List Of Gemstones That Come From Canada

Gemstones are found all over the world, but in this article we will focus on gemstones that come from Canada. Gemstones could mean a precious stone or a semi-precious stone. One important keynote is that a gemstone is a finely cut piece of mineral, which is used for jewelry like necklaces, pendants, etc.

Canadian Gemstones

Over the years Canada has became a major producer in gemstones, the following are a list of gemstones found in Canada.

Andalusite

Andalusite is a gemstone with a Mohs scale of 8/10, which is close to a fined cut gemstone. In a chemical reaction, certain elements are used to create such mineral, AL2SiO5 is the chemical compound used in creating such beauty. The lead sulfate compound gives the gemstone a yellow color and a little bit of red dust color. An Andalusite gem can come in various colors like yellow-green, brownish red, etc. A fun fact to know is that Andalusite can change its color based on the direction it is placed. Major countries like Spain, Germany, and Brazil have a high tendency of having the gem; also deposits of the andalusite gem can be found in Canada and the United States.

Albite

Albite can predominantly a colorless gem, it has a Mohs scale of roughly 6/10, and it can be made from the chemical compound sodium calcium aluminosilicate (NaAlSi3O8). It is part of the large Feldspar species of minerals. Those that tend to believe in the astrological sign believe that the albite gemstones are named after the Aquarius sign. These gemstones are frequently found in both the United States and Canada. The precious stone was named after the Latin name “Albus,” which in its literal meaning “white.”

Ammolite

This is probably the most famous gemstone that comes from Canada. With the iridescent colors that are produced when the gemstone is forming it is very unique and distinct.The appearance of Ammolite is likened to Opal, however the way the color is produced is very different. The main mineral present is Aragonite, which is the same mineral that gives Pearls it’s amazing colors.

Hypersthene

The word can be translated in Greek as “over strength,” based on the Mohs scale it has the hardness of 6/10; however, it doesn’t stop its incredible strength. Hypersthene gems tend to change various colors when placed in different lights. It can majorly be found in St Paul’s Island, Canada, some deposits of the gem can be found in France, and the United States. It contains 1 ratio of magnesium and 1 ratio of iron, with the hint of bronzite been between enstatite and hypersthene. Schillerization commonly used known as “natural light” happens when a display of colors happens on a hypersthene gemstone, hypersthene has a chemical compound of iron magnesium silicate.

Sodalite

This is a mineral which indicates from its name “sodium”. This a mineral with a Mohs scale hardness of 6/10, its compound is famously known as sodium aluminum silicate (3NaAlSiO4NaCl). Funny enough one of its color is like that of blue cheese, but, more of a royal blue in it. Beautifully colored Sodalite is majorly found in USA and Canada, smaller amounts can be found in countries like Brazil, Romania, and Portugal, etc. Sodalite can also be found in volcanic regions and limestones that have reacted to hot fluids to produce new mineral resources. Sodalite gemstones come in various forms:

Alomite: this is a blue crystal form of Sodalite majorly from Canada, the name is popularly known as “princess blue” originally named after Princess Patricia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Hackmanite: this is a transparent pink Crystal form of the Sodalite, it is found in Mont St Hilaire, and its unique feature is that in direct sunlight it can appear very bright, but in darkness, its colors tend to fade away.
Fluorite: this gemstone has a Mohs scale of 4/10, which makes it is worth a little less valued, its chemical compound is known as Calcium fluoride(CaF2) it usually appears in 6, 8, 12 shaped gemstone, while other forms are considered to be very rare. The color of fluorite could sometime vary, it could come in colorless form when pure, and in case of impurities, it could come in colors like pink, purple, green and yellow.

This is a very fragile gemstone, so, when broken it could give some triangular shaped at its corners. Canada produces an impure form of fluorite gemstones majorly in Bancroft and Madoc.

Kornerupine

This is a gemstone which has a Mohs scale of 7/10. The chemical compounds are made of magnesium aluminum borosilicate (Mg4 (Al, Fe) 6(Si, B) 4021(OH)). Kornerupine is a rare compound that occurs as a transparent crystal; its physical characteristics show a dark green with a hint of brown or greenish-brown. Kornerupine comes in colors like vanadium color which has a bright green color like that of an Apple. Chatoyant shows a bright color against a dark background. Its pleomorphic color of the crystal is visible to the naked eye. It shows different colors when its position is changed in a different direction. Kornerupine appears when an enriched element “Boron” is mixed with sedimentary rocks to form metamorphism. The origin of the gemstone came from countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Canada, etc.

Scapolite

This gem has a hardness of 6/10 on the Mohs scale based on mineral hardness. It has a 4 shaped complex structure; its chemical structure is known as Na4Al3Si9O24Cl-Ca4Al6Si6024 (CO3, SO4). Its appearance mostly comes in color like yellow, blue, and pink, violet or in a colorless prism. It mostly occurs in metamorphic and igneous rock, deposits are found in countries like Sweden, USA, and Germany. Crystals with 20 inches in length are found in countries like the USA, Canada, and Switzerland. Transparent Crystals are found in countries like Brazil, Italy, etc.