Last Updated on July 4, 2022
If you enjoy searching for precious stones, you don’t have to go out of your way to purchase them. In addition to tourmaline, topaz, quartz, and jade, other valuable rocks may be found in your garden, such as tourmaline and garnet.
12 Valuable Rocks You Can Find in Your Backyard
Although they aren’t as valuable as diamonds, these gemstones are a wonderful addition to any jewelry collection.
1. Topaz
Topaz is a hard stone. It’s reasonably priced and comes in huge chunks.
Topaz naturally has light-hued crystals. It also contains a colorless variety that is used as a diamond simulant.
The color of topaz largely determines its quality. Pink topaz is the most valuable variety, and it’s used in high-end jewelry. Topaz is frequently mistaken for citrine, which is less expensive.
2. Quartz
Quarts is undoubtedly the most plentiful rock on Earth. It has a variety of gemstone varieties including agate, amethyst, carnelian, and citrine.
The color of quartz is white; the impurities that produce the bright colors are what give it this hue. The stone is reasonably low-cost and versatile, making it ideal for creating jewelry and shaping sculptures.
Quartz crystals are cool to the touch and have a crystal clear appearance. Because quartz crystals are readily available, they are less expensive than other precious gems. Larger and clearer Quartz Crystals, on the other hand, command a premium.
3. Opal
Opal is a light-reflecting precious stone that comes from silica. Some rare opals may be more valuable than diamonds.
Opal is most often used to make jewelry and sculptures. It’s also utilized for carving stone works. Because opals are shiny, they’re readily available.
The opal is a stone that can be found in Nevada and California. Prismatic opals, which reflect every color in the rainbow depending on how you hold them against the light, are the most costly.
4. Obsidian
Obsidian is a black glassy stone that can be green and brown in color. Green and brown obsidians are created when molten rocks cool rapidly to form big, soft-textured crystals.
Obsidian was previously used as a cutting tool because it was tough and had sharp edges. Surgeons employ it today for operations because it is sharper than steel and makes clean incisions.
The value of obsidians is determined by the crystal’s age. Finding ancient specimens, on the other hand, isn’t straightforward due to the fragility of the rock.
5. Peridot
Peridot is a pale, yellow-green gemstone that is relatively common. Because it gives off a brilliant green glow depending on the light source, it is particularly popular among collectors.
The peridot is difficult to locate in the ground because of its tiny size. Wearing a loupe when looking for this stone will help you notice its distinct green sparkle.
The grade of a peridot crystal is determined by its color intensity. The higher the value of a stone, the greener it is. Yellow peridots are the most common. Brown streaks, on the other hand, indicate low quality in peridots.
6. Garnet
Garnet may be found in your backyard, and it doesn’t require any special skills to extract. It’s most commonly used to create jewelry and other ornamental goods.
Almandine, pyrope, and rhodolite are the three most frequent garnet varieties. Almandine is the most widely available and is mostly utilized in jewelry making.
Garnet is an abrasive due to its hardness, which varies by kind. Hard garnet crystals are used in a variety of industries, including steel and metal cutting.
You can’t tell the quality of a garnet just by looking at it. This is due to the fact that gemstones are typically tainted with various impurities, giving them a darker color. High-quality crystals are generally transparent and brilliant.
7. Jade
Jade is usually green, but it may also be purple and white in certain places. It’s made up of two minerals: jadeite and nephrite.
Jade is a semi-precious stone that has been used for millennia to make jewelry. Sculptures and other tools may also be carved from it.
Jade is one of the most expensive gemstones in the world due to its high demand in China. Imperial jade, a more valuable variety, has a green hue.
8. Malachite
Malachite has opaque crystals with rings and spots that create unpredictable designs on its surface.
Malachite is made from limestone, and it’s used to make beads and carvings.
Malachite is typically sold in large amounts at lower prices than other precious stones. Its quality is determined by the brightness of its look and the prominence of its rings and spots.
Each malachite crystal has a distinct shape and feature, which many collectors find appealing.
9. Amethyst
Amethyst is a very valuable stone in the quartz family. It has a lovely purple color that makes it ideal for creating earrings and pendants.
A rockhound may encounter amethyst in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and North Carolina. This precious stone isn’t readily available outside of these states.
The color of an amethyst stone determines its grade. The finest amethysts have a medium to deep purple hue. Because they require intense lighting to reflect light, darker hues are less desirable because they would be ineffective in reflecting light.
10. Turquoise
Turquoise’s popularity is due to its distinctive hue. Turquoise has a variety of uses, including as jewelry, sculptures, and tools.
Turquoise, on the other hand, is extremely porous and should only be cleaned with water. It’s also sensitive to light and must be stored in a dark environment.
On the bright side, it doesn’t alter after being worked. The finest form of turquoise is lander blue turquoise, which is also the rarest.
Any turquoise crystal with a deep blue hue is valued. This, however, has resulted in the scarcity of this commodity worldwide. The costs will almost certainly rise soon.
11. Tourmaline
Tourmaline has a wide range of hues. As a result, the cost of this gemstone varies depending on each crystal’s size and color.
Although most tourmaline crystals are single-color, you may come across multi-colored stones. Furthermore, the color of the stone can also change depending on the light source and viewing angle.
The most striking look and dazzles brightest under light, making it ideal for use with jewelry. Other hues are frequently confused with other gems.
Tourmalines are also used in the creation of bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry. Larger specimens, on the other hand, are frequently carved into sculptures.
12. Agate
If you think your garden has agate, hold a sample up to a light source. If the stone is reddish-brown, somewhat translucent, and has visible markings, it’s quite possible to be an agate.
However, agate isn’t as valuable as other gemstones. It’s why it’s available in bulk and larger pieces are valued more. Expensive stones have a distinctive look, while less expensive ones are duller.
