Gemstones are real treasures. Gemstones are one of nature's rarest products.
A gemstone is a mineral, rock, such in the case of lapis lazuli, or petrified material that when cut or faceted and polished is collectible or can be used in jewellery. Others are organic, such as amber, which is fossilised tree resin and jet, a form of coal. Some gemstones which may be generally considered precious or beautiful are too soft or too fragile to be used in jewelry, for example, single-crystal rhodochrosite, but are exhibited in museums and are sought by collectors.
A gemstone is prized especially for great beauty or perfection so appearance is almost the most important attribute of gemstones. Characteristics that make a stone beautiful or desirable are colour, unusual optical phenomena within the stone, an interesting inclusion such as a fossil, rarity, and sometimes the form of the natural crystal.

Traditionally, common gemstones were classified into precious stones (cardinal gems) and semi-precious stones

A number of gemstones have gained fame, either because of their size and beauty or because of the people who owned or wore them.