Rocks vs. Gemstones: Understanding the Difference

Question
How can you tell the difference between a rock and a gemstone?

Answer
Hi,

Gemstones are rare anomalies in nature. When cut and polished make beautiful jewelry and other objects.  Where as rocks are common and do not polish well and are not very pretty at least for jewelry.  Rocks can be beautiful for other uses such as finish material for homes, fireplaces, landscaping etc.  Some rocks do polish quite nicely for floor tile also such as granite, marble etc.

The higher quality gemstones are clear crystals that come in many colors.  These are quite rare.
Examples are garnets, sapphires, ruby, emerald, diamond, tourmaline, spinel, topaz and others.

Regards,

Steven D.Covey