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Gem Facts

Transparency is one of our key pillars at Columbia Gem House. Our Gem Facts Pages are one way we fulfill our commitment to providing all available information for the gems we offer. If you don't yet see a Gem Facts Page you’re looking for, stay tuned. The stories behind these gems are in the process of being written.

Amethyst

image of Montana Amethyst

Montana Amethyst

This American-mined Amethyst ranges in color from a deep purple to a light pink-lavender and is produced in Montana, which led to our name for this beautiful gem - Rose of the Rockies™.

Citrine

image of Fire Citrine®

Fire Citrine®

Citrine has been a part of the gem kingdom for centuries and a member of the quartz family. Fire Citrine®, a very deep red-orange color: has been available for a shorter period of time and is one of the richest colors of the Citrine Family.

Garnet

image of Anthill Garnet

Anthill Garnet

Anthill Garnet is a red Garnet, otherwise known as Chrome Pyrope, that is found on the Navajo Indian Reservation in the state of Arizona.

image of Grape Garnet®

Grape Garnet®

Grape Garnet® is a unique pyrope-almandine member of the garnet family and is quite rare. This gem is one of Columbia Gem House’s Trademarked products: a completely new gem variety when it was first found, and then named by Columbia Gem House’s Owner, Eric Braunwart.

Lapis Lazuli

image of Chilean Lapis

Chilean Lapis

From the high altitudes of the Andes mountain range, our untreated Chilean Lapis showcases gorgeous deep blues, often times speckled with bits of white and metallic golds.

Opal

image of Mexican Fire Opal

Mexican Fire Opal

Here at Columbia Gem House, we refer to this material as Mexican Fire Opal, or MFO for short. MFO is a gorgeous fiery color that reflects its beautiful country, heritage, and cultural significance. As of today, the Mexican Fire Opal is considered to be Mexico’s national gemstone.

Pearls

image of Cortez Pearls®

Cortez Pearls®

Cortez Pearls® are rare saltwater cultured pearls from the rainbow lipped Pteria sterna oyster, native to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. Pearls are organic gems, created when a mollusk covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre, the mother of pearl.

Peridot

image of Mesa Verde Peridot®

Mesa Verde Peridot®

Peridot has been valued for centuries and comes in various shades of green, with the most desired being the bright chartreuse to near apple greens. These intensely bright greens can be seen in our Mesa Verde® Peridot, which happens to be sourced right here in the United States.

Ruby

image of Pomme Ruby™

Pomme Ruby™

A new ruby from Madagascar named Pomme Ruby™. ‘Pomme’ meaning apple in French as well as the root word for apple in Malagasy. We gave this magnificent material its name because the community in which it’s found consists of apple and rice farms. When not farming, the villagers dig for these vibrant apple-red rubies.

image of Wyoming Ruby

Wyoming Ruby

Found in various locations worldwide, Ruby is only produced in one location within the Americas: Wyoming. The Rodeo Queen Mine produces very red gems, nearly opaque in color. These rubies manifest the energy of the rugged terrain surrounding the mine and display the earthy imperfections that make them so unique.

Sapphire

image of Montana Sapphires

Montana Sapphires

Montana Sapphires are one of today’s most sought after American-mined gems. This incredibly rare sapphire is mined in three distinct locations in Montana and known by different names.

image of Royal Kings Plain Sapphire®

Royal Kings Plain Sapphire®

For many years Australian Sapphire was thought to only include very dark blue to near-black colors when, in reality, it produces a wide range of qualities and colors.

Spinel

image of Black Spinel

Black Spinel

Commonly found when mining for rubies and sapphires, black spinel holds many of the same desirable qualities when it comes to hardness, durability and luster. When cut and polished correctly, this jet-black gem offers the most brilliant sparkle you will find in any opaque stone.

Sunstone

image of Oregon Sunstone

Oregon Sunstone

Oregon Sunstones can be found in pale yellows, peach, pink, rust-red to deep reds, as well as various shades of green. Some will also display tiny copper platelets, known as ‘schiller’, which sparkle and reflect light as it enters the stone.

Tourmaline

image of Seafoam Tourmaline®

Seafoam Tourmaline®

Seafoam Tourmaline® is a member of the tourmaline family. The colors range from a soft green to moderately vivid shades of seafoam blue greens. To paint a picture, just imagine going to the ocean and watching the waves roll in as you relax.

Quartz

image of Rutilated Quartz

Rutilated Quartz

Rutilated Quartz is a clear quartz with inclusions of rutile needles. Brazil is one of the few origin locations that produces such unique golden color rutile formed in broad bands, resulting in gems as unique as snowflakes.

image of Moss Agate

Moss Agate

Known for its unique veining, Moss Agate is not actually moss, nor is it even a pure agate. While this material is found in other places, India is one of the major producers and many believe to be the best material available.