
CROSS STONE - a synonym for Chiastolite (a variety of Andalusite)
CROW'S COAL - a synonym for Anthracite
CSARITE - a trademarked name for Diaspore from Anatolia, Turkey; also known as Kayserite, Empholite, Tantarite & Zultanite
CUBIC ZIRCONIA - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade lab-grown material composed of zirconium dioxide, used in jewellery as a Diamond imitation or alternative; sometimes seen simply as 'CZ'; not to be confused with the genuine mineral Zircon
CUYUNITE - a trade name for a diverse range a of lapidary minerals from Minnesota, United States (most often varieties of Chalcedony, sometimes with Amphibole inclusions); also known as Binghamite or Silkstone
DALLASITE - a common name for a variety of brecciated Jasper with Epidote, Chlorite & Calcite from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
DALMATIAN JASPER - not actually a Jasper, but a trade name & misnomer for cream Feldspar with dark spots of Arfvedsonite
DARWIN GLASS - a variety of Impactite (Tektite) from Tasmania, Australia; also known as Darwinite
DESERT GLASS - a synonym for Libyan Gold Tektite, a variety of Impactite from Western Egypt
DESERT ROSE - a common name for a rose-type formation of Selenite, Baryte, or Celestine; also known as Gypsum Rose, or Sand Rose
DETROIT AGATE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade material composed of layers of automotive paint, resulting from the buildup of enamel in areas where cars were spray-painted; also known as Fordite or Rainbow Calsilica
DEVALITE - a trademarked name for a combination of Serpentine with grey Quartz
DIANITE - a synonym for Columbite; not to be confused with Dianite Jade
DIANITE JADE - not actually Jade, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for a blue Potassicrichterite Amphibole rock; also known as Siberian Blue Jade
DICHROITE - a synonym for Cordierite, also known as Iolite or Water Sapphire
DISTHENE - a synonym for Kyanite
DOLPHIN STONE - a trade name for Larimar (a variety of blue Pectolite)
DRAGON STONE - a trade name for Septarian nodules from Madagascar (Aragonite with Calcite); not to be confused with Dragonstone (Green Epidote with Red Piemontite)
DRAGON'S BLOOD - a trade name for Green Fuchsite with Red Jasper from Western Australia, sometimes known as Dragon's Blood Jasper
DRAGONSTONE - a trade name for Green Epidote with Red Piemontite from South Africa; not to be confused with Dragon Stone Septarian nodules
DREAM QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with misty, sage green inclusions of Epidote (often forming delicate phantoms within)
DYAMAUNT - an old Middle English name for Diamond
ECLIPSE STONE - not actually Jasper, but a trade name for banded Calcite with Pyrite & Realgar from West Java, Indonesia; also known as Bumblebee Jasper
EGLOPTALMOS - an ancient name for Orbicular Agate, as mentioned in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts
EGYPTIAN ALABASTER - a synonym for Calcite from Egypt
EGYPTILLIA - an ancient name for banded Agate, as mentioned by Pliny the Elder; also seen as Aegyptilla
EISENKIESEL - a synonym for Quartz with red Hematite inclusions; also known as Hematoid Quartz
ELAIT STONE - a trade name for a combination of blue-green copper minerals including Malachite, Azurite, Turquoise, & Chrysocolla; also known as King Solomon Stone
ELDARITE - a trade name for a volcanic Rhyolite (not a Stromatolite fossil as some have suggested); also known as Kambaba Stone, Crocodile Stone, or Nebula Stone
ELESTIAL ANGEL STONE - a trademarked name for white Calcite from south-western United States; also known by the misleading misnomer White Moldavite
ELESTIAL QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of Quartz growth form (usually seen in Smoky Quartz) composed of multiple small terminations with parallel rhombohedral faces, often creating an overall double terminated effect; crystal clusters may be particularly flat or elongated, sometimes with skeletal voids (and occasional enhydro inclusions); synonymous with Jacare Quartz and Alligator Quartz
EMA EGG - a name for a common artificially shaped crystal with one face polished (not 'river tumbled' as sometimes claimed) available in a variety of stone types including Rose Quartz, Clear Quartz, Amethyst, & Labradorite; also known as Ovo de Ema
EMERALDINE - not actually emerald, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for dyed green Chalcedony
EMERALDITE - not actually Emerald, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Green Tourmaline
EMERAUDE - an old Middle English name for Emerald
EMPHOLITE - a synonym for Diaspore, also known as Kayserite & Tanatarite
EMPOWERITE - a trademarked name for a variety of brown Chert
ENDURITE - a trademarked name for banded red Jasper with Hematite from India
ERZURUM STONE - a trade name for a variety of Jet found in eastern Turkey; also known as Oltu Stone
ESSONITE - an antiquated name for Hessonite Garnet, also known as Cinnamon Stone
EUPHORALITE - a trademarked name for a lithium Pegmatite rock composed of Mica, Tourmaline, & Quartz from South Dakota, USA
EVENING EMERALD - a marketing name & misleading misnomer for Peridot
EYELID OF VENUS - an ancient name for Amethyst, as mentioned by Pliny the Elder
FAIRY CROSS STONE - more commonly seen as a synonym for Staurolite, but may also sometimes refer to Chiastolite
FAIRY QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of Quartz growth form composed of large underlying Quartz points encrusted by a second generation of smaller druzy crystals on its prism faces; also known as Spirit Quartz, Cactus Quartz & Pineapple Quartz
FAIRY STONE - a synonym for a variety of Calcite concretion from Quebec, Canada; sometimes also known as Goddess Stone; not to be confused with Fairy Quartz
FALCON'S EYE - a trade name & synonym for Red Tiger's Eye (an artifically-treated variety of Quartz with Amphibole inclusions)
FEI CUI - a new preferred mineralogical name for Jadeite-Jade that encompasses Jadeite, Omphacite, & Kosmochlor varieties
FIRE & ICE QUARTZ - a trade name for an artificially enhanced variety of Quartz that has been heated to a very high temperature and then cooled quickly, or quench-crackled; the shock creates a network of fractures which can absorb various brightly coloured dyes; also known as Crackle Quartz
FIRE QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with red Hematite inclusions; also known as Hematoid Quartz
FIRE STONE - an old name for Iron Pyrite, as listed in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts
FLOWERSTONE - a name for Basalt Porphyry with contrasting Feldspar 'flower' formations from British Columbia, Canada; very similar to Chrysanthemum Stone; also known as Flower Porphyry or Starstone
FLUORO-SPAR - an antiquated name and synonym for Fluorite
FOOLS GOLD - not actually Gold, but a common name and misnomer for Iron Pyrite
FORDITE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade material composed of layers of automotive paint, resulting from the buildup of enamel in areas where cars were spray-painted; also known as Detroit Agate or Rainbow Calsilica
GAGATES - an ancient name for Jet, as listed in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts; also known by the misnomer Black Amber
GAHNITE - a synonym for Vesuvianite; also known as Idocrase
GAIA STONE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade material composed of bright green transparent glass said to contain ash particles from the Mount St. Helen's eruption; also known as Helenite or Green Obsidian
GALAXY GRANITE - not actually Granite, but a trade name & misnomer for an Amphibole-rich mafic rock; commonly misidentified as Nuummite; also known as Coppernite
GALAXYITE - a trade name for a type of micro-crystalline Labradorite; not to be confused with Galaxite (a variety of Spinel)
GEL LITHIUM SILICA - a trademarked name for a variety of dense lithian Muscovite
GEM SILICA - a trade name for a blue variety of Chalcedony with Copper inclusions; also known as Chrysocolla Chalcedony
GERMAN LAPIS - a misleading misnomer for Jasper dyed blue as a Lapis Lazuli simulant; also known as Swiss Lapis
GILSON OPAL - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade lab-created polymer material commonly sold as an Opal imitation
GIRASOL - a trade name for a milky opalescent Quartz with nano inclusions closely related to Dumortierite; also known as Moon Quartz, Opalized Quartz, or Metamorphosis Quartz
GLACIERITE - a trademarked name for an unknown blue & white mineral from Indonesia (possibly a sodium-aluminium oxide)
GODDESS STONE - a trade name for Menilite Opal; may also refer to a type of Calcite concretion from Quebec, Canada (also known as Fairy Stone)
GOLDEN CORACALCITE - a trademarked name for Calcite from Florida, USA
GOLDEN HEALER QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with Limonite (iron oxide) surface inclusions
GOLDEN LABRADORITE - a trade name and partial misnomer for Bytownite (a Plagioclase Feldspar closely related to Labradorite)
GOLDSTONE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade glass containing tiny glittering flecks of copper suspended in a coloured matrix; also seen in blue & green 'Goldstone' varieties; also known as Goldfluss
GRAPE AGATE - a trade name & partial misnomer for botryoidal Chalcedony (to be considered a true Agate a stone must display banding, which 'Grape Agate' does not); purple varieties are also sometimes known as Grape Amethyst
GREEN AMETHYST - not actually Amethyst, but a trade name & misnomer for Prasiolite (Green Quartz); not wholly synonymous with Prase, and not to be confused with Prasolite (a variety of Chlorite); also known as Vermarine
GREEN ANGEL DREAMSTONE - a trademarked name for Quartz with Hedenbergite inclusions from Inner Mongolia, China; also known as Qigong Quartz; not considered a synonym for Seriphos Quartz (with the same inclusions)
GREEN GOLDSTONE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade glass containing tiny glittering flecks of chromium oxide particles suspended in a coloured matrix; also seen in blue & copper coloured 'Goldstone' varieties
GREEN TARALITE - a trademarked name for a variety of green Andesite rock
GREENSTONE - a synonym for Nephrite Jade, Bowenite, or Serpentine from New Zealand; also known as Pounamu, or Kawakawa, Kahurangi, & Tangiwai more specifically; trademarked as New Zealand Greenstone
GUARDIANITE - a trademarked name for a variety of Nepheline Syenite rock
HAFNEFJORDITE - a synonym for Labradorite
HARLEQUIN QUARTZ - a trade name for a variety of Quartz with red Hematite inclusions (not Lepidocrocite as sometimes suggested); very similar to and sometimes considered synonymous with genuine Strawberry Quartz (though not to be confused with the manmade glass 'Strawberry Quartz')
HAWK'S EYE - a trade name & synonym for Blue Tiger's Eye (a member of the Quartz family with chatoyant Amphibole inclusions)
HEALER'S GOLD - a trade name for a combination of Pyrite & Marcasite from Arizona; also known as Apache Gold
HEALERITE - a trademarked name for light green Serpentine
HEARTENITE - a trademarked name for a variety of dark green Serpentine
HECATOLITE - a synonym for Moonstone (encompassing a variety of Feldspars)
HELIOTROPE - a synonym for Bloodstone (a form of Chalcedony mixed with Jasper)
HEMALYKE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade material composed of reconstituted iron oxide and used as a Hematite imitation; also known as Hematine or Hemalike
HERKIMER DIAMOND - not actually Diamond, but a common name and misnomer for an exceptionally clear variety of double terminated Quartz from Herkimer County, New York, USA; similar crystal formations from other localities may be considered 'Herkimer-like', but only crystals from Herkimer County are to be considered genuine Herkimer Diamonds
HILUTITE - a trade name for a combination of Quartz, Garnet, Zircon & Goethite
HIMALAYAN DIAMOND - not actually Diamond, but a trade name and misnomer for a 'Herkimer Diamond-style' double terminated Quartz found in Pakistan; also known as Pakimer Diamond
HOT SPRINGS DIAMOND - a local name & misnomer for Clear Quartz from Arkansas, USA
HYACINTH - a historical name used to refer to a yellowish-red stone in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts, most often believed to be Red Zircon; also known as Jacinth
ICE CREAM STONE - a trade name for Opalized Fluorite; also known as Tiffany Stone
ICE QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of growth-interference Quartz from Himachal Pradesh, India; also known as Nirvana Quartz
ICELAND SPAR - a synonym for optical Calcite; also known as the misnomer Viking Sunstone
IDOCRASE - a synonym for Vesuvianite; also known as Gahnite
ILLUMINITE - a trademarked name for black Quartz with white Calcite
INCA ROSE - a synonym for Rhodochrosite; also known as Raspberry Spar or Villaurite
INDIAN JADE - not actually Jade, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Aventurine
INDIGO LIGHT - a trademarked name for Quartz with Blue Tourmaline, Mica & other minerals from Brazil
INFINITE - a trade name for a variety of Serpentine from South Africa
INKALITE - a trademarked name for a variety of white Quartz from Peru
IOLITE - a synonym for gem grade Cordierite; also known as Dichroite or Water Sapphire
IRIS - an old name for Clear Quartz with rainbow inclusions as recorded by Roman historian Pliny the Elder; also trade names for Agate with natural rainbow iridescence from Indonesia & white Quartz with Brazil-law twinning from India
IRON ROSE - a synonym for Hematite in its platy 'rosette' habit
ISUA STONE - a trade name for an iron-rich Amphibole mineral from Greenland
JACINTH - an antiquated name used to refer to a yellowish-red stone in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts, most often believed to be Red Zircon; also known as Hyacinth
JADE - a common name referring to two distinct mineral types, Jadeite (a member of the Pyroxene group) and Nephrite (a member of the Amphibole group); Jadeite-Jade is now also more accurately known as Fei Cui
JADINE - a synonym for Chrysoprase
JALITE - a synonym for Hyalite Opal; also known as Mueller's Glass or Water Opal
JASPILITE - a trade name for a combination of Jasper & Hematite; also known as Banded Iron Formation
JAVANITE - a synonym for Indochinite (a variety of Impactite Tektite)
JENAKITE - a trade name for a variety of Nuummite from Mauritania; not to be confused with Galaxy Granite (commonly mis-identified as Nuummite)
JOURADO DIAMOND - a trade name for a colourless variety of Spinel
K2 STONE - a trade name for a combination of Granite with Azurite from K2 Mountain in Pakistan
KAHURANGI - a Maori name for a translucent & vivid green variety of Nephrite; also known more generally as Pounamu or New Zealand Greenstone
KALLAIT - a trade name & synonym for Turquoise, although it more often refers to Turquoise imitations (dyed Howlite or Magnesite); also sometimes spelled Kallaite; also known as Callais
KAMBABA STONE - a trade name for a volcanic Rhyolite (not a Stromatolite fossil as some have suggested); also known as Crocodile Stone, Nebula Stone, or Eldarite
KANSAS POP ROCKS - a trade name for fossilized Pyrite & Marcasite concretions from Kansas, USA; also known as Boji Stones
KAURILITE - a trademarked name for a sub-fossilized resin from the Kauri tree in New Zealand; also known as Kauri Copal
KAWAKAKA - a Maori name for a variety of Nephrite that comes in many shades with flecks & inclusions; also known more generally as Pounamu or New Zealand Greenstone
KAYSERITE - a synonym for Diaspore; also known as Csarite, Tantarite, Empholite & Zultanite
KIDNEY ORE - a synonym for Hematite, specifically in the botryoidal formation
KILLIECRANKIE DIAMOND - a trade name & misleading misnomer for colourless Topaz from Tazmania, Australia
KINRADITE - a trade name for a variety of orbicular Jasper from California, USA
KOREAN JADE - a trade name & misleading misnomer for any kind of Jade substitution, frequently Green Aventurine
KUNDALINI CRYSTAL - a trade name for a variety of Citrine from the Congo DRC
KURUVINDA - a Sanskrit word for Ruby-Sapphire; also known as Corundum
LABRADOR HORNBLENDE - a synonym for Hypersthene
LAKELANDITE - a trade name for a variety of Basalt with Bytownite phenocrysts from England
LANDSCAPE QUARTZ - a trade name for a variety of Quartz with mossy Chlorite inclusions (most often with pink or brown colours); also known as Lodolite, Shaman Dream Quartz, Shaman Quartz & Scenic Quartz
LAPIS - a Latin name commonly used as the short form for Lapis Lazuli; though it was also used to simply mean 'stone' throughout medieval lapidary texts (eg. Lapis Divinus for Nephrite, Lapis Jaspis for Jasper, Lapis Calaminaris for Smithsonite & Hemimorphite)
LAPIS LACE ONYX - a trade name for a combination of Scheelite, blue Dolomite & Calcite
LARIMAR - a trade name for blue Pectolite from the Dominican Republic; also known as Dolphin Stone, Atlantis Stone, or Stefilia's Stone
LASIONITE - a synonym for Wavellite
LASUR - a synonym for Azurite
LAVENDERITE - a trademarked name for Phosphoderite
LAVULITE - a synonym for Sugilite
LEAD CRYSTAL - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade glass made with lead and used in tableware or decorative objects; sometimes referred to simply as 'Crystal' (in the non-mineralogical sense); also known as Czech Crystal, Swarovski Crystal & Waterford Crystal
LEAVERITE - an old rockhounding joke for a stone that has no particular value or appeal, as in 'Leave it right there'; a phenomenon purely in the eye of the beholder!
LEHRITE - a trade name for a variety of Sunstone (Labradorite) from Oregon, USA
LEMON CHRYSOPRASE - not actually Chrysoprase, but a marketing name & misnomer for Nickel Magnesite; also known as Citron Chrysoprase
LEMURIAN AQUATINE - a trademarked name for a variety of banded blue Calcite from Argentina; also known by the marketing name & misnomer Blue Onyx
LEMURIAN MIST CRYSTAL - a trademarked name for misty low grade Quartz
LEMURIAN QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of Quartz growth form with deep horizontal striations (parallel ridges) running along the prism faces, with a shape that tapers slightly or more dramatically towards the termination; often these crystals will have a slightly frosted or matte appearance, and may have a slight tint of pink, orange, or gold colouration due to the presence of Hematite or Limonite; only those crystal found in Serra do Cabral, Minas Gerais, Brazil are considered true Lemurians; also known as Star Seed Quartz or Lemurian Seed Quartz
LILY PAD QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with small flat discs of Chlorite inclusions (possibly Seraphinite)
LITHIA EMERALD - an old name & misnomer for Hiddenite
LITHIUM LIGHT - a trademarked name for lithian Muscovite in Quartz
LITTLE FALLS DIAMOND - a synonym for Herkimer Diamond (a misnomer for double terminated Quartz from New York), also known as Middleville Diamond
LLANITE - a trade name for Rhyolite with blue Quartz phenocrysts from Texas, USA; very similar to (though not strictly a synonym of) Que Sera
LODESTONE - a common name & synonym for Magnetite
LODOLITE - a trade name for a variety of Quartz with mossy Chlorite inclusions (most often with pink or brown colours); also known as Scenic Quartz, Landscape Quartz, & Shaman Dream Quartz
LUNA - a medieval alchemical name for both the metal Silver as well as the moon
LUNAR ROSE - a trade name for a variety of smoky Girasol Quartz with rosy tint
LYNGURIUM - a mysterious stone described by ancient Roman philosophers as by the solidified urine of the lynx, a belief that was carried into the Middle Ages & perpetuated throughout medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts; historians now believe this stone to be Amber (or possibly Tourmaline); also known as Lynx Stone, Ligurium, or Ligurus
LYNX SAPPHIRE - a trade name & misleading misnomer for Iolite; also known as Cordierite
MADEIRA TOPAZ - not actually Topaz, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Citrine
MAGDALENA STONE - a trade name for a variety of knobbly Quartz with Hematite, Muscovite & Amphibole inclusions from Zambia; also known as Witch Finger Quartz
MAGNETIC HEMATITE - a trade name for an artificallyreconstituted combination of hematite & magnetite
MAGNIFIER QUARTZ - a trademarked name for Quartz with misty white inclusions from Madagascar
MALACHOLLA - a trade name for a combination of Malachite & Chrysocolla
MANIFEST LIGHT CRYSTALS - a trademarked name for a variety of Quartz with small flecks of Hematite inclusions
MARAMALITE - a trademarked name for a variety of Serpentine from New Zealand
MARIAM STONE - a trade name for a type of Jasper with fossiliferous inclusions; also known as Calligraphy Stone, Script Stone & Sange Maryam
MARSH ORE - an antiquated name & synonym for Limonite
MASTER SHAMANITE - a trademarked name for black Calcite
MATURA DIAMOND - a trade name & misleading misnomer for a colourless variety of Zircon
MAXIXE - a synonym for dark blue Aquamarine
MEDUSA QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with blue Gilalite inclusions; also known as Paraiba Quartz
MELINOSE - a synonym for Wulfenite
MELODY STONE - a trademarked name for a combination of Amethyst, Smoky Quartz, Clear Quartz, Cacoxenite, Lepidocrocite, Goethite & Rutile; also known as Super Seven, Sacred Seven & Agape Crystal
MERKABITE - a trademarked name for white Calcite from Kansas, USA
MERLINITE - a trade name for Dendritic Opal, also known as Dendritic Agate; not to be confused with a different trademarked name, Mystic Merlinite (a variety of Gabbro)
METAMORPHOSIS QUARTZ - a trade name for a milky opalescent Quartz with nano inclusions closely related to Dumortierite; also known as Girasol, Moon Quartz or Opalized Quartz
MEXICAN ONYX - a trade name & misnomer for banded Calcite from Mexico
MIDDLEVILLE DIAMOND - a synonym for Herkimer Diamond (a misnomer for double terminated Quartz from New York), also known as Little Falls Diamond
MIZZONITE - a synonym of Marialite (a variety of Scapolite)
MONARCH OPAL - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade lab-created material commonly sold as an Opal imitation
MONATOMIC ANDARA - not a genuine crystal, but a notorious scam for manmade coloured 'slag glass' or 'cullet glass' (used in landscaping & aquarium decoration) being sold as authentic natural crystals from the earth; also known as Andara Crystal
MONTANA RUBY - not actually Ruby, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Almandine Garnet
MOON QUARTZ - a trade name for a milky opalescent Quartz with nano inclusions closely related to Dumortierite; also known as Girasol, Metamorphosis Quartz or Opalized Quartz
MOONSTONE - a popular name used for a range of pearly opalescent Feldspar minerals (most often Orthoclase or Adularia, but may also refer to other types of Microcline, Plagioclase & Sanidine); alternately known as Chandrakanta, Hecatolite & Astrion; also an old name for Selenite as described in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts; the manmade glass Opalite is sometimes erroneously sold as Moonstone
MOQUI MARBLES - a trade name for sedimentary concretions of Hematite, Limonite & Goethite from Utah; also known as Shaman Stones; not to be confused with Boji Stones
MORION - a common name for very dark, almost black naturally-occurring Smoky Quartz (not the artificially irradiated variety)
MOUNTAIN GREEN - a synonym for Malachite
MTOROLITE - a trade name for a variety of chromium-rich Chalcedony; also known as Chiquitanita
MUELLER'S GLASS - a synonym & misnomer for Hyalite Opal; also known as Jalite or Water Opal
MUGGLESTONE - a trade name for a combination of Red Jasper, Tiger's Eye & Hematite; also known as Tiger Iron
MUNDIC - a Cornish name for Iron Pyrite; alternately, a name used for Copper ore in the 17th century in southwest England
MURRHINE - an ancient name used by Pliny the Elder to describe a soft ornamental stone with colours of purple and white, now believed to be banded Fluorite
MYSTIC MERLININTE - a trademarked name for a dark indigo coloured Gabbro, an intrusive igneous rock
NEBULA STONE - a trademarked name for a variety of volcanic Rhyolite; initially believed to be distinct from Kambaba Stone, but now both are considered accepted forms of Eldarite
NERCHINSK AQUAMARINE - a trade name & misleading misnomer for blue Topaz from Russia
NEW JADE - not truly Jade, but a trade name & misnomer for Bowenite (a variety of Antigorite-Serpentine); also known as Suzhou Jade, or Tangiwai in Maori
NIGHT BRIGHT PEARL - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade ceramic material artificially doped with rare earth elements so that it phosphoresces; also known as Ye Ming Zhu
NIRVANA QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of growth-interference Quartz from Himachal Pradesh, India; also known as Ice Quartz
NUNDERITE - a trade name for a type of Aegirine-Syenite from New South Wales, Australia; also more accurately spelled Nundorite
NZURI MOYO - a trade name for a combination of Rhodonite & Clinozoisite from Namibia
OCCIDENTAL TURQUOISE - a trade name & misnomer for Odontolite (fossil bone) containing microcrystalline blue Apatite; also known as Bone Turquoise
OCEAN BERYL - a trade name for Aquamarine
OCEAN JASPER - a trade name for a variety of silicified orbicular Rhyolite from Madagascar
OLTU STONE - a trade name for a variety of Jet found in eastern Turkey; also known as Erzurum Stone
OOGULITE - a trademarked name for botryoidal Chalcedony nodules from North Africa
OPAL ESSENCE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade silicate glass used as an Opal imitation in the early-mid 20th century; also known as Slocum Opal or Slocum Stone
OPALITE - not a genuine crystal, but a luminous manmade glass commonly sold as Moonstone or Opal imitation
OPTHALAMUS - an antiquated name for Opal, as described in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts
OREGON JADE - a trade name & misleading misnomer for green Jasper
OURO VERDE QUARTZ - a trade name for an artificially-treated Quartz that has been heated & irradiated to produce a citrus green colour
PAKIMER DIAMOND - not actually Diamond, but a trade name & misnomer for a 'Herkimer-style' double terminated Quartz from Pakistan; also known as Pakimer or Himalayan Diamond; not to be confused with genuine Herkimer Diamonds from Herkimer County, NY, USA
PAKULITE - a trademarked name for a variety of Rhyolite
PEACOCK ORE - a common name & synonym for Bornite (however much of the bright 'Peacock Ore' on the market is actually acid-treated Chalcopyrite)
PECOS DIAMOND - not actually Diamond, but a trade name & misnomer for a peach coloured variety of double terminated Quartz from New Mexico, USA
PAEDEROS - a old name from Ancient Greece meaning 'precious stone' (or 'favourite'), used by Pliny the Elder to describe sky blue & purple stones; now most often thought to refer to Opal or Amethyst
PAPAYA QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with red-orange Amphibole inclusions; also known as Angel Phantom Quartz, or Rabbit Hair Quartz if the inclusions are delicately & ubiquitously dispersed
PARAIBA QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with blue Gilalite inclusions; also known as Medusa Quartz
PETOSKEY STONE - a common name for fossilized rugose Coral
PETSCHITE - a trade name for a variety of Scapolite from Tanzania
PHOENIX PINE - a trade name for a combination of Malachite, Chrysocolla & Quartz (often incorrectly sold as Ajoite); also known as Phoenix Stone or Compassion Stone
PICASSO JASPER - not actually a Jasper, but a trade name for a variety of metamorphosed Limestone
PIETERSITE - a trade name for a variety of brecciated Tiger's Eye, Hawk's Eye & Quartz-Chalcedony
PINEAPPLE QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of Quartz growth form composed of large underlying Quartz points encrusted by a second generation of smaller druzy crystals on its prism faces; also known as Spirit Quartz, Fairy Quartz & Cactus Quartz
PINK AMETHYST - not actually Amethyst, but a marketing name & misnomer for Hematite included Quartz from Argentina; also known as Rose Amethyst or Cranberry Quartz
PINK LAZURINE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade lab-grown pink Quartz simulant; similar to Siberian Blue Quartz
PLASMA - a name for a microfibrous variety of green Chalcedony; also an old name for opaque milky Quartz, as mentioned in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts
POLARITY MOONSTONE - a trade name for white Feldspar with green-brown Apatite inclusions
POTATO STONE - a local name for small rounded geodes composed of Quartz & Calcite from Somerset, England; also known as Mendip Potato Stone
POUNAMU - a name for a stone highly valued in Maori culture, classified by colour and appearance which may include Nephrite, Bowenite, and Serpentine; also known as New Zealand Greenstone, or Kawakawa, Kahurangi, & Tangiwai more specifically
PRASE - not a specific mineral type, but rather a colour descriptor for both micro- and macro-crystalline green Quartz varieties (including some Jaspers); not strictly synonymous with Prasiolite; not to be confused with Prasolite (a variety of light green Chlorite)
PRESELI BLUESTONE - a synonym for Preseli Spotted Dolerite, an igneous rock from South Wales used in the construction of Stonehenge; also referred to as Bluestone or Stonehenge Bluestone
PRIMALITE - a trademarked name for a variety of Quartz with dark green Clinochlore inclusions
PROPHECY STONE - a trade name for pseudomorphic Limonite after Pyrite from Egypt
PUDDINGSTONE - a trade & folkloric name for Conglomerate composed of rounded pebbles of Flint from Hertfordshire, England; also known as Plum Pudding Stone or Christmas Pudding Stone
PURPLE ANGELINE - a trademarked name for a combination of Amethyst, Smoky Quartz & Cacoxenite
QIGONG QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with Hedenbergite inclusions from Inner Mongolia, China; also known as Qigong Heart & Spirit Quartz, or Green Angel Dreamstone
QUANTUM QUATTRO SILICA - a trademarked name for a combination of Chrysocolla, Shattuckite, Malachite, Dioptase & Smoky Quartz from Namibia
QUE SERA - a trade name for Rhyolite with blue Quartz phenocrysts from Brazil; very similar to (though not strictly a synonym of) Llanite
RAINBOW CALSILICA - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade material composed of layers of automotive paint, resulting from the buildup of enamel in areas where cars were spray-painted; also known as Fordite or Detroit Agate
RAINBOW MAYANITE - a trademarked name for Quartz with surface deposits of rainbow Limonite & Turgite
RAINBOW MOONSTONE - a common trade name for white Plagioclase Feldspar with blue schiller; more accurately known as White Labradorite
RASPBERRY SPAR - a synonym for Rhodochrosite
RATHBUNITE - a trademarked name for a variety of banded Jasper
RED LEAD - a synonym for Crocoite
REGALITE - a trade name for an artificially dyed matrix material (possibly Magnesite) available in many bright colours, often shaped into beads; also seen as Imperial Jasper (not to be confused with the genuine variety) or Sea Sediment Jasper
REINDEER STONE - a trade name & synonym for Tugtupite
RESINITE - a synonym for Amber that occurs in coal seams; also known as Ambrite in New Zealand
REVELATION STONE - a trademarked name for a variety of mixed brown & red coloured Japer
RHINESTONE - an old name for any kind of gemstone imitation (may be plastic, resin, or glass); originally referred to Rock Crystal gathered from the banks of the Rhine River
ROCK CRYSTAL - a traditional name & synonym for water-clear crystalline Quartz
ROCK SALT - a common name & synonym for Halite
ROSE AMETHYST - not actually Amethyst, but a marketing name & misnomer for Hematite included Quartz from Argentina; also known as Pink Amethyst or Cranberry Quartz
ROSE DE FRANCE - a trade name for light lavender coloured Amethyst
ROSEALINE - a synonym for Thulite
ROSOPHIA - a trademarked name for red-pink Granite
ROYAL AZEL - a trade name & synonym for Sugilite
RUBY COPPER - not actually Ruby, but a partial misnomer & synonym for Cuprite
RUBY SULPHUR - not actually Ruby, but an old misnomer & synonym for Realgar; also known as Ruby Arsenic or Red Orpiment
SACRED SEVEN - a trademarked name for a combination of Amethyst, Smoky Quartz, Clear Quartz, Cacoxenite, Lepidocrocite, Goethite & Rutile; also known as Super Seven, Melody Stone & Agape Crystal
SAFFORDITE - a trade name for a 'pseudotektite' variety of Obsidian; a synonym for Arizonaite, Colombianite & Cintanami Stone
SAND ROSE - a trade name for a rose-type formation of Selenite, Baryte, or Celestine; also known as Gypsum Rose, or Desert Rose
SANDARAC - a historical name & synonym for Realgar
SANGE MARYAM - a trade name for a type of Jasper with fossiliferous inclusions; also known as Mariam Stone, Script Stone & Calligraphy Stone
SANGUINE - an antiquated name & synonym for Hematite
SARD - an old medieval name for red Chalcedony; a term often used interchangeably with Carnelian (though Sard is variously described as darker and harder); not generally considered synonymous with Sardonyx (red banded Onyx), though the two are closely related; also known historically as Sardine
SATIN SPAR - a common name & synonym for Selenite
SATYA MANI - a trademarked name for a variety of milky white Quartz from India
SAURALITE - a trademarked name for white Quartz from New Zealand
SCENIC QUARTZ - a trade name for a variety of Quartz with mossy Chlorite inclusions (most often with pink or brown colours); also known as Lodolite, Shaman Dream Quartz, Shaman Quartz & Landscape Quartz
SCOTCH PEBBLE - a local name for rounded Quartzite stones from Perthshire, Scotland; also known as Scottish Agate
SCRIPT STONE - a trade name for a type of Jasper with fossiliferous inclusions; also known as Mariam Stone, Calligraphy Stone & Sange Maryam
SEDONALITE - a trademarked name for Sandstone concretions from Arizona, USA
STEFILIA'S STONE - a synonym for Larimar (a variety of blue Pectolite)
SERAPHINITE - a common trade name for a variety of Clinochlore (Chlorite group) from Irkutsk Oblast, Russia; also known as Serafina
SERPENT'S TONGUE - an old name for Megalodon fossil teeth, as described in medieval Materia Medica lapidary texts
SHAH MAGHSOUD - a trade name for a variety of Serpentine from Afghanistan
SHAMAN QUARTZ - a trade name for a variety of Quartz with mossy Chlorite inclusions (most often with pink or brown colours); also known as Lodolite, Shaman Dream Quartz, Scenic Quartz & Landscape Quartz
SHAMAN STONES - a a trade name for sedimentary concretions of Hematite, Limonite & Goethite from Utah; also known as Moqui Marbles; not to be confused with Shaman Quartz
SHANTILITE - a trademarked name for grey Agate from Madagascar
SHIVA LINGAM - a Sanskrit name for an ellipsoid stone symbolic of cosmic mystery and the creative life essence; the name refers to the particular ovoid shape of the stone rather than a specific crystal type; traditional Shiva Lingams shaped from a variety of Jasper found along the Naramada River in India are known as Banalinga
SIBERIAN BLUE JADE - not actually Jade, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for a blue Potassicrichterite Amphibole rock; also known as Dianite Jade
SIBERIAN BLUE QUARTZ - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade lab-grown Quartz simulant; similar to Pink Lazurine
SIBERIAN RUBY - not actually Ruby, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Red Tourmaline
SIEBER AGATE - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade 'slag glass' of a dark blue colour produced as a byproduct of iron smelting in Bad Lauterberg, Germany in the late 18th century (not 1400 years ago as previously suggested); also known as Sieberachat or Bodeachat
SILKSTONE - a trade name for a diverse range a of lapidary minerals from Minnesota, United States (most often varieties of Chalcedony, sometimes with Amphibole inclusions); also known as Binghamite or Cuyunite
SLOUCUM OPAL - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade silicate glass used as an Opal imitation in the early-mid 20th century; also known as Opal Essence or Slocum Stone
SMARAGDUS - an ancient name for an unknown variety of green stone as mentioned by Pliny the Elder in Natural History; now believed to refer to Peridot or Emerald
SMOKY TOPAZ - not actually Topaz, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Smoky Quartz
SOLSTICE STONES - a folk name for ancient megalithic structures aligned to the mid-summer or mid-winter sunrise; also the name for a delightful shop where you can buy beautiful, ethical crystals!
SONORA SUNRISE - a trade name for a combination of Chrysocolla & Cuprite from Mexico
SORCERER'S STONE - a trade name for Nuummite; not to be confused with Galaxy Granite (commonly mis-identified as Nuummite)
SPARTALITE - a synonym for Zincite; also known as Sterlingite
SPECTROLITE - a trade name for a variety of Labradorite with exceptional schiller from Finland
SPHENE - a synonym for Titanite; also known as Castellite
SPIRALITE - a trademarked name for a variety of druzy Fossil Shell
SPIRIT QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of Quartz growth form composed of large underlying Quartz points encrusted by a second generation of smaller druzy crystals on its prism faces; also known as Cactus Quartz, Fairy Quartz & Pineapple Quartz
STAR SEED QUARTZ - a trade name for a type of Quartz growth form with deep horizontal striations (parallel ridges) running along the prism faces, with a shape that tapers slightly or more dramatically towards the termination; often these crystals will have a slightly frosted or matte appearance, and may have a slight tint of pink, orange, or gold colouration due to the presence of Hematite or Limonite; also more often known as Lemurian Quartz; only those crystal found in Serra do Cabral, Minas Gerais, Brazil are considered true Lemurians
STARBURST QUARTZ - a trade name for growth interference Quartz from Diamantina, Brazil
STARLITE - a trade name & synonym for Blue Zircon
STELLAR BEAM - a trade name & synonym for Dogtooth Calcite
STERLINGITE - a synonym for Zincite; also known as Spartalite
STONE OF LIFE - a trade name for banded Chrysotile Serpentine
STRAWBERRY QUARTZ - a trade name for a genuine variety of Quartz with scattered Hematite inclusions; sometimes considered synonymous with Harlequin Quartz; very similar to red Aventurine (though Strawberry Quartz is crystalline in formation, not massive); also occasionally seen as a synonym for artificially created 'Cherry Quartz' (a manmade glass)
SUCCINITE - a synonym for Baltic Amber
SUNSET GOLD - a trademarked name for a variety of golden Selenite
SUPER SEVEN - a trademarked name for a combination of Amethyst, Smoky Quartz, Clear Quartz, Cacoxenite, Lepidocrocite, Goethite & Rutile; also known as Sacred Seven, Melody Stone & Agape Crystal
SUZHOU JADE - not truly Jade, but a trade name & misnomer for Bowenite (a variety of Antigorite-Serpentine); also known as New Jade or Tangiwai in Maori
SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL - not a genuine crystal, but a trademarked name for a manmade lead glass used in tableware and decorative objects; sometimes referred to simply as 'Crystal' (in the non-mineralogical sense) or Lead Crystal; similar to Czech Crystal & Waterford Crystal
SWISS LAPIS - a misleading misnomer for Jasper dyed blue as a Lapis Lazuli simulant; also known as German Lapis
SYNERGITE - a trademarked name for Amethyst with Cacoxenite inclusions
TANGANYIKA ARTSTONE - a trade name & synonym for a combination of Ruby, Pargasite & green Zoisite; also known as Anyolite, or more commonly as Ruby in Zoisite
TANGERINE QUARTZ - a trade name for Quartz with a natural orange tint due to surface deposits of Hematite
TANGIWAI - a Maori name for a variety of Bowenite; also known more generally as Pounamu or New Zealand Greenstone
TANATARITE - a synonym for Diaspore, also known as Kayserite & Empholite
TANZANITE - a common trade name for blue Zoisite from Tanzania
TASHMARINE - a trade name for a variety of Dioptase with iron inclusions
TEMPEST STONE - a trade name & synonym for Pietersite
TERRALUMINITE - a trademarked name for a variety of peach Granite
THUNDER EGG - a common name for a rough spherical rock with internal cracks & cavities filled in with Chalcedony, Opal, or Agate
TIFFANY STONE - a trade name & synonym for Opalized Fluorite; also known as Ice Cream Stone
TIGER IRON - a trade name for a combination of red Jasper, Tiger's Eye, & Hematite; also known as Mugglestone
TIGER'S EYE - a common trade name for a metamorphic variety of Quartz with altered Amphibole inclusions & 'cat's eye' chatoyancy
TOAD STONE - an old name for the fossilized tooth plate of an extinct fish; used as a protective amulet from the Middle Ages through recent times, as mentioned in Materia Medica lapidary texts; also known as Bufonite
TRANSMUTITE - a trademarked name for Petrified Wood from Nevada, USA
TRANSVAAL JADE - not actually Jade, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Grossular Garnet
TRYSTINE - a synonym for Ametrine; also known as Bolivianite
TRULITE SILICA - a trademarked name for green Jasper from South Africa
TURKEY FAT - an antiquated name & synonym for Smithsonite
TURQUENITE - a misleading trade name for artificially dyed Howlite or Magnesite sold as imitation Turquoise
TV STONE - a trade name & synonym for Ulexite
VENUS - a medieval alchemical name for Copper
VENUS HAIR - a synonym for Rutilated Quartz; also known as Angel Hair Quartz
VERDITE - a trade name for Fuchsite with inclusions
VERMARINE - a trade name & synonym for Prasiolite; also known as Green Amethyst
VICTORITE - a synonym for Enstatite; also, a trademarked name for combination of Quartz, Muscovite, & Spinel from India
VIKING SUNSTONE - not actually Sunstone in a true mineral sense, but a fabled stone used as a navigation instrument by seafaring Vikings; now believed to be Optical Calcite (Iceland Spar), or possibly Iolite
VITALITE - a trademarked name for a combination of Quartz, Muscovite & Piemontite Schist from New Zealand; also known as Aroha Stone
VLTAVIN - a synonym for Moldavite
VORTEXITE - a trademarked name for a variety of red Rhyolite
WATER OPAL - a synonym for Hyalite Opal; also known as Mueller's Glass or Jalite
WATER SAPPHIRE - not actually Sapphire, but a common marketing name & misnomer for Iolite; also known as gem Cordierite or Dichroite
WHITE GARNET - not actually Garnet, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Leucite (a member of the Feldspathoid group)
WHITE LABRADORITE - a synonym for Rainbow Moonstone (a variety of Plagioclase Feldspar)
WHITE MOLDAVITE - not actually Moldavite, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for white Calcite; also known as Elestial Angel Stone
WITCH FINGER - a trade name for a variety of knobbly Quartz with Hematite, Muscovite & Amphibole inclusions from Zambia; also known as Witch Finger Quartz
WONDERSTONE - a trade name for silicified Rhyolite (sometimes also known as Rainforest Jasper)
YE MING ZHU - not a genuine crystal, but a trade name for a manmade ceramic material artificially doped with rare earth elements so that it phosphoresces; also known as Yeh Ming Jhu or Night Bright Pearl
YENITE - a synonym for Ilvaite
YOOPERLITE - a trademarked name for fluorescent Syenite rocks with Sodalite inclusions from Michigan, USA
YOUNGITE - a trade name for a variety of brecciated Jasper with druzy Chalcedony from Wyoming, USA
UPALA STONE - a synonym for Opal
URAL SAPPHIRE - not actually Sapphire, but a misleading marketing name & misnomer for Blue Tourmaline
UTAHLITE - a synonym for Variscite; also known as Amatrix ('American Matrix')
Z STONE - a trademarked name for pseudomorphic Limonite & Hematite after Marcasite
ZARINITE - a trade name for a copper-rich Gossan (oxidized ferruginous rock) from Russia
ZEBRA STONE - a trade name for a variety of striped Jasper from Western Australia
ZINC SPAR - an antiquated name & synonym for Smithsonite
ZINCBLENDE - a synonym for Sphalerite
ZULTANITE - a trademarked name for Diaspore from Anatolia, Turkey; also known as Kayserite, Empholite, Tantarite & Csarite
Original article by Michelle Cunningham of Solstice
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