[PHOTOS] The exotic world of rare minerals and gems
They may seem like ordinary rocks, but there's nothing ordinary about minerals and gems.
As a naturally occuring substance, minerals are solid and inorganic representable by a chemical forumla with an ordered atomic structure. They range in composition from pure elements and simple salts to very complex silicates with thousands of known forms. A gem, or gemstone, is a mineral crystal which his typically cut and polished. According to the International Gem Society, most gems are “minerals that have been chosen for their beauty and durability, then cut and polished for use as human adornment.”
Thanks to Reddit, we can take a look inside the wonderfully exotic world of rare minerals and gems.
• Related content: [SLIDESHOW] The 5 Deadliest Minerals Ever Mined
Bismuth
Azurite
Black opal
Burmese Tourmaline
Chrysocolla in Malachite
Fluorite
Luz Opal
Opal Fossil
Opal
Pink Rhodochrosite
Rhodochrosite
Rose Quartz Geode
Titanium Quartz
Watermelon Tourmaline
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