What are Precious and Semiprecious Stones?

A colorful collection of tumbled stones. All of these stones belong to the "semiprecious stones" category. Included in the photo are gold tiger's eye, gray Botswana agate, carnelian agate, fancy jasper, red jasper, green tree agate, sodalite, plasma jasper, blue chalcedony, eye agate, blue lace agate and others.

Precious vs. Semiprecious Stones

Gemstones have been placed into the categories of "precious stones" and "semiprecious stones" since the mid-1800s. The term "precious stone" was reserved for four types of gems: diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald. All other gemstones were placed in the "semiprecious stone" category.

The semiprecious stone category includes: agate, amber, amethyst, aquamarine, aventurine, chalcedony, chrysocolla, chrysoprase, citrine, garnet, hematite, jade, jasper, jet, kunzite, lapis lazuli, malachite, moonstone, obsidian, onyx, peridot, rhodonite, sunstone, tiger’s eye, tanzanite, topaz, turquoise, tourmaline and many other gemstones that have been popular for making jewelry and ornamental objects.

Public Perception of Value

The separation of gemstones into precious and semiprecious categories implies to many people that precious stones are worth more than semiprecious stones. Although this is often true, these terms can be misleading because many opals, jades and other semiprecious stones are far more valuable than most precious stones.

Valuable Semiprecious Stones

Some semiprecious stones have very high values. For example, pieces of jade jewelry have sold for over $1 million and jade sculptures have sold for over $10 million. A famous opal, the "Aurora Australis" is valued at over $1 million. Faceted stones cut from top quality red beryl often sell for as high as $10,000 per carat.

These examples are evidence that semiprecious stones can be worth a lot of money.

Should All Gemstones be Precious?

By definition a gemstone is a mineral or other natural material that has the beauty and durability needed for use as a personal adornment or an ornamental object. Some people believe that any stone that meets this definition should be considered "precious."

The Value of Semiprecious Stones

The value of any gemstone is determined by its beauty, size, abundance, cut and popularity. Malachite and lapis lazuli are beautiful, popular, and rare. Attractive specimens of these materials can sell for significant prices. Other gemstones such as agates and jaspers can be exceptionally beautiful and not get the same attention because they are not as popular and considerably more common.

Terms Falling Out of Use

The terms "precious" and "semiprecious" are being used less and less in the gemstone trade. "Semiprecious" is viewed as a derogatory word that is inappropriate for describing some of Nature's most beautiful creations. It also contradicts the high prices being paid for many beautiful specimens.

The Influence of Fashion on Value

Gemstone values are subject to a variety of forces. Beauty, rarity and popularity play varying roles. Before the discovery of enormous diamond deposits in South Africa, rubies, sapphires and emeralds were more valuable than diamonds. After the discovery, De Beers started promoting diamonds as a symbol of love and commitment - to be given at the time of engagement.

That promotion created an enormous new demand for diamonds. The "Diamonds are Forever" advertising campaign by De Beers has been named the most effective advertising campaign in history and is credited with inflating and sustaining the worldwide price of diamonds.

So, before you invest a lot of money in gemstones, remember that fashion, rather than intrinsic value, could cause a major change in the value of your investment, and that the success of an advertising campaign or the discovery of major deposits could change it even more.

Happy Tumbling!