Gemstone Identifier — Identify Any Gem
Found a stone and not sure what it is? Upload a photo and our gemstone identifier names the most likely gem in seconds, tells you how confident it is, and shows you the properties to confirm it. No confidently-wrong guesses.
How to get an accurate gem ID
- • Use bright, natural daylight — gem color shifts badly under warm indoor bulbs.
- • Show the cut and facets; for transparent stones a side angle reveals clarity and any inclusions.
- • Turn the stone — some gems (like iolite or tanzanite) flash different colors at different angles.
- • Shoot dry against a plain, neutral background, filling the frame with the single stone.
Gems our identifier recognizes
From cut stones to rough crystals — including turquoise, aquamarine, opal, garnet, topaz, jade, peridot and lapis lazuli. Each links to an in-depth field-guide page with properties, look-alikes and how to spot fakes.
How to confirm a gemstone yourself
A photo gets you close; these checks narrow it down:
- Hardness: most popular gems are 7+ on the Mohs scale and will scratch glass; softer stones (opal, turquoise, fluorite) will not. Test on an inconspicuous spot.
- Double refraction: view a facet edge through the table — if the back facets look doubled, the stone is doubly refractive (e.g. peridot, zircon), which rules out singly-refractive gems like garnet or spinel.
- Heft: denser gems feel heavier than a same-size glass or plastic stone.
- Inclusions & bubbles: a loupe reveals natural inclusions in real gems; perfectly round bubbles mean glass.
For a definitive call — especially natural vs. lab-grown — a gemologist's refractometer and microscope are the gold standard.
Frequently asked questions
Can you identify a gemstone from a photo?
For many gems, yes — color, transparency, cut and the way a stone returns light are strong clues for stones like amethyst, citrine, garnet, turquoise or aquamarine. But several gems look near-identical in a photo, so we give a confidence score, list look-alikes, and show you the tests that settle it.
How do I tell a real gemstone from glass or a synthetic?
Glass imitations are softer (they scratch easily), often warmer to the touch, and frequently contain rounded gas bubbles. Lab-grown gems are chemically identical to natural ones and usually need a gemologist to separate. Natural stones often show tiny inclusions, color zoning, or slight facet wear; a flawless, cheap 'gem' is a red flag.
What's the difference between a gemstone and a crystal?
A gemstone is simply a mineral (or occasionally an organic material like amber) that's been cut and polished for jewelry because it's attractive and durable. Many gems are the gem-quality, faceted form of a crystal — aquamarine is gem beryl, amethyst is gem quartz. Our identifier handles raw and cut stones alike.
Can it tell me what my gemstone is worth?
No — and be cautious of any tool that claims to. Value depends on carat, cut, clarity, color grade and treatment, which a photo can't measure reliably. Use the ID as a starting point and get a qualified gemologist or appraiser for value.
Is the gemstone identifier free?
Yes — your first 3 identifications are free. Pro unlocks unlimited IDs plus value, authenticity and care reports.
Not a polished gem? Try the crystal identifier or the mineral identifier