Jewelry IdentifierGreen Gemstones
The best-known green gemstones are emerald, jade, and peridot — plus greener varieties of garnet, tourmaline, and sapphire.
If you have a green stone and want to know what it is, the green usually comes from chromium, vanadium, or iron. Emerald and jade are the classics, but a dozen other gems show up in green — here's how to tell them apart by hardness, transparency, and typical value.
| Green gemstone | Hardness (Mohs) | What it is / how to spot it | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald | 7.5–8 | The most valuable green gem; a beryl colored by chromium, usually with visible inclusions ('jardin'). | High |
| Jade (jadeite) | 6.5–7 | Tough, waxy-to-glassy green; imperial jadeite is among the priciest gems in the world. | Mid–High |
| Jade (nephrite) | 6–6.5 | Softer, more common jade — creamy to deep spinach green, often carved. | Low–Mid |
| Peridot | 6.5–7 | Bright yellow-green, colored by iron; the birthstone for August. | Low–Mid |
| Tsavorite garnet | 6.5–7.5 | Vivid green grossular garnet — brilliant and increasingly collectible. | High |
| Demantoid garnet | 6.5–7 | Rare green andradite garnet with fire rivaling diamond. | High |
| Green tourmaline | 7–7.5 | 'Verdelite' — ranges from grassy to deep forest green. | Mid |
| Green sapphire | 9 | Very hard corundum in olive-to-grass green; durable and affordable. | Mid |
| Chrysoprase | 6–7 | Apple-green chalcedony, translucent and evenly colored. | Low |
| Malachite | 3.5–4 | Opaque banded green; soft, so used for cabochons and carvings, not rings. | Low |
| Aventurine | 7 | Green quartz with sparkly mica inclusions (aventurescence). | Low |
| Prehnite | 6–6.5 | Translucent oily green-yellow, often with a glowing look. | Low |
How to identify your green stone
Color alone won't confirm a gemstone — several green stones look alike but differ in hardness, weight, and value. The fastest way to know what you have is to photograph it and run it through the free Gemstone Identifier, then confirm whether it's natural or a simulant with the Is It Real? tool. For what the piece is worth, get a free jewelry appraisal.
Frequently asked questions
Have a green stone and not sure what it is?
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