A variety of polished rock types is typical of a collection.
Stone polishing is a very rewarding hobby. Polished stones may be added to a collection, sold for profit or used in jewelry. While most are merely semiprecious, these stones are still very beautiful and can draw attention with intricate patterning, bright coloration, fossil history or other unusual attributes. Learning to identify the different types of stones is a key to this hobby, and makes it all the more rewarding.
Quartz
Quartz crystals formed within a hollow rock are called agates.
Quartz is a common collector's favorite. It comes in many different colors such as yellow, white, clear, grey and pink (called rose) as well as in transparent to opaque varieties. Quartz can display different properties depending on how the crystal was formed. In fact, most semiprecious stones including amethyst, chalcedony and citrine are actually different forms of quartz. Rose and white quartz are two of the most popular forms and are often carved into figurines and memorabilia.
Amethyst
This is a typical cluster of purple amethyst.
Amethyst is a semiprecious stone that is frequently found in fine jewelry. It is a form of purple quartz that ranges from a light to a dark hue. Frequently, amethyst is found in agates, stalactites or other rock formations that form a bed of crystals; these formations can be cut laterally to show the intricate internal design. Amethyst is a transparent stone but can contain impurities or imperfections that make it translucent. Green quartz, or lime citrine, is also considered to be a type of amethyst and is a light blue-green color.
Cat's Eyes
Cat's Eyes, or Tiger's Eyes, are rocks formed with fibers of mineral that reflect light in an unusual way. These stones come in yellow/brown, blue, and red varieties and are noted for their satin-like appearance. Light either reflects in rippling bands from their surfaces or is focused into a single band of fuzzy light in the center. Tiger Iron is a similarly formed mineral that has banded qualities and an appealing coloration.
Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a bluish-green or turquoise form of the mineral beryl; this gemstone-quality stone is used in fine jewelry. It ranges from transparent to translucent, depending on the quantity and type of impurities present.
Petrified Wood and Fossils
Petrified wood and fossils are the mineralized remains of organic material. Petrified wood is the most common, and retains the original pattern of wood striations in the mineral formation. It comes in varying shades of brown, in ribbon or other wood-shape patterns of color and is often used in lower-quality jewelry. Fossils are often sanded down and carefully polished to retain and better display their unique qualities.
Meteorites
While meteorites aren't usually made of any particularly valuable material, often they are polished and collected due to the interest in their origin. Most frequently, they are made of iron and/or rock, although certain exceptions occur. Peridot, August's birthstone, is the only gem that has been found in meteorites. Peridot is most frequently a lime green color, but can also be found in orange, brown, yellow and other colors.
Turquoise
This is a good example of turquoise jewelry, polished into a rounded shape.
Turquoise is an opaque mineral that gets its name from the blue-green coloration it bears from containing oxidized copper. It has only recently lost its prized gem value as a result of treatments and imitations, but prior to this was a very valuable stone for most of human history. It is often carved into figurines or rounded shapes, as opposed to the angular cuts of many crystals.
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