Skip To Content
Go to gemstones.com homepage
Sign In
Recommended searches
Gemopedia
  • Ruby
  • Sapphire
  • Tanzanite
  • Diamond
  • Emerald
  • Opal
  • Moissanite
  • Peridot
  • All Gemstones in Gemopedia
Shop Gemstones
  • Shop Jedora Gemstones
  • Shop JTV Gemstones
Videos
  • All About Black Diamonds
  • Unboxing a Million Dollars in Gemstones!
  • Unboxing Emeralds: Gemologist vs. Geologist
  • Unboxing Rough Diamonds
  • Unboxing Garnet: Rhodolite, Pyrope, Demantoid
  • Marvel Cinematic Gemstones
  • All About Pearls and How They're Made
  • Fun Facts About Tanzanite
  • Freshwater Pearls vs. Saltwater Pearls
  • All Videos
Articles
  • Gemstone Collecting
  • Gemstone Beauty
  • Gemstone Color
  • Gemstone Origins
  • Optical Properties
  • Rare Gemstone Collecting
  • Gemstone Luster
  • Phenomenal Gemstones
  • All Articles
Showcase Collections
  • Quartz Gemstones
  • Organic Gemstones
  • American Gemstones
  • Birthstones
  • Mineral Specimens
  • Colors of Tourmaline
  • All Showcases
About Us
  • About Us
Feedback
  • Survey
Account
  • Account Information
  • Author Biography
  • Articles
  • Gemstones Home
  • Gemopedia

Rock

Rock

By Tim Matthews, JD, FGA, GG, DGA,
CEO and President of JTV (retired)
Published: June 2014
Modified: May 2022
Rock Polished Rock Rough Rock Jewelry
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Copy Link
Table of Contents
  • General Information
  • Rock Colors
  • Alternate Names
  • Countries of Origin
  • Species/Variety

Rock describes an inorganic material that is an aggregate, or mixture, of minerals. Rocks are igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary or in rare cases extraterrestrial (meteorites and some tektites).

General Information

  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical Properties
  • Chemistry & Crystallography
Common Name
Rock
Species
Rock
Transparency
Opaque-Translucent
Optic Character
NA
Optic Sign
NA
Polariscope Reaction
Aggregate (AGG)
Pleochroism
None
Luster
Dull, Resinous, Vitreous, Submetallic, Silky, Pearly, Metallic, Greasy
Chemistry Classification
Rock

Rock Colors

  • Bi-color Rock
    Bi-color
  • Black Rock
    Black
  • Blue Rock
    Blue
  • Brown Rock
    Brown
  • Gray Rock
    Gray
  • Green Rock
    Green
  • Multi-color Rock
    Multi-color
  • Orange Rock
    Orange
  • Pink Rock
    Pink
  • Purple Rock
    Purple
  • Red Rock
    Red
  • White Rock
    White
  • Yellow Rock
    Yellow

Alternate Names

Mixed Ornamental Stone

Countries of Origin

Papua New Guinea; Cambodia; Kazakhstan; Paraguay; Bahamas; Solomon Islands; Montserrat; Unknown; Mali; Marshall Islands; Guadeloupe; Panama; Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Argentina; Seychelles; Belize; Zambia; Bahrain; Congo; Guinea-Bissau; Saint Barthelemy; Namibia; Comoros; Faroe Islands; Finland; Georgia; Yemen; Tanzania, United Republic Of; Eritrea; Puerto Rico; Viet Nam; Aruba; Madagascar; Libya; Sweden; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Malawi; Andorra; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Liechtenstein; Poland; Bulgaria; Jordan; Tunisia; Tuvalu; United Arab Emirates; Kenya; French Polynesia; Djibouti; Lebanon; Azerbaijan; Cuba; Mauritania; Saint Lucia; Guernsey; Congo (the Democratic Republic of the); Mayotte; Israel; San Marino; Australia; Tajikistan; Myanmar; Cameroon; Gibraltar; Cyprus; Northern Mariana Islands; Malaysia; Iceland; Oman; Bosnia And Herzegovina; Armenia; Gabon; Korea (the Republic of); Luxembourg; Brazil; Turks and Caicos Islands; Algeria; Cabo Verde; Jersey; Slovenia; Colombia; Ecuador; Iran (Islamic Republic of); Lao People's Democratic Republic; Vanuatu; United States Minor Outlying Islands; Honduras; Italy; Antarctica; Nauru; Haiti; Afghanistan; Burundi; Russian Federation; Singapore; French Guiana; American Samoa; Christmas Island; Netherlands; China; Martinique; Kyrgyzstan; Reunion; Saint Pierre And Miquelon; Cote D'Ivoire; Bhutan; Multiple; Romania; Falkland Islands [Malvinas]; Togo; Philippines; Uzbekistan; Pitcairn; Zimbabwe; British Indian Ocean Territory; Montenegro; Dominica; Indonesia; Benin; Angola; Virgin Islands (British); Sudan; Brunei Darussalam; Portugal; New Caledonia; Grenada; Moldova (the Republic of); Cayman Islands; Greece; Latvia; Mongolia; Morocco; Guatemala; Guyana; Iraq; Chile; Nepal; Isle of Man; Ukraine; Ghana; Holy See; Anguilla; Saint Vincent And The Grenadines; India; Canada; Maldives; Turkey; Belgium; South Africa; Bermuda; Aland Islands; Central African Republic; Jamaica; Peru; Turkmenistan; Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of); Germany; Fiji; Tokelau; Hong Kong; Guinea; Chad; Somalia; Thailand; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Equatorial Guinea; Kiribati; Costa Rica; Saint Martin (French part); Kuwait; Nigeria; Palestine, State of; Croatia; Sao Tome And Principe; Syrian Arab Republic; Cook Islands; Sri Lanka; Uruguay; Timor-Leste; Switzerland; Samoa; Spain; Liberia; Burkina Faso; Swaziland; Palau; Estonia; Wallis and Futuna; Niue; Svalbard And Jan Mayen; Austria; Mozambique; El Salvador; Monaco; Guam; Lesotho; Tonga; Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands; Western Sahara; Hungary; Republic of Kosovo; South Sudan; Japan; Belarus; Curacao; Mauritius; Taiwan (Province of China); Bouvet Island; Albania; Bolivia (Plurinational State of); Norfolk Island; Trinidad And Tobago; Virgin Islands (U.S.); New Zealand; Sint Maarten (Dutch part); Senegal; Micronesia (Federated States of); Ethiopia; Macedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of); Czechia; United States of America; Egypt; Sierra Leone; Malta; Saudi Arabia; South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands; Pakistan; Gambia; Ireland; Qatar; Slovakia; France; Lithuania; Serbia; Niger; Rwanda; Saint Kitts And Nevis; French Southern Territories; Bangladesh; Barbados; Nicaragua; Norway; Botswana; Macao; Denmark; Dominican Republic; Mexico; Uganda; Suriname; Greenland; Antigua And Barbuda

Species/Variety

Copper Porphyry or Peacock Rock

Most copper comes from rocks containing copper minerals called porphyry copper deposits. Copper ore can contain combinations of gem materials like azurite, chrysocolla, cuprite, malachite, and turquoise. It is sometimes called peacock rock in the trade.

Copper Porphyry or Peacock Rock Rock
Copper Porphyry or Peacock Rock Rock
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Copper Porphyry or Peacock Rock
Refractive Index
Over The Limit 1.46-1.909
Fluorescence
SWUV: Inert
LWUV: Inert to weak greenish yellow
Specific Gravity
2
Stability
Poor

Jenekite

Jenekite is a trade name for an amphibole-rich metamorphic rock that is also called, Nuummite. Nuummite is named after its place of origin: Nuuk, Greenland. This rock is frequently polished en cabochon and produces an attractive iridescence caused by interlocking crystals of anthophyllite and gedrite.

  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Jenekite
Refractive Index
1.649-1.669
Birefringence
.022
Fluorescence
SWUV: Inert
LWUV: Inert
Specific Gravity
2.93
Inclusions
Jenekite will contain Iridescent anthophyllite needles.

Eilat Stone

The rich greens of eilat stone comes from it being a unique combination of various copper-bearing minerals including chrysocolla, malachite, azurite and turquoise. This stone is the national stone of Israel and known as King Solomon stone, as it comes from what is storied as King Solomon's mines in the Timna Valley of Israel.

Eilat Stone Rock
Eilat Stone Rock
  • Classification
  • Optical Properties
  • Characteristic Physical properties
Common Name
Eilat Stone
Dispersion
Strength: none
Refractive Index
1.5-1.61
Birefringence
.025
Fluorescence
SWUV: Inert
LWUV: Inert
Specific Gravity
2.8
Inclusions
Eilat stone has a variegated and mottled appearance.
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

Sign up for the latest from Gemstones.com!

 
 
  • About Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
  • Request a Partner Invitation
  • Your Privacy Choices CCPA Icon

©  America's Collectibles Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.