Colour/Appearance
Commonly, gemstones are named simply after their colour. For example, Rose Quartz was named after its pink rosy hue. Moss Agate was named after the green inclusions that look like moss underwater! Selenite, which is a gorgeous pearly white colour, was derived from the Greek word “selene” which means moon.
Location found
Gemstones can be named after where they were first discovered. Tanzanite was found in Tanzania, Africa. Labradorite was found in a Canadian region called Labrador. Also, the suffix “-ite” has a history that is up for debate, but the simplest explanation is that it comes from a stone’s main composition. For example, Granite is a rock made of grains.
Language
Many stones are named after words from another language. Blue Apatite was named because the Greek word expato or apatao means “to deceive.” The stone was oftentimes confused for other stones. Malachite was named after the Greek word mallow, a bright green herb. Kyanos means “blue” in Greek, so it makes sense why Kyanite is called that!
Named after person
Sometimes gemstones’ names come from the person who discovered them or in honour of them. Colonel Hendrik von Prehn found a stone that would eventually be called Prehnite. JP Morgan was a rich financier and gem collector, and Morganite had its named changed to honour him. Kunzite had its name changed to honour famous gemmologist George F. Kunz.
Descriptive words
Stones can be named for their descriptive qualities. For example, Sunset Dumortierite can look like a sunset in each bead, and Dog Teeth Amethyst has cream coloured Chevron inclusions within the purple stone. Aquamarine can look just like water - the word aqua means “water” in Latin!
Other common names
“Flower” - meaning there will be some colour variations within the stone
“Rainbow” - meaning there is a wide range of colours within the stone type
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