Tennessee is well-known for a single gem material – pearls. The American Pearl Company operates the only freshwater pearl farm in the United States. They produce cultured freshwater pearls from native river mussels. The coin-shaped pearls in the photo are from the American Pearl Company and display iridescent shades of golden, pink, and blue.

Utah produces a wide variety of gemstones. Although topaz is Utah’s state gemstone, the gemstone that is getting a lot of recent attention is red beryl, also known as bixbite. The faceted red beryl shown here from the Wah Wah Mountains is a beautiful example. Amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, and opals are also found at numerous locations in the state. Utah…

California is widely known for its tourmaline and turquoise production. Native Americans were the first to treasure these minerals, and a commercial gemstone industry was active by the late 1800s. The tourmaline deposits of Riverside and San Diego Counties have supplied more tourmaline for cutting and mineral specimens than any other tourmaline deposits in the northern hemisphere. California gemstones…

Oregon produces some of the best gem-quality feldspars in the world. Several small mining operations have become world-famous for producing “Oregon Sunstone,” a transparent feldspar that is loaded with tiny copper platelets aligned in a common orientation. When a sunstone is tilted in the light, at just the right angle, these platelets simultaneously reflect a flash of…

Most people are surprised to hear that rubies, sapphires, and emeralds can be found in North Carolina. Although the area does not support a large gemstone mining and cutting industry, there are many pay-to-prospect mines where anyone can enter, pay a small fee, and keep all of the gemstones that are found. Some local businesses have skilled gem cutters…

Arizona has long been famous as a producer of turquoise, peridot, and petrified wood. Gemstones such as azurite, chrysocolla, and malachite are associated with Arizona’s many copper deposits and have a long history of being produced there. Agate, amethyst, garnet, jade, jasper, obsidian, onyx, and opal have all been found in Arizona and used to make gems. The photo here shows several cabochons cut from Arizona copper minerals. They…

Many people really enjoy gemstones produced from domestic deposits. Some mineral collectors favor certain localities, and some gemstone buyers (especially tourists) have a strong desire to purchase a “Montana Sapphire” or an “Oregon Sunstone” when they visit those states. This patronage strongly supports the price of stones from certain localities – far above the price…

Gemstone production in the United States is surprisingly low considering the large geographic area of the country and the large number of people who have a strong interest in finding gemstones. Three barriers stand between an interest in mining and the successful operation of a mine: 1) the cost of opening a mine; 2) the…

Although the United States produces a diversity of gemstone varieties, the quantity produced is very small. In calendar year 2017 the total gemstone production of the United States was only $13 million. That amount is very very small compared to the $22.6 billion in gemstones that were imported for consumption. The United States has greater…

Thirteen states produce almost all of the natural gemstones mined in the United States. They are listed below.  Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Idaho Louisiana Maine  Montana Nevada North Carolina Oregon Tennessee Utah