How Gemstones Form From Igneous & Metamorphic Processes (12 Examples!) GEO GIRL

[@GEOGIRL]

CORRECTION: I was wrong about jade! Sorry guys, I clearly got sloppy with my research near the end of the gem list. Jade refers to either jadeite or nephrite, not a mixture of the two. There is no such thing as a 'jadeite-nephrite mixture'. They are both formed in metamorphic zones of oceanic-continental crust collisions, but in different environments. Jadeite is a pyroxene that forms along the oceanic crust boundary in blueschist and eclogite facies metamorphism, under high pressure. Nephrite is an amphibole that forms during metasomatic replacement of serpentinite in the mantle wedge, under lower pressure. People didn’t learn until the 1860s that the two types of jade were very different mineral species, so we continue to call both minerals “jade”, but they are always found separately, not together! Thank you @tedetienne7639 for pointing this out! Sorry again everyone for the misinformation!

[@tedetienne7639]

😍😍 Thank you! I'm so happy to help! 💚💚

[@nicholasmaude6906]

Here in New Zealand Jade is referred to as Greenstone or Pounamu ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pounamu ).

[@ANCIENTASTRONAUT411]

Can i get a date i think your so beautiful

[@gavares3]

Hey can you do helium3 on the moon, how its deposited and it's uses?

[@raymondready7496]

Don't beat yourself up about a mistake. Mistakes are precious sometimes. Good video.

[@uuserwxyz]

This channel is soo underrated.

[@anaryl]

We love you geo girl !!❤❤🪨🪨🪨

[@Prefex21]

Fantastic video!! That 30 minutes flew by omg! Good job!

[@Splarkszter]

Oh, wow, the sheer qualit of this. It's incredible!!!!!!!!!!!! I hugely love this sooooo much. Thank you for your insane high quality work, your website is also incredibly beautiful. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.

[@ashajacob8362]

Good to see you again Geo Girl!☺️ You reached 31k wow! Last time I came it was less than 10k glad your channel is growing I hope this channel will reach 100k 😊

[@GEOGIRL]

Thanks so much! I hope so too ;D

[@zelda3997]

11:15 totally make a video about that please!

[@christianhunt7382]

Way cool topic, GeoGirl Rocks! I was lowkey waiting for some gemstone and fancy mineral vids, fantastic al always!

[@tedetienne7639]

Excellent video! Thank you! I studied gemology for a while, and I really enjoyed how they have their own understanding and terminology about gems. It’s definitely its own thing within geology that deserves more attention, like this video. Also, I thought you were on a break, but I just KNEW you couldn’t stay away for too long! You’re just too passionate about geology, and too good at teaching it!

[@nerdysenpai716]

Hey, Geo Girl, You're the best😘😘😜😜. I have been scoring high grades in mineralogical exploration thanks to you

[@GEOGIRL]

So glad to hear that! ;D Great job!!

[@harrietharlow9929]

Very interesting! I'm a geology fan and now I understand formation of gemstones better. Thank you so much for uploading!

[@KarlBunker]

If I had a green diamond, I'd give it to you. (Well, some of it anyway. 😁)

[@robertpayne9009]

Thanks!

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you ;D

[@spindoctor6385]

Once again, great content. I would love a dedicated video of how transition metals lead to different colours. I like the underlying physics invoved in geology. I think I can speak for many of your viewers when I say that I genuinely hope you know how much your channel is appreciated.

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you so much! I cannot tell you how nice it is to see comments like this. With the growth of my channel, I tend to see and focus more on the negative comments, but comments like this one always remind me that there are people out there enjoying and appreciating my videos and that really motivates me to continue! :)

[@spindoctor6385]

@@GEOGIRL I would have hoped that you would not recieve many (any?) negative comments. You are right up there with my favourite science channels and clearly the best channel on geology by a long margin. With Pbs space time, Event horizon, Steve Mould your channel sits comfortably. You have a real talent, science communication is not easy. Ignore bad comments, keep doing things your way.

[@kokopelli314]

I grew up loving geology and especially crystals. I learned a whole bunch of new things from your video so thank you!

[@peterdore2572]

I learned so much in this video. Gotta show my friends!

[@BackYardScience2000]

Oh! I love this subject! I'd would also love to see a video on the formation of agates, chalcedony, quartz and others like them like Jasper. I've been collecting a LOT of samples from our local sources here in eastern Kentucky and there are some weird, giant, colorful and very odd agates/flints around here. I've found some the size of cinder blocks and you can tell that they broke off from other larger pieces. I just can't seem to find the source layers that they come from and can only find them in the creeks and rivers.

[@BackYardScience2000]

I can also provide pictures of these agates and cuts showing what they look like on the inside. I just can't polish them.... Yet.

[@GEOGIRL]

I am currently working on one all about agates! :D

[@BackYardScience2000]

@@GEOGIRL awesome! Can't wait to see it! 😃

[@justindunlap1235]

​@@GEOGIRL sweet, there's just something about agates that I love, probably because my first experience rock hounding was searching for ellensburg blue agates with my grandpa before he passed.

[@barbaradurfee645]

Rachel’s granny has an eagle eye for Lake Superior agates in Minnesota and she got us started on agate hunting

[@lv4tmnt90]

Dimond are this girls' best lapidary tool. Dimond coated blades and drill bits!

[@jocelynlewis8985]

Hi! Love your videos 😊, I would love to hear about why transition metals and how they cause different colors

[@tedetienne7639]

I'd be interested in learning about sodalite, because (1) it's pretty! and (2) I have so little experience with the feldspathoids and quartz-poor minerals, I really need a refresher with them! Also, zircon is rarely used as a gemstone, and it's far more useful for scientific study, but that's why I'd love to hear about how that gemstone is formed! Thank you!

[@24kgoogilliontvofficial]

I love stone/gems

[@virginie_fabrice]

clarity passion and intellectual honesty ( see the correction ! ) everything is perfect !! very nice !

[@emilio3769]

I need someone like you when I'm gem hunting. I found a great spot where lava use to flow/. Found a beautiful black petrified wood. And tons of other shinys.

[@Pappaoh]

Fantastic vid packed with so much great material!

[@GEOGIRL]

Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it ;D

[@michaelellis4572]

I would love to see a video about how transition metals effect the colors of gemstones. Thank you for making this one!

[@shadeen3604]

Thank you geo girl for your correction

[@curtisblake261]

It's fun to listen to someone who can genuinely chuckle while saying something like "within the mantle".

[@brianazmy3156]

If only we had science teachers like her back in the day. She took a half hour and schooled me what it took my teachers months, and this was with a smile. Great video and thanks for sharing this with us.

[@davidhoward4715]

I despise this sort of comment. This is a great channel, but teachers have to work with a different syllabus. People like you always blame hard-working teachers for your own ignorance.

[@tonyb1968]

​@davidhoward4715, you are the problem. "You people always blaming...blah, blah blah. What a 🤡

[@Octa9on]

yes please make a video about transition metal coloration

[@tomsmith4542]

nice gem review !!

[@Hellbender8574]

This was a great video. It's cool to know how gems formed.

[@joepaul1763]

Welcome back!!!!!! ❤

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you! Glad to be back! :D

[@joepaul1763]

@@GEOGIRL 🥰🥰

[@justindunlap1235]

Thanks for the awesome video. This is perfect timing, I'm about to leave on a trip into the north cascades to dig crystals. I'll be heading up to the golden horn batholith, there are tons of interesting gems and minerals in that area.

[@barbaradurfee645]

I’m jealous! Someday Rachel and her brother and I will rockhound in the NW. So far we’ve only hunted in SW. Good hunting!

[@johnnylovesgod4516]

Cool video. Thanks for the learning lesson, teacher 😂👍💖

[@ronaldbucchino1086]

Excellent -- thank you.

[@shadeen3604]

Thank you very much geo girl your knowledge about gems and gemmology is amazin being geologist and explanation about gemstones excellent we want to see more videos about gemstones because we are in gem and jewelry field

[@erod818]

This was GREAT!

[@vincentnieto7792]

You deserve all the gemstones geogirl ❤!

[@Chao-lung-siuka-pha]

Love your videos from India 💎

[@JoesFirewoodVideos]

You’ve been MIA, we’ve missed you, we’ve been worried. I ❤ GEO GIRL!

[@TripleDane]

9:43: Didn't the first artificial diamonds all come out yellow as it was difficult to get rid of N impurities?

[@jeffreyallen3796]

Yes please I have a Molybdenum deposit close by. So the video would be awesome.

[@kokokoko-ih6ef]

I like your videos so much❤❤❤

[@eduardos.366]

Very nice video. Yes, I would be happy to see a video about why transition metals are responsible for the colors in gemstones. Thanks geogirl.

[@cavetroll666]

Very good video thanks I recently went hiking in Northern Ontario and saw all sorts of interesting minerals and rocks.

[@philochristos]

Turquoise is pretty. I like it as a crushed inlay in woods like cedar. If you're going to cover pearls, maybe you should also do gallstones.

[@barbaradurfee645]

I love turquoise, malachite and azurite too

[@TheErichill]

Please do the transition element colors video. That sounds interesting.

[@billkallas1762]

Mt wife has a "thing" about Garnet. Now I learn that there are a bunch of different types of Garnet. Almandine, Pyrope, and Spessartine, depending on if it's iron-aluminium, aluminium silicate, or manganese aluminium. And it gets more complicated from there. (Enough to make your head spin)

[@sydhenderson6753]

Don't tell your wife or she'll want the whole collection.

[@billkallas1762]

@@sydhenderson6753 True.

[@michaeltrone616]

I enjoy how knowledgeable and passionate you are about geology! Makes for interesting videos. Thx!

[@GEOGIRL]

Thanks so much! So glad you enjoy them ;D

[@konstantinavalentina3850]

I'm glad you mention what's coming in the next video because i was gonna ask if some those were gonna be in the next vid. :P Not really gemstones, but, i understand there's materials actually HARDER than diamond like: Wurtzite boron nitride Lonsdaleite Dyneema Palladium microalloy glass?

[@donwilkins3059]

Excellent as usual.

[@melparrishjr]

I was just channel surfing and this video caught my eye! I'm currious about the "precipitation" part of the proccess ...just trying to form a mental picture. Is it likened to the hardwater deposits that we struggle with in our bathrooms? Or like the slow dripping accumulation of salts into the forms of stalactites and stalagmites? I really have no idea about these things but I imagine that fluids not just water but fluids in general carry the minerals in solution and deposit them like the ring around the tub. Only, there are no pumice deposits anywhere to naturally scour them away!

[@GEOGIRL]

Great question! I will talk more about precipitation in this weeks 'part 2' gemstone video, but in general you are absolutely right with your examples. It is just the solidification of salts/minerals from water that is over saturated in those salt's ions. For example: if you dissolve table salt (NaCl) in a cup of water and leave that cup out in a dry place until the water fully evaporates, the NaCl will re-precipitate and be left at the bottom of the cup once dry. The reason is because when you first put the salt in, the water is undersaturated in Na+ and Cl- ions so the NaCl salt dissociates into these ions (aka: it dissolves), then as the water evaporates, this leaves behind a solution more saturated in Na+ & Cl- (since only H2O is evaporating, not the salt ions), once the solution becomes 'supersaturated' in these ions, they are no longer stable dissolved in solution and they 'precipitate' out of solution to form solid crystals. So basically, it is a reversible reaction and whether the mineral dissolves or precipitates is all just about what is thermodynamically (energetically) favorable at that time. This evaporation-precipitation process is often how these mineral deposits form in nature and that is why we call them 'evaporite' minerals. But there are other ways that minerals can 'precipitate', for example, life can induce the precipitation of minerals like CaCO3 for their shells/skeletons (e.g., mollusks, sponges, & corals) by increasing pH which favors CaCO3 precipitation or by directly taking Ca2+ and CO32- ions into their cells where they can become saturated enough to precipitate. Anyway, I could talk about this all day, so I will stop now but don't worry I have a video about calcium carbonate minerals coming out very soon that will answer a lot of your precipitation questions! ;)

[@ecks_marks_the_spot]

Awesome presentation. Thanks. You've provided a nice framework from which I can possibly identify some of the "agate" like rocks I find on San Diego beaches. I have one in particular I might want your help with but I'll watch part 2 before reaching out.

[@youssefdrissi9259]

It's just amazing, it was a good summary 👍👍🙂

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you!

[@stevenbaumann8692]

Very well done! 👍🏻

[@earthexpanded]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing and your efforts. This brought to mind Mt. Girnar. A true gem of planet Earth. It has a hexagonal inner ring of olivine-gabbro that surrounds its central mountain, and many geometric shapes reminiscent of gems. Its central mountain is littered with channels where volatiles flowed through the monzonite-diorite core. The mantle boundary is ~35km centered on the mountain and decreasing to ~30km at a radius of approximately 60km from the center of the mountain. Reflector segments have been proposed to exist down to the moho starting from around the ~10km radius mountain to, at the moho, a radius of ~50km. Something important is going on with this mountain that relates to so many aspects of geology. It seems like many of the principles of gemstone formation were at play in the overall formation of this mountain, in a fractal way.

[@sarahyoung646]

Definitely down for a look into how those colors work, please make a followup!

[@robertnuwagaba9596]

Thank You George girl, this is quite informative. I notice most of these precious materials r found in the volcanic areas according to your explanations. Can you throw more light on the areas we can find these precious stones

[@EnginAtik]

Great content, great teacher: I learned a lot from this video.

[@GEOGIRL]

Thank you so much! :)

[@susanfarley1332]

I like opals.

[@entropic-decay]

a fun little note: diamonds can also form with a black coloration, typically as a product of a carbon-rich meteorite impact. The black color is the product of their crystalline lattice including formations of graphite, another arrangement of carbon.

[@marcduffy1792]

Thanks!

[@JKTCGMV13]

Hell yeah, gemstones 💎

[@realcourte]

Bought many samples last year for fun! My favorites are Kunzite, rutiled quartz and fire opal. :) TY again for your research and have fUN! :)

[@michaellester6839]

I could listen to you talk all day ❤

[@gavares3]

magnifique!

[@stevefritz5182]

Super content as always! What I would love is more content with maps. Not that I want you to create an army of rock hounds but something that associates the classroom with our world. I live in wonderful Colorado with so many geology lessons outside my door. But, I also travel extensively in both the US and abroad and lately Baja, Mexico. I want to be able to associate my surroundings with geologic history. I believe that is what you do with your studies. In other words, it would be cool to have more field content but understandably, using maps might be more practical than a field trip to Mount Antero, Colorado where aquamarine is just laying about.

[@gavares3]

this is a good idea, I havea hard time visualizing in my head how these terrains and goelogical features change over time. I bet a group of PYthon Gurus could do some crazy Moving map animations with some of the USGS data available. All of you guys are amaizng. Steve, Keep teaching! Please. We need you more than ever now.

[@AutodidacticPhd]

I would be interested in seeing a little more on how metals create the colours in minerals. I also watch the "Periodic Videos" channel and they touch on how metals burn with different coloured flames and tend to make very colourful salts, so getting a geologic perspective sounds really interesting.

[@BNugget69]

Transition metals and colors!!!

[@daxsimpkins9183]

Your Like a teacher

[@maryglo1]

Thank you for explaining the grey areas. My college friend wrote a song called Soft Lines. "There are only soft lines in nature..." May have to record that one again. We had a band back then, the eighties...

[@k.taylor3526]

Yes, a vid on why transition metals are the ones that cause most coloration would be great!

[@aanchaallllllll]

0:35: 💎 Gemstones are minerals or organic materials that possess exceptional beauty, rarity, and durability. 3:39: 💎 The video discusses various gemstones, including diamonds, and how they are formed. 7:10: 🌋 The differentiation of rocks over time has led to a decrease in ultramafic volcanic eruptions on Earth, but studying volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon IO could provide insights into the composition of the mantle. 10:39: 💎 The formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks begins with aluminum-rich magma that crystallizes into corundum, creating sapphire or ruby depending on the presence of chromium. 13:45: ⏳ The rate of cooling affects the size of crystal formation, with slower cooling allowing for larger crystals to form. 17:08: ! Different minerals can have different colors and properties due to changes in their structure and oxidation states. 20:29: 🔴 The X text discusses the different colors and impurities found in garnets and olivine. 23:52: 🌋 Regional metamorphism occurs at plate boundaries due to the collision of tectonic plates, resulting in high pressure, temperature, and igneous activity. 27:18: 🔍 The presence of pyrite and turquoise in lapis lazuli adds contrast and shimmer. Recap by Tammy AI

[@matrixtech6917]

I like this video, and the subject of the video! I definitely want the video on transition metals

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

Minerals are so cool. My house sits on outer margin of a large intrusive mafic formation. Results in a magnificent variety of minerals in my backyard stream! Millions of years ago must’ve been a major hydrothermal alteration party back there.

[@Beastclub679]

Yes...i want sum dimond and Ruby 😅😅😅💖

[@knowledgeckr786]

Yes we can get a dozen at the price of £1 including packaging and shipping. Look another success of china. Lol

[@TheLighteningCandle-us6hb]

Not sure if you've already done this or not - but would like to see you do a video on transition metals and the colors in minerals. Thank You for the informative and enjoyable content

[@ianbotha9912]

I worked at Cullinan Diamond Mine. Geologists there told me it was the oldest known diamond pipe in the world with the last eruption happening 1.5 billion years ago. Cullinan is known for Beryllium diamonds as well as for the largest diamond ever discovered. Beryllium diamonds are deep blue in color and worth about five times more than any other diamond because Cullinan is the only volcano known to have produced them. These diamonds have uses in high temperature instrumentation because they maintain a constant conductivity until they sublimate. Interestingly, while I worked at Cullinan Geologists found an old river course 1200meters underground that gave a better yield in diamonds than the pipe it its mud stone horizons The obvious conclusion would be that there is an older but as yet undiscovered pipe in the Clullinan area. I was actually wondering how a volcano such as that could be buried that deeply.

[@YuriyKuzin]

"diamonds are a girl's best friend" but I like them in Emerald :) thank you it was interesting..

[@melodyfalle5708]

Ma'am good morning hingi Sana tolongan mo Ako please may bato ko metiorate bato Kong paano Po binta

[@melodyfalle5708]

Hindi ko maronong English Tagalog lang

[@jhpcool1600]

Good 👍

[@harryrobson1531]

PLEASE DO TRANSITION METAL COLOURS!!! haven’t finished video yet or checked if u already have but pls do :)

[@SickmanOfVietnam]

i like your voice, i want to learn from a gentle voice

[@DerbyKnowledge93]

SPHENE.....while most sphene is crummy, the quality stones are like no other gemstone. Can be called 'The Christmas Tree' gemstone, when multiple colors (red-green-golden yellow) sparkle like a diamond. The main 3 colors of sphene are green, golden yellow, and brown. Rounds are the shape that is most desirable, and when you see a quality stone, it is easy to see why.

[@highenergyog]

As a person that loves rocks I’ve subscribed within the first minute of your video, I’ve been somewhat lucky with finding treasures within our planet and I’m hoping to become more educated on this wonderful subject. Best regards from Lloyd.

[@mechadense]

13:00 - Water seems super duper important for large crystal formation even in non-hydrothermal processes as it lowers viscosity and accelerates diffusion speeds it seems. I wonder if Mercury, Venus, and Moon are rather devoid of large gems due to them being super bone dry. Likely dry not only on their surfaces. Whereas Ceres might have supergiant hydrothermal gems. Lower gravity might also play into that.

[@Netrangerrr]

I love your videos. I am beginning a PhD in geology/geoscience and I am inspired by you helping others. If you ever need help in gemstones again, I'm very good at that I actually work for a mining company that was mining gemstones in Afghanistan and I have a very good survey of various gemstones and can recognize the rough Crystal versions, and sort them by quality to be cut into gemstones for jewelry.

[@barbaradurfee645]

Wow! Fascinating region to explore the geology, I’m jealous😊😊

[@RM-yw6xe]

I just found out that I have a location in BC, Canada for phenakite. Didn't know this stuff was so valuable and rare. Just saying that I really want to see what gemstone you got. A video dedicated to your own stuff behind you wold be so cool, GG.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Wonderful, two generations of lady geologists in one family! I wasn’t among the very first ice-breakers, but in the 80s, there weren’t many of us around.

[@donaldbrizzolara7720]

Rachel: Nicely done! I may have missed it but did you mention the informal designation of precious vs. semiprecious gemstones. I may be wrong but I believe only diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald are considered precious, the remainder semiprecious. Also, a few weeks ago I sent you a comment that you may not have seen. I was just curious to hear your response…so here it is once more: “I’ve been thinking about what initially drove me towards geology. What enticed me about it? I think a large factor was the element of field work (plus minimal math requirements😆!). The ability to work outdoors and attempt to unravel some of the earth’s mysteries to me was irresistible. I think many of us felt that way. Now this may not be applicable to your channel but I would think a video introduction to the nature of geologic field work would be an interesting topic for the general public. I don’t believe that you have addressed this subject in your many videos, but it really is part of the groundwork basic to a geologist’s education. How is data collected and what basic instruments or tools are used? How is an area mapped? What is stratigraphic section and how is it measured? How are contacts and faults delineated? How is structural data collected, etc…etc? It’s a big and fascinating topic. For the past couple of years I’ve even considered tackling the subject myself with a series of “a day in the life of” KZbin videos…but, truly, you would be the very best teacher. At any rate…just a thought…and an idea for future works.”

[@GEOGIRL]

I had a slide about that categorization into precious vs semiprecious, but then took it out because the video was too long haha, but you are correct! Those are the precious ones :) From what I found, however, the distinction is somewhat subjective. Also, I have a feeling you were not alone in taking into account the lack of math required hahaha! ;) Thanks so much as always for suggestions! I certainly have many of those 'field' and demonstrative topics on my list, they are just not on my immediate list due to current time and resource constraints, but I will cover them at some point! In the mean time, I would love to see your take if you do decide to make that series :D

[@sleepygrumpy]

a magical lecture!

[@1969kodiakbear]

Fascinating. By the way, I have difficulty communicating because I had a stroke in Broca’s area, the part of the brain that controls speech. 2/8/2021 but I lived again. (My wife helped me compose this.)

[@dougberrett8094]

It may not be true that synthetic diamond comes only in clear and green. Polycrystalline diamond is black. It is formed naturally, and is called carbonado. It is also pressed onto a tungsten carbide puck to form a PDC [Polycrystalline Diamond Compact] in huge presses. It may be black only because it is polycrystalline and not mono crystalline like gem stones are. It can be polished to a mirror finish, and can make some pretty things. It also stays shiny, if it was polished using very fine diamond grit.

[@EnergyTRE]

Transform or purified by natural processes. Great content. More should comprehend Crystals they hold many keys to our future. Perovskite are my favorites and all the piezoelectrics ♾️🙏🏼

[@hubrigant]

I would definitely like to watch a video of the effects of transition metals on color.

[@JKTCGMV13]

Near the start you used the qualifier “sometimes” for the use of gemstones in industrial processes. I’m curious about the stats for those uses. I bet there are more diamond-containing tools than diamond rings, and other gemstones are even used in things as common as phones.

[@GEOGIRL]

Really? Wow, I would've said there are more diamond rings than tools! But gemstones are not my expertise, so you're probably right. I'll have to look into that, that is such a interesting question! :D

[@justindunlap1235]

Definitely more diamond cutting tools, at a cursory glance I have 14+ diamond abrasive tools sitting on my workbench , and that doesn't even count all of the Dremel bits. Plus the diamonds used are the ones with poor clarity and color and other imperfections so there is a greater supply of industrial use diamonds than gem grade.

[@justindunlap1235]

After a little research, approximately 80 percent of diamonds are used in industrial processes.

[@hazardousmaterials1284]

I work with a drilling crew, taking 5-foot samples of rock cores, and we use diamond coring drill bits all the time. Using the hardest mineral to cut other rocks - it’s only sensible!

[@perentee77]

Gonna check to see if you have any videos on opal formation, especial Australian opals.

[@bigbear7567]

Great video and yes I would like to see that video about transition metals.

[@pucky8231]

I'd like a video about transition metals affecting color of gems please.

[@chaiwarrior11]

Transition metal affect on colourisation would be a great video. Need to brush up, err...relearn a lot of chemistry. Thanks!

[@sydhenderson6753]

The only one I think got left off is zircon, which is often found in granites and other igneous rocks.