Black gemstone: 24 obscure gems!

It’s finally time for black aficionados! If you’re tired of onyx or obsidian, here’s a short list you’ll find very useful! Which black gemstone will charm you?

Black Gemstones

Black stones by name:

• Sapphire
• Garnet
• Smoky quartz
• Rutile
• Hydrogrossular
• Schorl
• Jet
• Sardonyx
• Obsidian
• Grossular
• Titanite
• Jasper
• Spinel
• Diopside
• Aventurine
• Agate
• Moissanite
• Onyx
• Diamond
• Scapolite
• Moonstone
• Opal
• Pearl
• Hematite

N°1: Sapphire

Black sapphire is a variety of corundum showing shades of deep black, often tinged with brown or blue.

Positives:

• A highly coveted gemstone , but much more affordable than other colors
• A little-known color
• Because there’s more to life than blue sapphires
• Available in synthetic for those who prefer to avoid mines.
• One of the best durabilities on the market after diamonds and moissanites

But be careful:

• There are a large number of counterfeit or misdescribed products on the market.
• Sapphires are often treated , but black sapphires are less are less affected than coloured sapphires.

N°2: Garnet

Black garnet may belong to several garnet varieties , such as almandine or rhodolite. Its black hues are often tinged with red or violet.

Positives:

• A clean, opaque black color
• A rather original and little-used black semi-precious stone (fine stone)
• Affordable
• Very few treatments or synthetics, so few tricks with unscrupulous sellers
• Durability for regular use

But be careful:

• No synthetics for the garnets
• Not much else! Watch out for other fake black stones being sold as garnet .

N°3: Smoky quartz

Smoky quartz is a popular variety of quartz , with shades ranging from brown to gray-black.

Positives:

• For fans of softer, more nuanced blacks
• Available in synthetic smoky quartz for those who prefer to avoid mines
• Good durability
• Affordable and easy to find

But be careful:

• Synthetic amethysts are very difficult to recognize, even with professional equipment.
• Synthetics are not necessarily indicated by the seller and may be sold as natural.
• Not much! Quartz are generally reliable and affordable!

N°4: Rutile

Rutile is a rather fragile gem that displays a wide variety of colors, including shades of black and gray. It is most commonly found as inclusions in other stones, such as rutilated quartz.

Positives:

• A stone with brilliant metallic reflections
• A beautiful stone to collect
• An often overlooked gem
• Exceptional dispersion, 6 times larger than diamond (observable on transparent and very clear specimens )
• Available in synthetic for those who prefer to avoid mines

But be careful:

• A fairly fragile stone, with a hardness of 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
• Not often used in jewelry because it ‘s often very dark (but that’s what we’re looking for in this in this article , so it’s perfect timing!)

N°5: Jade

Black jade comes in two varieties : jadeite and nephrite jade. Both show solid blacks or tinges of green and brown.

Positives:

• The world’ s toughest stones
• Beautiful pure blacks , but also nuanced shades
• Jade is perfect for jewelry, sculptures or collecting.
• Affordable for both varieties in opaque and black shades

But be careful:

• A multitude of fakes and imitations on the market due to the popularity of jade jadeite
• Jades are often treated, repaired, bleached and dyed, so care must be taken to select a reputable vendor who will indicate the grade of each piece of jade sold.
• Beware of the fractures and inclusions that can be found in jade, as they will greatly reduce the stone’s toughness.
• No synthetics

N°6: Schorl

Schorl is a tourmaline variety with generally pure black hues.

Positives:

• A stone with a beautiful , well-marked black
• Little known
• Excellent hardness for everyday use
• Affordable and lightly treated

But be careful:

• Some sellers may present other stones as tourmaline, which may mislead buyers
• No synthetics in tourmalines

N°7: Jet

Le jais est une gemme organique issue de la carbonisation et fossilisation d’un arbre. Il montre des nuances de noir pur, d’où l’expression “noir de jais” !

Positives:

• A stone with absolute black hues
• A lesser-known and original gem
• Very light! Like a little lump of coal
• Historically made famous by Queen Victoria of England as a mourning jewel
• Generally untreated

But be careful:

• Quite fragile and brittle with a hardness of 2.5 to 4, protective jewelry should be used.
• No synthetics
• Less and less easy to find
• Beware of “French jet “, which is a glass imitation

N°8: Sardonyx

Sardonyx is a variety of onyx showing bands of black and white to brown.

Positives:

• A two-tone stone in a variety of hues, with the possibility of bold blacks
• A little-known and original gem
• Good hardness, like all quartz, suitable for regular use

But be careful:

• Sellers do not necessarily specify the natural, treated or synthetic origin of their stone.
• No synthetic

N°9: Obsidian

Obsidian is a variety of natural glass and includes several sub-varieties that can show clear blacks, white flakes, patterns, iridescence or translucent browns.

Positives:

• A variety of blacks, straightforward, tinged with blue or brown, opaque or with a glittery effect , depending on the variety.
• generally affordable
• Perfect for collectors
• Rarely treated

But be careful:

• A medium hardness that requires a few precautions to avoid scratches, like all glass
• Many imitations
• No synthetic

N°10: Grossular

Grossular garnet, often associated with hues ranging from apple green to golden yellow, is a garnet variety appreciated for its diversity of colors. It can show quite bold black tones, usually tinged with browns, greens or reds.

Positives:

• One of the little-known and original black semi-precious stones (gemstones).
• Good durability
• Black generally tinged with red, green or brown
• Very good tenacity

But be careful:

• May be confused with similar black stones
• Possible imitations on the market
• Hard to find in jewelry
• No synthetic

N°11: Titanite

Also known as Sphene, titanite is a rare crystal that can show black hues, often with an almost metallic adamantine sheen.

Positives:

• A rather rare stone
• Perfect for collectors
• Clean, metallic blacks
• Rarely counterfeited
• More affordable in black than in green

But be careful:

• Its rarity means a higher price
• Not easy to find
• Watch out for counterfeits!
• No synthetics

N°12: Jasper

Black jasper is a variety of quartz that can show strong black nuances.

Positives:

• Unknown in this color
• Affordable
• Excellent hardness of 7
• very good tenacity

But be careful:

• No synthetics
• Watch out for counterfeits!

N°13: Spinel

Spinel can show pure , opaque shades of black.

Positives:

• Strong, opaque shades
• Synthetic spinels come in a wide variety of colors and transparencies .
• A little-known stone
• Excellent durability against impact and scratches
• A stone that’s not afraid of water, and not much else in general
• Affordable, especially synthetics

But be careful:

• Treatments not always mentioned by sellers
• Synthetics can be sold as natural

N°14: Diopside

Diopside, although known in its green chromium variety, can show quite distinct shades of black.

Positives:

• Deep black color
• Use in fine jewelry creations
• Black cat’s eye or star diopsides are also available.
• little known

But be careful:

• Sometimes imitated by other green gems
• Less affordable than other stones in the list, but the black color remains affordable.
• A rather fragile stone that requires protective jewelry

N°15: Aventurine

Aventurine, or aventurine quartz, is a variety of quartz with inclusions that generally shows strong adventurence, i.e. a glittery effect. When black, it resembles a starry sky.

Positives:

• A little-known stone
• Perfect for collectors
• Shades of black that can be blended with blue blue to create a deep starry sky, it can sometimes be called galaxy aventurine
• Excellent tenacity
• It is also used in sculpture
• Still affordable

But be careful:

• Numerous imitations
• A hardness of 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale , which requires a few precautions to avoid scratches

N°16: Agate

Agate is a family of polycrystalline quartz and chalcedony. It can display a wide variety of hues and patterns , including black.

Positives:

• Brown-tinted or bold black colors
• A little-known stone in this shade
• Good scratch resistance
• Excellent tenacity
• Affordable

But be careful:

• Many chalcedonies are tinted and the treatments are not mentioned by the sellers.

N°17: Moissanite

Moissanite is a synthetic stone with only a few natural specimens. The vast majority are created in laboratories and come in a wide variety of hues, including black.

Positives:

• More brilliance than diamond
• An exceptional hardness of 9.5, second only to diamond and its perfect 10
• A wide variety of shades, including black , which can be opaque or translucent to transparent
• Generally affordable (depending on brand)

But be careful:

• Moissanite is often over-marketed , making it more expensive than it is.

N°18: Onyx

Onyx is a variety of quartz that can be perfectly black or zoned with beautiful bands or patterns. It can also be blue or even brown in the case of sardonyx.

Positives:

• A stone known for its jet-black color
• Affordable
• Easy to find
• Very good tenacity
• Good hardness for everyday use

But be careful:

• A multitude of fakes and imitations on the market
• The vast majority of black onyx on the market are chalcedony treated with acid and burnt sugar
• No synthetics

N°19: Diamond

Diamonds can also show black hues, usually opaque. They may be more transparent in the case of synthetic diamonds.

Positives:

• The hardest stone in the world, virtually impossible to scratch or chip
• Not to be confused with carbonados
• Excellent resistance to acids and chemicals
• Opaque black to grey hues on natural diamonds and more varied hues on synthetic diamonds
• Less sought-after than the other colors, so a little more affordable
• Synthetic diamonds are affordable compared to natural ones and offer a multitude of hues with perfect purity and no risk of armed conflict or human suffering.
• Increasingly controlled labels (even if they still leave something to be desired)

But be careful:

• Diamond is relatively sensitive to shocks and high temperatures, and can be damaged.
• A multitude of fakes and imitations on the market due to its popularity
• A market controlled almost entirely by the big players in the luxury sector, who fluctuate prices according to their desires and redouble their marketing efforts to ensure that everyone dreams of owning one.
• Extremely expensive as natural stones
• Serious human and ecological problems along much of the production chain
• Synthetics are generally much more expensive than other stones.

N°20: Scapolite

Black scapolite , although less well known, has fairly pure hues.

Positives:

• A little-known stone
• Clean shades
• A good hardness of 6
• Excellent water resistance
• Available as cat’s eye

But be careful:

• Few synthetics due to current lack of popularity (lack of profitability for laboratories)
• Some fragility to shocks
• Its lack of popularity makes it rare in jewelry and therefore relatively expensive.

N°21: Moonstone

Moonstone, known for its opalescent reflections and shades ranging from milky white to silvery blue, is also available in black!

Positives:

• Shades range from opaque black mixed with white to translucent , slightly irridescent black .
• It’s possible to find some nice-sized specimens, especially in a ball shape.
• Fairly durable
• Affordable

But be careful:

• With a hardness of 6.5 on the Mohs scale, moonstone can be scratched or broken. you have to be careful

• Translucent moonstones can be expensive
• Watch out for imitations

N°22: Opal

Also little known, common opal can be purple! It can also show dendritic forms, i.e. resembling small branches like moss agate.

Positives:

• Generally soft and varied colors
• Common purple dendritic opals (with inclusions in the form of small branches) are also available.
• A good hardness of 6
• Affordable

But be careful:

• Can be imitated with agate or jasper
• Generally fragile and sensitive to shocks, chemicals and high temperatures. it’s one of my top perfume-hating stones

N°23: Tahiti Pearl

The Tahitian pearl is a timeless classic that also comes in black!

Positives:

• Intense blacks to metallic greys
• An unparalleled history and reputation
• For glamorous evenings
• Or for every day, but be very careful!
• I’ve written a guide to pearl necklaces and everything you need to know about them.

But be careful:

• When it comes to animal welfare…not good
• Overfishing has eliminated almost all the oysters and crustaceans that are the source of natural wild pearls.
• Very fragile, damaged by everything: scratches, shocks, products, heat, perfume, etc.
• There are so many fakes and imitations on the market, it’s hard to keep track.

N°24: Hematite

Hematite is a naturally black to metallic stone, although it can appear red in places. It is the most abundant source of iron.

Positives:

• A choice of pure, intense black or metallic grey
• Little known, especially in jewelry
• Often used in sculptures
• Very affordable

But be careful:

• With a hardness of 5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, hematite can break or scratch more easily than harder stones, so care should be taken to protect it.
• Beware of imitations, especially hematin
• Watch out for rust!

So, which stone for this mystical color? It’s my favorite!

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