Gemstone misnomers.

The gentle art of encouraging jewellery
buyers to part with their hard earned cash has given rise to the
coining of many terms to romance rocks, splendour stones, glamourise
gems and merchandise minerals. I have collected some of these
deceptive, misleading, trade and marketing names for your amusement.
Please note that Trade names are not misnomers unless used without the
qualifying description. For instance Chatham Emerald is a misnomer,
Chatham Created Emerald is the correct description of this material

This list has been assembled from various sources
and is by no means definitive, complete nor accurate and is presented
for entertainment purposes only.


[ A ] [ B ] [ C ] [ D ] [ E ] [ F ] [ G ] [ H ][ I ] [ J ] [ K ] [ L ] [ M ] [ N ][ O ][ P ][ Q ] [ R ] [ S ][ T ][ U ][ V ][ W ][ X ][ Y ] [ Z ]


A
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yellow green moss AGATE


- amberine -

treated ARAGONITE

- calcentine -

- mexican agate -

AMMOLITE

- korite -

ANDALUSITE

- feldspar-apyre -

- brazilian tourmaline -

AZURITE

- blue malachite -

- copper lapis -


B
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chatoyant BASTITE

- californian tiger-eye -

BILLITONITE

- fire pearl -

BOWENITE

- new jade -

- soochow jade -


C
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stalagmitic CALCITE

- alabaster onyx -

banded CALCITE

- brazilian onyx -

- mexican onyx -

satin spar CALCITE bead

- atlas pearl -

green dyed CALCITE

- imperial mexican jade -

blue dyed CHALCEDONY

- blue moonstone -

- californian moonstone -

pink dyed CHALCEDONY

- carneol -

green dyed CHALCEDONY

- chrysophrase -

- emeraldine -

- green onyx -

red dyed CHALCEDONY

- coralline -

CHLORASTROLITE

- green stone -

CHRYSOBERYL

- chrysolite -

- oriental chrysolite -

CHRYSOPRASE

- jadine -

clear synthetic CORUNDUM

- diamondite -

- diamonette -

- diamonflame -

- vega gem -

- vespa gem -

- zircolite -

colour change synthetic CORUNDUM

- alexandrine -

light green synthetic CORUNDUM

- amaryl -

pink synthetic CORUNDUM

- damburite -

- rose kunzite -

- scientific topaz -

yellow synthetic CORUNDUM

- danburite -

brown synthetic CORUNDUM

- palmeira topaz -

red violet synthetic CORUNDUM

- ultralite -

red synthetic CORUNDUM

- ramaura ruby -

- chatham ruby -

- gilson ruby -

- inamori ruby -

- zerfass ruby -

- kashan ruby -

- kyocera ruby -

blue green synthetic CORUNDUM

- zirctone -

asterated synthetic CORUNDUM

- linde star sapphire -

clear synthetic CORUNDUM/STRONTIUM TITANATE doublet

- amourant -

- laser gem -


D
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DIOPTASE

- congo emerald -

- copper emerald -

- emerald malachite -

- emerauldine -

massive Vermont DOLOMITE

- champlain marble -



E
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synthetic EMERALD

- chatham emerald -

- gilson emerald -

- crescent vert emerald -

- lechleitner emerald -

- lennix emerald -

- linde emerald -

- nacken emerald -

- regency emerald -

- sturmlechner emerald -

- symerald -

ENSTATITE

- green garnet -



F
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green microcline amazonite FELDSPAR

- amazon jade -

- colorado jade -

green plagioclase FELDSPAR

- andesine jade -

black plagioclase labradorite FELDSPAR

- black moonstone -

orthoclase moonstone FELDSPAR

- ceylon opal -

calcic labradorite FELDSPAR Oregon sunstone

yellow FLUORITE

- false topaz -

green FLUORITE

- african emerald -

- emerald matrix -

- false emerald -

- green quartz -

- pyroemerald -

purple FLUORITE

- false amethyst -



G
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yellow andradite GARNET

- topazolite -

almandine GARNET

- adelaide ruby -

- alabandine ruby -

- american ruby -

- australian ruby -

demantoid GARNET

- imperial emerald -

- olivene -

- siberian chrysolite -

- ural emerald -

- uralian emerald -

green grossular GARNET

- african jade -

- transvaal jade -

- garnet jade -

colour change GARNET

- alexandrite garnet -

new jersey apricot GARNET

- apricotine -

pyrope GARNET

- arizona ruby -

- arizona spinel -

- bohemian ruby -

- californian ruby -

- cape ruby -

- colorado ruby -

- elie ruby -

- montana ruby -

- mountain ruby -

- rock ruby -

synthetic YTTRIUM ALUMINIUM GARNET

- cirolite -

- diamanite -

- diamite -

- diamogem -

- diamonair -

- diamon-brite -

- diamone -

- diamonique 1 -

- diamonte -

- di’ yag -

- linde diamond -

- triamond -

- yttro garnet -

synthetic GADOLINIUM GALLIUM GARNET

- diamonique II -

- galliant -

GLASS

- falun brilliants -

foil backed GLASS

- baroda gem -

wax filled GLASS beads

- bourguignon pearls -

green coloured GLASS

- electric emerald -

- endura emerald -

- ferrer’s emerald -

- ferros emerald -

- medina emerald -

- smaragdolin -

GLASS coloured by the sun

- desert amethyst -

fused parallel GLASS fibres

- cathay cats-eye -

- catseyte -



H
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HAEMATITE

- alaska black diamond -




top

green IDOCRASE

- american jade -

- californian jade -

- italian chrysolite -

- vesuvianite jade -

- volcanic chrysolite -

IOLITE,cordierite,dichroite

- lux sapphire -

- lynx sapphire -

- water sapphire -

- spanish lazulite -



J
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JADEITE

- burma jade -

- yu jade -

- lat yay jade -

- yunnan jade -

black JADEITE

- kyauk ame jade -

white JADEITE

- kyauk atha jade -

- pantha jade -

green JADEITE

- imperial jade -

- mya yay jade -

blue green JADEITE

- kingfisher jade -

red JADEITE

- man yu jade -

yellow JADEITE

- kan huang jade -

JADEITE-ALBITE FELDSPAR

- maw sit sit jade -

JASPER

- jasper jade -

- mother of emerald -

- swiss jade -

blue dyed JASPER

- false lapis -

- swiss lapis -

- german lapis -

JET

- black amber -

K

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L
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LAPIS LAZULI

- gold sapphire -

LAZULITE

- blue opal -

- false lapis -

synthetic LITHIUM NIOBATE

- astrilite -

- linobate -

synthetic LITHIUM TANTALATE

- tantalite -



M
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MALACHITE

- silver peak jade -

MOLDAVITE

- bohemian chrysolite -

- bottlestone -

- false chrysolite -

- water chrysolite -



N
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NEPHRITE

- bc jade -

- maori stone -



O
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OBSIDIAN

- glass agate -

- iceland agate -

- mountain jet -

- nevada black diamond -

- nevada topaz -

- tokay lux sapphire -

ODONTOLITE

- fossil turquoise -

- ivory turquoise -

- occidental turquoise -

OPAL

- fire jade -

synthetic OPAL

- slocum stone -

- gilson opal -



P
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PECTOLITE

- alaskan jade -

synthetic PERICLASE

- lavernite -

PERIDOT

- bastard emerald -

- evening emerald -

- chrysolite -

- night emerald -

cellulose wood POLYMER

- avory -

amber coloured POLYMER

- bernat -

- catalin -

PREHNITE

- cape emerald -

- cape chrysolite -

PSEUDOPHITE

- styrian jade -

PYRITES

- alpine diamond -

- fool’s gold -



Q
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red aventurine QUARTZ

- sinopal -

aventurine QUARTZ

- colorado goldstone -

green dyed aventurine QUARTZ

- indian jade -

clear crystal QUARTZ

- alaskan diamond -

- alancon diamond -

- arabian diamond -

- arkansas diamond -

- baffa diamond -

- bohemian diamond -

- brazilian diamond -

- dauphine diamond -

- false diamond -

- hawaiian diamond -

- herkimer diamond -

- irish diamond -

- occidental diamond -

- pecos diamond -

- quebec diamond -

- rhine diamond -

- zabeltitzten diamond -

rose QUARTZ

- american ruby -

- mont blanc ruby -

smoky QUARTZ

- colorado diamond -

- radium diamond -

- scotch topaz -

- cairngorm -

- smoky topaz -

new jersey apricot QUARTZ

- apricotine -

purple amethyst QUARTZ

- bishop’s stone -

yellow citrine QUARTZ

- bohemian topaz -

- colorado topaz -

- madeira topaz -

- false topaz -

- gold topaz -

- occidental topaz -

- palmyra topaz -

- quartz topaz -

green QUARTZ

- gibsonville emerald -

- indian emerald -

- peridene -

blue QUARTZ

- safirina -



R
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synthetic RUTILE

- astryl -

- capra gem -

- damonite -

- diamonite -

- diamothyst -

- gava gem -

- jarra gem -

- java gem -

- johannes gem -

- lusterite -

- miridis -

- rainbow gem -

- rainbow diamond -

- rainbow magic diamond -

- star tania -

- tania 59 -

- tirum gem -

- titan gem -

- titania -

- titania brilliante-

- titania midnight stone -

- titanium -

- titanium rutile -

- titan stone -

- zaba gem -



S
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light yellow to clear SAPPHIRE

- arabian magic diamond -

colour change SAPPHIRE

- blue alexandrite -

blue SAPPHIRE

- oriental aqua -

violet SAPPHIRE

- oriental amethyst -

yellow SAPPHIRE

- indian topaz -

- oriental chrysoberyl -

- oriental chrysolite -

- oriental topaz -

green SAPPHIRE

- oriental emerald -

brown SAPPHIRE

- adamantine spar -

yellow star SAPPHIRE

- star topaz -

yellow chatoyant SAPPHIRE

- topaz cat’s eye -

SAUSSURITE

- jade tenace -

pink chatoyant SCAPOLITE

- pink moonstone -

- rose moonstone -

SERPENTINE

- korea jade -

- yu yen stone -

SEA SNAIL bead

- antilles pearl -

blue SMITHSONITE

- azurite -

blue SPINEL

- safirina -

- sapphirine -

- sapphire spinel -

yellow orange SPINEL

- rubicelle -

purple SPINEL

- almandine spinel -

- bengal amethyst -

red SPINEL

- balas ruby -

- pomegranate ruby -

- ruby spinel -

green SPINEL

- oriental emerald -

synthetic SPINEL

- almandite -

- alumag -

- corundolite -

- magalux -

- radient -

- strongite -

light blue synthetic SPINEL

- aqua gem -

pink synthetic SPINEL

- rozircon -

blue synthetic SPINEL

- azurite -

- zircon spinel -

greenish yellow synthetic SPINEL

- berigem -

- perigem -

green synthetic SPINEL

- dirigem -

- emerala -

- tourmaline green -

yellow green synthetic SPINEL

- erinite -

- erinide -

clear synthetic SPINEL/STRONTIUM TITANATE doublet

- carnegie gem -

- dialite -

- diarita -

pink kunzite SPODUMENE

- lithia amethyst -

- lithium amethyst -

green hiddenite SPODUMENE

- lithia emerald -

STEATITE SOAPSTONE

- fukien jade -

- honan jade -

- manchurian jade -

- shanghai jade -

- soochow jade -

synthetic STRONTIUM TITANATE

- bal de feu -

- diagem -

- diamontina -

- dynagem -

- fabulite -

- jewelite -

- lustigem -

- marvelite -

- pauline trigere -

- rossini jewel -

- sorella -

- starilian -

SUGILITE

- royal azel -

- royal lavulite -

- wellington -

- zeathite -

- zenithite -



T
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clear TOPAZ

- flinder’s diamond -

- mogok diamond -

blue TOPAZ

- brazilian aqua -

- nerchinsk aqua -

green TOURMALINE

- brazilian emerald -

- brazilian peridot -

- emeralite -

- verdelite -

red TOURMALINE

- san diego ruby -

pink TOURMALINE

- brazilian ruby -

- siberian ruby -

blue TOURMALINE

- brazilian sapphire -

- uralian sapphire -

yellow TOURMALINE

- ceylon chrysolite -

- ceylon peridot -

- chrysolite -

black TOURMALINE

- jet stone -

chatoyant TREMOLITE

- taiwan cat’s-eye -

TURQUOISE

- celestial stone -



V
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VARISCITE

- californian turquoise -

- utah turquoise -



Z
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ZIRCON

- ceylon diamond -

- matura diamond -

- siam aqua -

- sparklite -

- starlite -

- stremlite -

synthetic cubic ZIRCONIUM OXIDE

- diamonesque -

- diamonique III -

- djevalite -

- phianite -

- zirconia -

ZOISITE, tanzanite
- meru sapphire -


sources for the above list include publications by the following;

- Richard T Liddicoat Jr. -

- Lawrence L Copeland -

- Peter G Read -

- Lapidary Journal -

- Rock & Gem -

Thankyou

Comments or additions are welcome.

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