Gemstone Basics

Colored stones have had a very special desire by people for many centuries. Most gems come from the earth and they are inorganic. This means that they are from non-living matter. Some gems are organic which means they are produced by something that was or is a living organism. Pearls, coral and amber are examples of organic gems. No matter which they come from they are called natural gems to help point the difference out between a man-made stone.