What's your favorite mineral/gem?

[Spoof]

I am a huge nut when it comes to stars in anything. Star rubies, sapphires, garnets and quartz.

My favorite thing to do when they were still open was to dig star garnets in Idaho. I got one cut into a pendant for my mom for Christmas a few years ago.

Here's pictures of a rough that never got finished; and of an awesome star quartz ball I saw on ebay six or so years ago...

 

[AZChins]

I like tourmalines...a little too much. Amethyst is pretty, I love them, but I really like the green and red tourmalines. Zircons are beautiful, too. I have a pink zircon ring that is amazing. (Not cubic zirconia...that is a created stone.)

 

[eroomlorac]

I like amethyst (my birthstone) and ruby and emerald.

 

[tunes]

All time favorite - emerald. Has to be mined, not that crap grown in a lab. If it isn't mined, I won't wear it.

 

[Spoof]

Nice big tourmalines are awesome. Right up there with Alexandrite, neither of which I can afford.

Had to take a picture of the lovely that lives on my desk. Not the best star, but big enough to be a nice paperweight.

 

[ABBY W.]

I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to my gemstones. I love my diamonds, and nice dark sapphires are beautiful too!

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Padparadscha sapphires. I will be the happiest girl in the world if I ever get my hand on a natural (not lab-created) one!
They vary from a pink color to dark orange and every shade in between!

But you really can't go wrong with a stunning bright or dark blue sapphire!

 

[AZChins]

Yellow sapphires are fun, too! I have a few of those. I've always loved the bright blue sapphires...

 

[mishellyshel]

I like amythest cause it is both my birthstone & my favorite color! Also love emeralds (my second favorite color!)

 

[AZChins]

To all you emerald lovers out there, have you ever seen a really clear, green tourmaline? They are actually a pretty good emerald alternative and usually are given an emerald cut because the crystals grow to be long and somewhat narrow. Natural emeralds are just so expensive!

There's an emerald ring at the local jeweler that is waiting for me to win the lottery so that it can come home. I think it's about three cts and I go to visit it from time to time. (I am so jewelry addicted...)

 

[Brightstarchins]

My favorite is the Emerald, which is my birthstone, but like Peggy, they have to be mined, not created.

Claudia

 

[Laurie]

Wow I have several. I am not a diamond fan. My all time favorite is the moonstone. Someday I would love to have a moonstone, amethyst and garnet ring. I'm also a big lover of the meidera citrine. Rutilated quartz is amazing to me and I have a stone I like to just look at. I feel the same about the bloodstone, love looking at it, although I've been trying to use it as my ancestors did several years ago to help with "female" issues and it's a no go! No wonder modern medicine took over LOL!
One of my biggest gripes! Birthstones! Turquoise is the true birthstone of December yet so many people think is Blue Topaz! I'm also not a believer that opal's bring the wearer bad luck. I think they are a gorgeous stone.
My birthstone is amethyst and I have several pieces of it, rings, necklaces and earrings. Just love it. I'm also a HUGE fan of amber in the summer and hematite but never worn together.

 

[Peep_erz]

I am a pearl fan. I hope they count for this thread. They start as mineral! hehehe. Silver pearls are my absolute favorite. The one silver pearl I had I ended up giving to my mom. I hope to get another one some day.

I also wear a lot of jade. Thats mostly because I just have a lot of it though.

 

[3CsMommy]

Opal, preferably natural fire opal, which is becoming excessively rare.

http://skywalker.cochise.edu/wellerr/mingem/gemtl/opal/6yy-fire-opal1.jpg

http://www.reminiscejewelry.net/Resources/04_NOV_N29_fire_opal_pend_big.jpg
I had a cabachon about this size made into a necklace, but it cracked from the heat when the jeweler put it together. Then the besel on the pendant broke, and it can't be fixed. I cried.

 

[Cinder and Me]

Tiger's Eye and Aquamarine are my two favorites. Aquamarine is my birthstone, and Tiger's Eye...well, what can I say, its just beautiful. :heart:

 

[Scrat&SweetPea]

my favo is ruby my birth stone and i don't wear the cheap crap. only real for me.

 

[Spoof]

Opals are a tough love... very sensitive, extremely difficult to cut and degrade over time like pearls... if I could have one I'd pick black fire opal, with blues and greens. Saw a top notch one at a rock show one time and wowsa.

 

[AZChins]

I have a ton of opals. I love them, but it is hard to find a very nice opals. Opals are sensitive to humidity because they actually have a moisture content.

I have an opal ring from the 70s that has never been worn, the stones in it still are very nice.

 

[threewingedfury]

I'm personally a diamond fan. I'm very picky with my diamonds though - their color and clarity has to be right on. I like amethyst, sapphires and rubies if they're placed right in jewelry, but diamonds catch my attention much more.

I do have a passion for geodes though. They just amaze me and kinda remind me of myself - rough on the outside, beautiful on the inside.