II. Finishing (colored stones)
1 order Jade, lapis lazuli, glavocolite, sodalite, amazonite, Labrador, rhodonite, azurite, malachite, aventurine, quartzite, rock crystal, smoky quartz, agate and its varieties, jasper, vesuvian, pink quartz, written granite;
2 order Lepidolite, fuchsitic slate, serpentine, agalmatolite, steatite, selenite, obsidian, marble onyx, datolite, fluorite, halite, graphite, lapis lazuli, Smithsonian, zoisite;
3 orders of gypsum, porphyry and partially decorative material — breccias, drain quartzites, etc.
III. Organogenic gemstones
Pearls, coral, amber, gagat.
This classification was used for a long time in the USSR and abroad. However, it is not devoid of a number of drawbacks. Thus, some minerals are simultaneously attributed to different orders (rock crystal, agate, smoky quartz, lazurite, etc.), in a number of cases group mineralogical names are given simultaneously with certain specific names (garnet and almondine with uvarovite, beryl, and aquamarine, chalcedony, and agate, carnelian, chrysoprase, etc.). The group of ornamental stones includes a number of minerals, which are now of relatively high value, are considered to be semiprecious and widely used in jewelry (aventurine, malachite, amazonite, rock crystal, smoky quartz, pink quartz, lazurite, etc.). At present, the practical value of many gemstones has changed significantly, which is why the classification of Bauer-Fersmann has become obsolete. In recent years, refined and simplified versions of the Bauer-Fersman classification have been proposed. Below is the classification proposed by V.I. Sobolevsky:
1. Gems (gems)
First grade: diamond, emerald, alexandrite, chrysoberyl, euclase, noble spinel and especially rare varieties of corundum: ruby, sapphire, padparadscha (orange sapphire);
Class II: topaz, varieties of beryl (aquamarine, sparrow, heliodor), tourmaline pink and dark red (sybarite), phenacite, amethyst, zircon (orange hyacinth, green, etc.), noble opal;
Class III: turquoise, rock crystal (colorless and smoky rauhtopaz), chrysoprase, carnelian, agates with beautiful patterns, blood, amber, gagat, etc.
2. Colored stones
First grade: malachite, rhodonite, nephrite, lapis lazuli, amazonite, labrador, aventurine, chalcedony, written granite, etc;
II class: ophiolite, agalmatolite, marble onyx, fluorite, selenium, jasper, seafoam, etc.
In 1973, E. Ya. Kyivenko proposed a modernized classification of colored stones, which takes into account their market value and applicability in jewelry and stone-carving trade. Kievlenko singles out three groups of stones: jewelry (precious), jewelry and ornamental and ornamental.
The first group
I order diamond, emerald, blue sapphire, ruby;
Order II: alexandrite, noble jadeite, orange, yellow, purple and green sapphire, noble black opal;
III order: demand, noble spinel, noble white and fire opal, aquamarine, topaz, rhodolite, moonstone (adular), red tourmaline;
IV order: blue, green, pink and polychrome tourmaline, noble spodumene (kuntsite, hydrate), zircon, yellow, green, golden and pink beryl, turquoise, chrysolite, amethyst, chrysoprase, pyrope, almandine, citrine;
Second group
I order: rauhtopaz, hematite-blood, amber-succinitis, rock crystal, jadeite, jadeite, nephrite, lazurite, malachite, aventurine;
II order: agate, colored chalcedony, kaholong, amazonite; rhodonite, heliotrope, pink quartz, iridescent obsidian, ordinary opal, labrador, white-morite, etc. opaque iridescent feldspars;
Third group
Jasper, written granite, fossilized wood, marble onyx, larch, obsidian, gagat, jespilite, selenium, fluorite, aventurine quartzite, agalmatolite, patterned flint, colored marble;
The Japanese researcher Suzuki proposed a slightly different classification of gemstones (1970). It divides gems into three groups: I, true gems, II, standard gems, and III, semi-precious gems. Group I include diamond, corundum, beryl, spinel, alexandrite, zircon, topaz, pomegranate, opal, and turquoise; Group II includes euclase, fenacite, olivine, tourmaline, spodumen, benitoite, dunburiite, andalusite, staurolite, axinite, cordierite, kyanite, vesuvian, sphene, epidote, prenite, diopside, diopside, sphene. In Group III — lazuli, rhodonite, nephrite, jadeite, malachite, amber, speculator, fluorite, feldspar, and quartz.
In addition to the above mentioned foreign classifications, there are also known classifications of Finances (1955), R. Webster (1962), Pearl (1965) and a number of other researchers. Each classification is characterized by its own peculiarities and differences.