Category Crystals

A clear guide to dumortierite: what the mineral is, why it looks blue or violet, how it appears in quartz, meanings, care and how to tell it from sodalite or dyed stones.

A guide to pietersite: what it is, how it relates to tiger's eye, color varieties, meanings, care tips and how to spot glass or mislabeled chatoyant stones.

A clear guide to serpentine gemstones: what the mineral group is, how it relates to jade look-alikes, common colors, meanings, care tips, asbestos safety notes for rough material and how to spot mislabeled stones.

Everything to know about chalcedony: what it is, how it relates to agate and jasper, common colors and varieties, meanings people attach to it, care tips and how to spot dyed or glass imitations.

A clear guide to aquamarine: what it is made of, why it is blue, where it is mined, the meanings people attach to it, heat treatment, care tips and how to tell natural stones from glass and look-alikes.

A guide to natural zircon, the sparkling December birthstone that is also Earth's oldest dated mineral: what it is made of, its colors, heat treatment, where it comes from, how to care for it and how it differs from cubic zirconia.

A guide to angelite, the soft blue-violet variety of anhydrite: what it is made of, how soft it is, where it comes from, the meanings people attach to it, why it should stay dry and how to tell it from dyed howlite and other imitations.

A guide to danburite, the clear, glassy crystal named for Danbury, Connecticut: what it is made of, how hard it is, the colors and sources, the meanings people give it, how to clean it and how to tell it from quartz and glass.

A guide to rutilated quartz, clear quartz threaded with golden needles of rutile: what it is made of, how the needles form, where it is found, the meanings people attach to it, how to care for it and how to tell a real stone from glass.

Everything to know about alexandrite, the color-change gem: what it is made of, why it shifts from green to red, where it is found, the meanings people attach to it, lab-grown and imitation stones, and how to clean and store it.