Welcome to the blog

NCB Geology specialises in selling natural gemstones and minerals.  These can be set in jewellery or as loose rough specimens.  As part of this blog, we are going to share some information about these gorgeous treasures, as well as some tips for jewellery, mineral collecting, and jewellery fashion trends for upcoming seasons.  We hope you enjoy this first post, which introduces what gemstones and minerals are.  

Since the beginning of human evolution, rocks, minerals and gemstones have played an important role in aiding human evolution.  The earliest humans used stones, such as flint to create fire, whilst nowadays at least 14 minerals and over 60 metals are present in the average smartphone (USGS).  

What is a gemstone?

While gemstones are always minerals, there are a number of variations on what defines a gemstone.  At NCB, gemstones are always a precious or semi-precious mineral (based on rarity and/or use in jewellery).  Typically a gemstone is also classified as a cut, polished stone used in fine jewellery.  The word 'gemstone' originates from the Latin word, "gemma", meaning a "bud of a plant or a jewel".

What is a mineral?

Minerals are naturally occurring chemical compounds, of which a small minority are classified as gemstones.  Minerals can be anything from simple compounds such as salt (NaCl) to complex minerals such as Almandine Garnet (also a gemstone).  A mineral has a specific chemical formula, whilst a rock can be a mixture of different chemical formulae and therefore a mixture of different minerals.  The word 'mineral' stems from the Latin word "minerale" meaning "something mined from the ground".  

Check out the blog each Monday for a new mineral profile in the Mineral Monday Series. This Monday will be Aquamarine, March’s Birthstone! If you have any questions that you would like to feature in next week's blog post, get in touch via comments, social media or email!  

Thanks for reading! NCB x