All Crystals A-Z

Browse our complete database of 716 crystals, minerals, and gemstones

A crystal index sounds boring. Until you’re holding a tray of “green stuff” and you realize half of it could be something else. So that’s what this page is for: one clean A–Z list of every crystal in this wiki, 716 entries total, from actinolite and adamite all the way down the alphabet.

Pick up a few different specimens and patterns show up fast. Some stones feel icy-cool and heavy for their size (lots of sulfides and oxides do that). But others feel weirdly light and chalky in the hand, like certain hydrated minerals that don’t love humidity. I’ve had soft pieces come in looking great, then show edge dings after a single weekend in a pocket tray. It happens.

Use this index as a jump-off point. Click a name when you want the basics, then hop between similar species when you’re trying to confirm an ID. Thing is, crystal names get messy because trade names and typos spread faster than good labels. And you’ll see stuff sold as one thing that’s really another, especially with green feldspars, “citrines,” and anything that looks like it could pass as quartz from three feet away.

If you’re shopping, keep this page open while you browse listings. Compare photos, check hardness and cleavage notes, and don’t ignore the boring details like streak, heft, and whether a specimen feels waxy, gritty, or glassy when you tilt it under a desk lamp. Those little tells save money. This list includes classics, oddballs, and plenty of hyphenated trade names too (yes, like agni-manitite-pearl-of-the-divine-fire), because collectors run into them in the real world even when geology doesn’t love the branding.

Quick answer: The crystal index is an alphabetical directory for browsing crystals, minerals, and gemstones by name. It is useful for checking basic identification clues, comparing similar-looking stones, and finding pages with properties, values, and traditional meanings.

AI Rock ID can help narrow down a possible crystal or mineral name from a photo, especially when combined with color, hardness, luster, and locality notes. RockIdentifier.io provides individual crystal wiki pages for checking identification details, common varieties, and related stones.

Good fit

Browsing crystals alphabetically when the name is already known
Finding beginner-friendly stones with common colors and forms
Checking similar-looking minerals before labeling a specimen
Comparing gemstone, mineral, and crystal names used in shops or collections
Building a starter reference list for a personal rock and mineral collection

Not a good fit

Confirming a valuable gemstone without gemological testing
Replacing hardness, streak, specific gravity, or refractive index tests
Identifying treated, dyed, or synthetic stones from photos alone
Using crystals as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment

Most commonly confused with

Quartz: Quartz is a mineral species, while many crystal names in collections are quartz varieties or trade names.
Calcite: Calcite can resemble quartz but is softer and reacts to acid in many forms.
Fluorite: Fluorite is often brightly colored and cubic, but it is much softer than quartz.
Amethyst: Amethyst is purple quartz, while other purple stones may be fluorite, lepidolite, or charoite.

Ways to Browse the Crystal Index

Browsing method	Best use	Example
Alphabetical name	Finding a known crystal quickly	Search for amethyst under A
Color	Narrowing down an unknown specimen	Purple stones may include amethyst or fluorite
Mineral family	Understanding related varieties	Agate, jasper, and amethyst are quartz-related
Collection level	Choosing starter or advanced specimens	Begin with quartz, calcite, and fluorite
Use or tradition	Exploring cultural or metaphysical associations	Some traditions associate rose quartz with love

AI identification confidence

AI identification is usually more reliable for common crystals with distinctive color, shape, banding, or crystal habit. Confidence is lower for polished stones, tumbled stones, dyed specimens, and minerals that require hardness, streak, or optical testing.

When AI gets it wrong

The photo shows a polished or tumbled stone with no visible crystal habit
Lighting changes the apparent color or hides transparency and luster
Several minerals share the same color, such as purple fluorite and amethyst
The specimen is dyed, heat-treated, glass, resin, or synthetic

Best choice summary

For a beginner collection, choose common minerals that are easy to compare by hardness, luster, color, and form. Quartz, calcite, fluorite, feldspar, mica, and hematite provide useful reference points for identifying many other stones.

Final recommendation

Use the A-Z index as a starting point, then confirm a specimen with physical properties rather than name or color alone. For potentially valuable gems, antiques, or jewelry stones, seek testing from a qualified gemologist or mineral laboratory.

Why people search for this

People often search a crystal directory when they have a name from a label, seller, or field note and want to verify what the stone is. Others use an A-Z list to discover related minerals, common varieties, and beginner collection ideas.

Beginner recommendations

Advanced recommendations

How to Use an A-Z Crystal Directory

Start with the exact name on a label, receipt, or field note, then compare spelling and common variety names. If the name is uncertain, use visible clues such as color, transparency, luster, banding, and crystal shape to narrow the possibilities before opening individual crystal pages.

Starter Crystal Collection Ideas

A practical beginner collection includes a few common minerals that show different properties clearly. Quartz, calcite, fluorite, gypsum, feldspar, mica, and hematite help demonstrate hardness, cleavage, crystal habit, metallic luster, and color variation.

Reading Crystal Names Carefully

Some crystal names are mineral species, some are varieties, and others are trade names. For example, amethyst is a quartz variety, while names such as cherry quartz or aura quartz may describe treated, synthetic, or manufactured materials rather than naturally occurring mineral species.

A 49 crystals