The origin of the gem's name

Naming of discovery location

The name of a gemstone is usually related to the location of its discovery. For example, Topaz got its name from the small island of Topassos in the Red Sea. The Labrador region of Canada gave the name to the elongated stone. Tanzanite was first discovered in Tanzania, while Shafferite was discovered in Tsavo National Park by gemologist Campbell Bridges in the late 1960s. Andolite was originally found in Andalusia, so it was named after that Spanish region.

Topaz: Named after the island of Topassos in the Red Sea.

Labrador Stone: Named after the Labrador region of Canada.

Tanzanite: First discovered in Tanzania.

Shaffley Stone: Discovered by gemologist Campbell Bridges in Tsavo National Park in the late 1960s.

Andalusite: originally found in Andalusia, named after this Spanish region.

Paraiba: Paraiba Tourmaline is named after the greenish-blue tourmaline produced in Paraiba, Brazil, in 1989.

Mahengai spinel: In Tanzania, spinels were found near Matumbo and Mahengai in Morogoro Province in the 1980s.

Language Origin Naming

The names of gemstones usually come from other languages. Many gemstone names are derived from Latin or Greek roots. For example, the Greek word "rose" is the source of garnet, which takes on a pink color. While the name malachite refers to the bright green mallow plant in Greek, which coincides with the bright green and light green stripes of gemstones. Aquamarine, on the other hand, is derived from the Greek word "kyanos," which means blue, and it is a beautiful blue gemstone.

Red Garnet: from the Greek word "rose."

Malachite: In Greek, it refers to the bright green mallow plant.

Kyanos: Derived from "kyanos" in Greek, meaning blue.

Moonstone: Similar to moonlight because of the effect of its light flow.

Aquamarine: appears greenish-blue, as clear as crystal.

Finder named

Certain gemstones are named after the person who first discovered them. The gemstones may initially be called by a different name, but they may later be replaced by the name of the discoverer. For example, the gemstone originally called "Saualpo" was named after the mountain of Saualpe where it was discovered, but in the early 19th century, it was renamed as Scurrilite. Slovenian scientist Baron Sigmund Zois von Edelstein first recognized that it was a new mineral, so the stone was named after him. The grape stone was named in memory of Colonel Hendrik von Plaine, who discovered this beautiful green stone at the end of the 19th century. Similarly, WE Hidden discovered a stone very similar to emerald in North Carolina in the late 19th century, naming it hideite to commemorate his discovery.

Zoomite: Initially called "Saualit," it was named after the Saualpe Mountain where it was discovered, and later changed to Zoomite after the discoverer.

Grape Stone: Named in memory of Colonel Hendrick von Plaine.

Hideite: Discovered by WE Hidden in North Carolina in the late 19th century in honor of its discoverer.

Named in memory of someone

Some gems are named after someone in memory of them. The discovery of these gems may not be directly related to these people. For example, the famous financier JPMorgan Chase had a gem named after him. Morgenite was a pink beryl, but it was renamed in memory of the wealthy gem collector. Similarly, Russian Tsar Alexander II named the Alexandrite after him, although this gem was actually found in an emerald mine in the Ural Mountains in the early 19th century. This gem was also designated as the national stone of the country at that time. The purple lithium-spodumene was named after the famous gemologist George F. Kunz.

Mogenstone: Named in honor of the financier JPMorgan Chase.

Alexander Transforming Stone: Named in honor of Russian Tsar Alexander II.

Spodumene: Named after the famous gemologist George F. Kunz.

Descriptive name

The names of many gemstones were merely descriptions of their characteristics. For example, the moonstone was named for its effect of light flowing gently on the stone, similar to moonlight. Aquamarine took on a greenish-blue color and looked a little as clear as crystal. "Aqua" meant water in Latin. Fire opal was an opal with a hue of flame, and the reflection of light made it look like it was burning.

Moonstone: Named for its light flow effect.

Aquamarine: appears greenish-blue, similar to clear water.

No special name

As interesting as it is to understand the origin of gemstone names, some beautiful and popular gems do not have specific names. For example, ruby is the name of red corundum, a name derived from the Latin word meaning red. Other types of corundum are simply named according to color, such as blue sapphire, white sapphire, pink sapphire, and yellow sapphire. These gems are equally beautiful and popular, and are widely used in jewelry making.

Ruby: The name of the red corundum type.

Blue Sapphire, White Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, and Yellow Sapphire: Corundum named based on color.