Hard, solid, durable. Shiny, pretty, sparkly. These are the words that often come to mind when one thinks of gemstones. They can be found in all the different types of jewelry. Like all the different metals, gemstones are formed deep within the Earth. Miles and miles deep underground, the gemstones are also extracted from the Earth through mining. But the way that gemstones are formed is different from metals. While metals are found in tiny traces in rock, gemstones come from different places.

Gemstones are formed when there are pockets underground. These are called cavities which exist between the crust of the Earth and the mantle (where all the magma for volcanoes is found). Inside the cavities, there are multiple minerals that can come together to make a solution. When the temperature gets high enough, the minerals can get held together in suspension. And when the temperature drops, the number of solid ingredients that are held in suspension also drops. This causes crystals to form. And with the right combination of temperatures, pressure, and space, the crystals will come together to form a gemstone. 

The ingredients that make all the crystals are deposited into the cavities where they form from the Earth's mantle. These deposits happen when the plates of the Earth shift around either under each other or crash into each other like when an earthquake or volcanic eruption happens. 

Usually, the conditions that happen to start crystal formation happen for one of four reasons. One, molten rock and fluids. Two, environmental changes. Three, surface water. And finally, gem formation inside of the Earth’s mantle. 

After the gemstones are formed, they are mined out of the Earth. As soon as they’re extracted the rocks are split apart. They are taken by the jewelry smiths and formed into the shapes that the jewelry designers have picked out. And that’s how the gemstones go from crystals to a ring! As always keep doing your research if you want to learn more and I will catch you on the flip side!