Excavation sets & discovery kits 16 pieces in a counter display.

Gemstones are rare minerals that are often incorporated into jewelry and decorative objects. They are characterized by beauty, including visual aspects such as color, shine, fire, transparency and light effects. Durability is also an important characteristic, with attention paid to hardness, fragility/cleavage and chemical resistance. Rarity plays a role in how often a gemstone is found in nature. There are many cutting shapes for gemstones, with the basic distinction being the cabochon, a spherical cutting method, and faceted, where the surface of the gemstone is cut in different facets. During the cutting process, properties such as color, color distribution, inclusions, special light effects, dispersion and fracture and grinding surfaces are taken into account. Gemstones are set in necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry, and also have industrial applications. Some well-known gemstones include diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, aquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, amethyst, citrine, carnelian, opal, onyx, turquoise, lapis lazuli and garnet. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, it was fashionable to make jewelry with a person's name or initials set into it. The choice of gemstones was guided by the first letter of the gemstone name, which led to the gem alphabet. In the 19th century, acrostic jewelry was also made, in which sentiments were expressed in gemstones. The best known of these is the English 'regard' ring, an engagement ring in which the word 'regard' was formed by the gemstones ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst and diamond.