Gemstones beginning with U

Click the gemstone name or picture to visit our online store

• This index includes a wide variety of information about all of the gemstones from which our wholesale beads are made, including some that are not currently stocked but might be reordered in the future.
• Stones are listed in alphabetical order, grouped by family; for instance, Botswana Agate is listed under Agate, and Red Snowflake Obsidian under Obsidian.
• The "also known as" (aka) listings are often misnomers; we're just letting you know of other names we've seen (right or wrong!).
• To the best of our knowledge, all of our gemstones are natural and untreated, unless otherwise noted.
• We use the term "dyed" to describe stones to which color has been added through some process or another. The stone coloring process does not necessarily involve a colorant like those used for cloth.

	Unakite (-051) aka Spring Jasper This granite gemstone could almost be called unique-ite! The rock is an interesting mix of red/pink feldspar, white/gray quartz and epidote (a pistachio-colored gemstone, calcium aluminum iron silicate hydroxide). Its coloring and compact, hard structure make it a nice stone for jewelry. It was named for the Unaka Mountains in the Southeastern U.S.A., where it was first discovered. Unakite is relatively new to the market but is growing in popularity. Ultrasonic cleaners, steaming and soapy water are all generally safe methods for cleaning this durable stone. However, rough handling should be avoided. Unakite is considered a balancing stone. It is said to help unify the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of self, making it an excellent stone for those seeking a well-rounded existence. Unakite also is believed to help us to live in the present instead of dwelling on the past. It is said to help us release the mental or emotional blocks that can often stop us from moving forward. Unakite is purported to stimulate the health of the heart and circulatory systems, and ensure a healthy reproductive system. This gemstone is found mainly in the U.S.A., but also in South Africa, Brazil and China.
	Uvarovite Uvarovite is a rare garnet with outstanding brilliance and color. Its tiny emerald-green crystals are of great interest to scientists, mineral collectors and a growing number of beaders. Uvarovite is the only garnet without a true gem use, because it almost never occurs in crystals large enough to be faceted. For this reason, uvarovite beads are not cut from a crystal of the stone, but are whole chunks of rock that contain uvarovite crystals. Uvarovite is a calcium chromium silicate. As with the other calcium garnets, uvarovite is formed from the metamorphism of impure siliceous limestone and rocks that contain chromium (which yields a green hue). It is often found in kimberlites — unusual intrusive rocks that often contain diamonds - and is therefore used as an indicator mineral in the search for diamonds. Uvarovite is named for Russian nobleman Count Sergei Semeonovich Uvarov (1786-1855), who was an avid amateur mineral collector and a member of the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg. The stone can be difficult to distinguish from tsavorite, a less-rare green garnet discovered in Africa in the 1960s. Uvarovite is purported to remove toxins from the body and help treat disorders of the heart and lungs. Mystics say it will release old emotional traumas and aid in accepting things that have happened in the past. It's also said to promote mental clarity, instill a sense of peace, enhance relationships and keep negative energies at bay. Sources of uvarovite include Finland, Russia (Ural Mountains), the U.S.A. (California), Canada (Quebec) and South Africa.
Why can't I click on some stone names? Some stones are not currently part of our regular stock, meaning we don't sell them in our wholesale catalog or online. However, these may still be available on our traveling Bead Show tour, which stops at more than 50 U.S. cities each year.

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