GEMSTONES OF THE REALMS

Ornamental Stones
Semi-Precious Stones
Fancy Stones
Gem Stones
Hardstones

ORNAMENTAL STONES

Agni Mani: [10gp]
A name given to certain tektites; bits of glass of celestial (meteoric) origin found in desert regions. The term has been carried to the Realms, where it is applied only to black tektite material, and it is used so here.

Algae: [10gp]
A type of quartz covered with dark brown wavy patterns, cut in slices or cabochon, and polished to bring forth the pattern.

Augelite: [10gp]
A soft, fragile gem found naturally in clear, colorless crystals. It is easily worked without special skill or tools but does not last long in normal use for adornment, and cannot be carved into delicate or intricate shapes without splitting.

Azurite: [10gp]
A form of copper ore, an opaque massive stone of a deep pure blue color, generally uniform but sometimes slightly mottled. It is polished and cut into beads, cabochons, and similar shapes; a stone of uniform color is more valuable. It often occurs in deposits with malachite.

Banded agate: [10gp]
This is the translucent-to-opaque, multi-layered variety of massive quartz. The layers may include brown, black, or white (onyx), pale blue (chalcedony), red-orange(carnelian), and many others, each in a thin layer. It is usually carved into vases, beads, figurines, and so-forth; intaglios and cameos are sometimes carved from pieces with(comparatively) thick layers. Pieces with smoothly concentric bands may be cut into eye agates; otherwise, banded agate is considered to have the properties common to all agate.

Bluestone:[10gp]
A colloquial name in our world for sodalite, which is rich blue in color, soft and brittle. Sometimes it has veins of pink, white, cream, and yellow, and can be found in old and weathered rocky environments (such as the Canadian Shield, or, in the Realms, the Dalering Mountains) in large blocks. It is usually cut cabochon or tumbled in barrels of gravel and sand; very rarely it is hard enough to be cut in facets. In our world itis sometimes called “ditroite,” but appears here under the name it is known by in the Realms.

Blue quartz: [10gp]
This is the pure, transparent, pale- to medium-blue form of crystalline quartz. Fine specimens are faceted for use in inexpensive jewelry. 

Chrysocolla: [10gp]
A translucent variety of chalcedony, colored blue-green to green by traces of copper. It is most highly valued when of uniform color and free of inclusions. Most specimens are tumbled for use as earrings and pendant stones; some are faceted for the same uses.

Corstal: [10gp]
The name by which petalite is known in the Realms. This rare mineral is found in colorless to pink crystals. It is fairly hard, brittle, and commonly has inclusions; when free of these inclusionsit can be faceted, but otherwise is cut cabochon.

Crown of silver: [10gp]
A colloquial name on our world for psilomelane chalcedony,a variety containing abundant minute plumes of black manganese arranged in bands. These polish to a brilliant metallic black. It is usually sliced and polished for inlays so as to best show the
black bands, but can be tumbled or cut cabochon.

Disthene: [10gp]
Also known as kyanite. It is abundant both here and in the Realms. It is easily cleaved, but difficult to cut in facets without unintended splitting occurring, and usually has many inclusions. It is found in crystals ranging in color from dark blue to pale green; fine blue facet-grade crystals are the most prized.

Epidote: [10gp]
An abundant gem, cut in cabochons or facets. Its smallest crystals are clear, but larger crystals are darker and darker shades of red. A variety (known here as piedmontite) can be cut into large cabochons of a deep rose color.

Eye Agate: [10gp]
A piece of banded agate whose bands form a concentric pattern resembling an eye, and which has been cut in a form, such as a circular slice or cabochon, that emphasizes the 'eye'.

Fire Agate: [10gp]
The name given to chalcedony which contains thin lines of iridescent goethite. When properly cut, the iridescence displays red, brown, gold, and green hues, and the finest specimens are partly translucent—this allows the best display of color.

Fluorspar (fluorite): [10gp]
A soft, readily cleavable gemstone occurring in many colors. If the rough gemstone is pale blue green, yellow, purple, or (the rare varieties) pink or red, or is small in quantity, it is usually cut into faceted gems. These are sometimes known as “cabra stones.” A massive, purple-and-white banded variety is used for carving (see Hardstones: Archon or “Blue John”). 

Frost Agate: [10gp]
Also known as “Frost Stone.” This is agate with white markings which resemble frost patterns. It is rare and beautiful, and is usually tumbled and polished glassy smooth. A gemcutter of unusual skill can cut the fragile stone in facets, without splitting, so that at each point where facets meet (such as in a polyhedron cut, the shape of a d20), a “snowflake” of white “frost” appears.

Goldline: [10gp]
The name given in the Realms to what is sometimes called “cacoxenite” (quartz with lines of gold-colored goethite imbedded in it). The stone may be citrine, amethyst, or smoky quartz — the goethite appears as brilliant yellow or gold fibers or tufts that run in parallel lines. Goldline is tumbled or cut cabochon, and usually occurs naturally in pieces of two to three inches in diameter. Sometimes larger slabs are found, but these rarely survive travel unbroken.

Greenstone: [10gp]
The common name, both here and in the Realms, of chlorastrolite (a grey-green variety of pumpellyite) found in nodules of up to ¾-inch diameter in solidified lava flows. It is soft and is usually cut cabochon; the finest quality greenstone can be polished to a glassy finish, and such stones are sometimes called chlorastras.

Hematite: [10gp]
This is an opaque, gray-black massive stone that when powdered or crumbled shows itself to be made up of minuscule blood-red particles (it is a major iron ore). Gem-quality hematite is deep black, fine-grained, and glossy (it is sometimes imitated with steel). It is made into beads, cabochons, pendants, and the like, or smooth-cut for signet rings (which traditionally depict the head of Helm or some other war deity or warrior).

Hyaline: [10gp]
Often used in silver settings, cut as plates or cabochon; it is milky (or “white”) quartz. This milkiness is caused by tiny droplets of water or carbon dioxide trapped in the crystals. There are also often grains of gold in hyaline.

Lapis lazul: [10gp]
A dense, opaque and massive stone of a medium to deep blue color (the deeper and more uniform the blue, the more valuable), usually flecked with golden specks of pyrite (fool's gold). It is carved into cabochons, beads, or figurines, and is
used in slabs for tables, boxes, etc., and for inlay work. It is a fairly soft stone.

Lynx Eye: [10gp]
A specific type of labradorite (a feldspar gemstone). Labradorite is pale to dark grey and has patches of colored reflections. This “flash” is most commonly blue but can be of all shades: “green flash” labradorite is Lynx Eye, a name more often used in the Realms than here. Lynx Eye is usually cut cabochon, and fractures easily, so that most stones are less than an inch in diameter.

Malachite: [10gp]
This is an opaque massive stone, striated in bands of lighter and darker green. It is carved into beads, figurines, cabochons, and the like, and is also sawn into slabs thatare used as inlays or veneers. It often occurs interspersed with azurite; both are ores of copper.

Microcline: [10gp]
A feldspar gemstone usually tumbled or cut cabochon. It is deep green to blue-green, and is sometimes referred to here as “amazonstone.” Microcline is the same material as that known as orthoclase, save that it consists of crystals of a different form. The tridinic crystals cleave easily, so that finished stones may split if handled carelessly. Tiny cleavage cracks reflect light, so that a polished microcline stone shimmers.

Moss agate: [10gp]
A near-transparent to translucent form of massive quartz with greenish or grayish inclusions resembling tendrils of moss. It may be vaguely yellowish or pinkish, sometimes with a smoky tinge. The most valuable variety is almost transparent with pure green "moss". Smoky stones with brown, gray, or black moss are also called "mocca stones". It is usually made into cabochons, beads, or pendants; sometimes the pebbles are simply polished and strung into necklaces. Moss agate is credited with the mystic properties of all agate; the finest stones are also associated with plant fertility.

Nelvine: [10gp]
The name by which albite, a feldspar variety, is known in the Realms. It is soft and fragile, but easily cut with crude tools. It is found in large amounts in older rocks. Here, but not in the Realms, this substance is sometimes called “pigeon stone” due to its white, cream, fawn, or brownish-pink color. It exhibits a beautiful celestial-blue flash of iridescence, or play of reflected color, known as peristerism; this is similar to the adularescence or blue (sometimes silver) sheen of moonstone, another variety of feldspar (which is included in the gem tables of the DMG).

Nune: [10gp]
The name by which staurolite (sometimes called “cross stone” or “fairy stone”) is known in the Realms. It is translucent brown or nearly clear, and occurs in small (up to one inch across either arm) cross-shaped crystals, which are commonly polished to a smooth sheen and pierced to be worn as pendants or, linked, as bracelets. In the Realms, the cross is used as an ornamental and not a holy symbol, and is often seen.

Obsidian: [10gp]
This is a volcanic natural glass, opaque to semi-opaque, that occurs in black, gray, and red-brown varieties, as well as "snowflake obsidian", which is black withwhiteish specks. It is carved or flaked into figures and ornaments; and, an obsidian blade can be flaked to a sharpness not attainable by any (non-magical) metal edge.

Oolite: [10gp]
A quartz variety which occurs in minute spherules. It is solid brown in color, and is very similar to Algae (see above), which is wavy brown. Too small (commonly up to 1/16-inch diameter) to be cut, oolite spherules are usually polished to bring out the color and mounted in silver jewelry (particularly tiaras or pectorals).

Ophealine: [10gp]
The name by which axinite (“glass stone” or, if violet in hue, “yanolite”) is known in the Realms. (The name is pronounced “oh- fee -leen.“) It is commonly brown in color — such a vivid brown that large crystals appear almost opaque. Ophealine is cut in facets, and although not possessing one of the most attractive gemstone hues, it can yield finished gemstones of considerable size, both hard and durable. On the streets of Waterdeep, such gems were once known as “knuckle stones”; when polished and mounted on rings, their sharp edges have laid open many a noble’s or thief’s face at many a drunken
party.

Rhodochrosite: [10gp]
This is an opaque stone ranging in color from pale pink to medium red. It occurs mostly in a massive, banded form, and occasionally in single-colored opaque crystals. It is made into beads, cabochons, boxes, vases, and the like. It is a somewhat soft stone, and fairly vulnerable to acid.

Rosaline: [10gp]
Also known as “unionite,” thulite, or pink zoisite. This is a stone found in massive, soft quantities (usually cut in one-pound blocks for trading, and later cut cabochon), or in harder crystals of vivid trichroism — purple, blue, and red, or purple, green, and red — which is cut in facets. Large crystals of this latter variety have brought prices approaching 1,000 gold pieces when fashions have turned to brooches and rings adorned with rosaline. Purple zoisite is also a common ornamental gemstone, usually called “purple rosaline” in the Realms, whereas the purple is thulite or zoisite here, and the pink variety only is known
as rosaline.

Saganite: [10gp]
A variety of chalcedony with numerous straight needle-like inclusions of a different color (usually ivory or yellow with brown or greenish-black needles). The needles often radiate, star-like, from a common center. Saganite occurs in large deposits and is often sold in fist-sized (or larger) chunks. In Amn (the merchant-kingdom of the Realms), one may well hear two tradesmen discussing the sale price of “a fist of saganite.” In this world, saganite is sometimes called “needle stone,” “love stone,” or “hairstone.”

Sanidine: [10gp]
A feldspar gemstone, pale tan to straw-yellow in color, found on the surface of gravel screes or sand dunes. It is cut into faceted gems of ring-stone size or smaller, and is a favorite of the nomadic desert peoples.

Sarbossa: [10gp]
The name by which what we call thomsonite, lintonite, comptonite, ozakite, “eye stone,” or (to the Inuit) “fire rock,” is known in the Realms. It is found in small (up to 1-inch diameter) nodules in small cavities in rocks formed during volcanic eruptions, is fibrous, and therefore both tough and soft. It is basically grayish-green in color, but is sometimes beautifully colored with rings of pink, red, white and green.

Satin Spar: [10gp]
The sparkling variety of gypsum, also known as “feather gypsum,” used in gemstone carvings. It is very soft but accepts a good polish. It is naturally white, pink, pale orange, or pale brown, but can be dyed to almost any solid hue (This process, however,kills its sparkle.)

Sharpstone: [10gp]
The name given in the Realms to novaculite, a quartz variety that occurs in various colors. Commonly quarried as a gritty sharpening stone, it is sometimes fine enough for gemstone use, cut cabochon. It is difficult to polish to a high luster, but can yield large stones.

Sheen: [10gp]
A variety of obsidian which has many minute spangly inclusions, ranging in color from mahogany to silver and gold (the most valuable — see the section on semi-precious stones). It is usually tumbled (if large and attractive) or cut cabochon, and can be polished to a glossy, gleaming finish.

Silkstone: [10gp]
A quartz gemstone, a special, fibrous variety of Tiger Eye (properly called “binghamite” here) which has a faint chatoyance, or sparkle. It is found in many colors, yellow being the most abundant, and is cut cabochon, tumbled, or used for engraved gems.

Snowflake Obsidian: [10gp]
An obsidian variety found here and in the Realms in large deposits (of volcanic origin); it is black with greyish flower-like patches that often, especially if some stone can be cut away, radiate symmetrically, resembling snowflakes. It is brittle and weak, but often used for small carvings. In the Realms, it is either finished to tumbled gemstone form for sale, or sold in “trade blocks” (large irregular chunks, as quarried, of up to 25 pounds).

Sunstone: [10gp]
A feldspar gem, closely related to moonstone, and more properly known as oligoclase. Oligoclase may be colorless or faintly greenish and of facet grade, but most common by far is its softer (cabochon) sunstone variety. This rarely yields gemstones of over ¾-inch diameter, and has bright red or orange spangles (minute crystals of goethite or hematite) suspended in a nearly colorless background in a parallel fashion, giving the whole a rich golden or reddish-brown color. It is far rarer in the Realms than it is here, but has a similar value.

Thuparlial: [10gp]
The name by which prehnite is known in the Realms: this hard, tough gemstone varies in color from rich green through pale greenish-yellow and yellow to brown. It is translucent and is cut in facets if light-colored, but otherwise cut cabochon. It is abundant in hardened lavas as crusts lining gas cavities in the rock, but only rarely is this crust thick enough or colorful enough to be cut into gemstones.

Tiger eye: [10gp]
This is a translucent to semi-opaque form of massive quartz, displaying a much richer color and luster than most "cat's-eye" quartz does. It is a rich golden-brown, withthe "pupil" a pure yellow-gold color. It is cut into cabochons, pendants, beads, and the like; and the stone in masses is also carved into figurines, bowls, and so forth. 

Turquoise: [10gp]
A translucent-to-opaque massive stone, blue to greenish-blue in color; it frequently occurs with brownish veining. The most valuable is sky-blue, translucent, and without veining; the least valued (and most common) is green-blue, opaque, and heavily veined. It is usually cut into cabochons, or beads and pendants; large pieces may be cut into figurines, and pebbles of a size may be polished and strung together.

Variscite: [10gp]
A translucent stone, deep to pale (yellowish) green, found in nodules or in rock seams. It is also known as lucinite and peganite here, but these names are unknown in the Realms. It is cut cabochon, and (rarely) displays grey and yellow bands and “eyes” (rings) when so cut.

Violane: [10gp]
A purple variety of diopside, found in patches mixed with other minerals. It is cut cabochon, and occasionally yields stones of unusual size.

Webstone: [10gp]
The stone known by this name in the Realms is the substance known as spiderweb obsidian here; it is anobsidian variety in which small pieces of the stone have been cemented together by heat and pressure in an irregular mass, the joints showing as irregular, web-like lines. It is usually black, the join lines sometimes showing white, but brown, reddish-brown, and rust-red varieties have been found.

Wonderstone: [10gp]
A rhyolite variety displaying bands of red, brown, tan, or purple. It occurs in large deposits, and can be cut into blocks of almost a cubic foot in size when quarried. It is typically cut cabochon, and takes a fair to good polish.

Woodtine: [10gp]
Almost unknown in the Realms; its name there is a corruption of the odd term “wood tin,” applied colloquially here to a variety of cassiterite. It is found in large nodules, is brownish and fibrous, and is cut cabochon.

Zarbina: [10gp]
The name given in the Realms to cerussite, an extremely soft, lead-like mineral, colorless and easily cut into brilliant faceted gems. It is usually mounted in ceremonial, little-used jewelry, or set in small metal claw mounts into the sleeves or collar-hems of gowns because of its softness.

SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES

Alestone: [50gp]
Named for its color; it is brown to yellowish-brown, the hues of old ales. More properly called clinozoisite, it is found in crystals and cut into faceted gems of handsome appearance. It is far more plentiful in the Realms than here.

Andar: [50gp]
The name by which andalusite is known in the Realms. Andar is hard and durable, yielding translucent gems (“andars”) that flash green-red or brown-red when properly faceted. Andar is found in crystal form (sometimes as streambed, waterworn pebbles) of small size, averaging ½” in diameter.

Aventurine: [50gp]
A species of quartz containing numerous mica crystals; these give a spangled appearance to such a stone when viewed from certain angles. Aventurine can be golden, medium to light green, and dark to pale blue in color, and is used for tumbled gems,cabochons, and ornamental inlays or carvings. It occurs in large deposits; twenty-pound blocks are not uncommon. It is sometimes called “love stone” here, but this name is unknown in the Realms.

Bloodstone: [50gp]
An opaque massive stone, a form of jasper. It is dark green, sprinkled with deep red patches or flecks. It is cut as cabochons, beads, pendants, and the like, or smooth-cut to display the "blood-drops". It is also called heliotrope.

Boekher: [50gp]
The name by which wulfenite is known in the Realms; this material is extremely soft and fragile, but its tabular red or orange crystals yield small transparent faceted gems for use in ornamental gem-work (i.e., gems on furniture inlays in areas that will not be handled, such as the begemmed spires atop the high back of a throne).

Carnelian: [50gp]
The translucent to near-opaque, yellow-brown to brownish-red variety of massive quartz, often resembling the color of flesh. It is made into rings, bowls, cabochons, small figures, and the like. It is also called sard.

Chalcedony: [50gp]
This is the translucent-to-opaque, blue-white to pale blue or blue-gray form of massive quartz. It occurs in evenly colored and in banded forms. If evenly colored andtranslucent, it may be made into cabochons or beads; all sorts are carved into bowls,
beads, boxes, figurines, etc.

Chrysoprase: [50gp]
This is the translucent apple-green, or sometimes darker, form of massive quartz. It sometimes occurs with a brown veining which, though attractive, reduces the value of the stone. It is made into beads and cabochons, and sometimes carved into figures.

Citrine:[50gp]
This is a transparent form of crystalline quartz, ranging from pale yellow to medium yellow to a clear yellow-brown. Many stones are polished and made into beads, or carved into small cups, figurines, and other shapes; good, clear specimens are faceted. 

Clelophane: [50gp]
The exceptionally beautiful pale green variety of sphalerite (which also occurs in hues of yellow, orange, brown — which is dull and not used in gem work — and red). It yields transparent gems of green “flash” (color play reflection), of unusually large size. Faceted specimens three inches across have been known. Cleiophane is, however, soft and fragile, and such gems wear quickly.

Datchas: [50gp]
The name by which datolite is known in the Realms. It is cut into faceted gems of very pale yellowish-green if of the fine variety. Massive datolite, colored by copper and other minerals, is found in the form of warty nodules of up to 10 inches in diameter. Such nodules range from white to red, reddish-brown, and orange (the most valuable), and are usually cut cabochon or sliced and polished for inlay-work. Pink datolite is also called “sugar stone.”

Dioptase: [50gp]
A soft, brittle gemstone of vivid emerald-green hue. It is found in small, flawed crystals, and yields only the smallest of faceted gems. Larger specimens are extremely rare, and in the Realms command the same prices as emeralds.

Gold Sheen: [50gp]
A rare variety of obsidian, golden in color and flecked with minute spangles. It is polished to a glassy, gleaming finish, usually tumbled so as to retain as much of the stone as possible. It is brittle but in the past was often used to ornament belts or shields in the Realms. (Chips of gold sheen were frequently used as a form of currency in armed camps.)

Hambergyle: [50gp]
The name by which hambergite is known in the Realms. It is very rare, colorless, and fairly hard, yielding small faceted gems. It is found in crystal (or fragmentary) form.

Hydrophane: [50gp]
A gemstone much favored by sailors and aquatic races in the Realms; it is a variety of opal that looks rather unattractive — opaque, of a frosty-white or ivory color — when dry, but when soaked in water, it becomes transparent and iridescent, reflecting a rainbow spectrum of colors like a prism.

Hypersthene: [50gp]
Also known as bronzite, this is cut cabochon. It is brown and opaque (sometimes reddish or greenish), and contains silvery spangles (see Sheen in the Ornamental Stones section above). It is rare in uncracked pieces larger than ½” across, and as a result yields small gemstones.

Iol: [50gp]
The name by which iolite (cordierite) is known in the Realms; nicknames for it here include “violet stone,” although its overall hue is usually blue. Iols are usually cut into faceted gems to best display their pleochroism: that is, the change in color of a stone as it is viewed from different directions. Iols so viewed appear straw-yellow, blue, and dark blue. Small cut iols may be clear, but larger specimens usually contain silky inclusions of another substance, giving a star effect, or even trapped hematite crystals, which give the same rich golden “flash” of color as in sun-stones (see the section on Ornamental Stones).

Irtios: [50gp]
The Realms’ name for danburite, a hard, transparent gemstone that yields faceted gems of middling size. lrtios are pale yellow or colorless, and are found naturally as crystals or water-worn pebbles in streambeds or gravel deposits.

Jasper: [50gp]
An opaque form of massive quartz composed of tiny, interlocking grains and having an oily luster. It occurs in a variety of colors, including blue, black, brown, red, green, and yellow; and in banded, spotted, veined, etc., varieties in almost any conceivable combination. It is carved into beads, cabochons, and the like; it is a traditional stone to smooth-cut for carving signets, seals, and so on.

Luriyl: [50gp]
A soft stone, easily worked and widely used in the Realms; here it is known as apatite and is similarly abundant. Found in crystals, it yields attractive faceted gems of vivid yellow, green, yellow-green, and (rarely) blue and purple. Large specimens of blue or purple command high prices, and are much used in necklaces, pendants, belts and insets in gowns or cloaks.

Melacon: [50gp]
A glassy brown zircon variety, which is found in crystals and provides large faceted gems. These are hard but easily chipped, and are not used in rings or the like.

Mellochrysoe: [50gp]
A vivid yellow variety of zircon, found in large crystals which in the Realms are seldom cut, but rather polished as is, and mounted in metal claw settings for use in rings, brooches, and knife-hilts. It is hard and, left in crystal form, resists chipping.

Moonstone: [50gp]
A white, translucent, massive stone that shows a distinctive white or blue-white play of light, resembling moonlight; there are also greenish, gray, and even red-brown varieties. It is always carved into beads, cabochons, and similar shallow, rounded forms to bring out this effect.

Mykaro: [50gp]
The name in the Realms for smithsonite, a massive gemstone found in many hues (yellow, straw-yellow, pale brown, reddish-brown, green, blue, blue-green), as crystals or as crusts of up to two inches thick in rock cavities. Mykaro is soft and tough when found as a crust, but brittle when in crystal form. It is usually cut cabochon, particularly if it is patterned with thick bands of varying colors, but is sometimes faceted.

Mynleer: [50gp]
The name given in the Realms to phenakite, a hard, colorless, and rare gemstone that occurs in crystals, usually with inclusions so that it yields only small faceted gems.

Onyx: [50gp]
A porous and opaque form of massive quartz, occurring in black or white or a black-and-white layered variety. It is made into beads and cabochons; smooth-cut
for signets and the like; and carved into bowls and figurines.

Orprase: [50gp]
The name in the Realms for pollucite, a brittle, colorless or faintly straw-yellow gemstone of medium hardness. Orprase is found as clear areas in fragments of rock, and yields faceted gemstones of small to middling size.

Phenalope: [50gp]
The name by which rhodonite is known in the Realms. This gemstone is found in crystals with galena, or in massive deposits cut into slabs for sale (the fragments thus produced are tumbled into gems). It is rose-red or pink in color, and yields attractive
faceted stones.

Rainbow Obsidian: [50gp]
An obsidian variety in which all colors save yellow are included in the black or grey base, sometimes in pronounced bands. These may or may not have spangles, and are usually tumbled into irregular gemstones. Like other obsidian, rainbow is hard but brittle, and rarely finds use in places that will receive some wear.

Rock crystal: [50gp]
The colorless, transparent variety of crystalline quartz. The most valuable pieces are free of inclusions; lesser stones often have needle-like inclusions euphemistically termed "love's darts". The stone is often faceted, or carved into crystal balls or fine sculptures; poorer pieces may be polished for use as beads.

Samarskite: [50gp]
A hard and heavy, velvet-black rare-earth mineral with a metallic luster, cut cabochon for mourning gems or black ceremonial finery in the Realms.

Sardonyx: [50gp]
This is a form of massive quartz consisting of bands of the translucent to opaque "sard" (see carnelian) and opaque white onyx.  It is carved into beads, cabochons, figures, seals, and other shapes.

Serpentine: [50gp]
The name refers to a wide variety of related materials known as williamsite, ricolite, verde-antique, picrolite, taxoite, bowenite or “soochow jade,” and so on. Those varieties used extensively for carving are dealt with in the section on Hardstones; here we are concerned with the finest translucent, vivid pure green williamsite, which is cut into faceted gems or cabochons. In the Realms serpentine of this type is widely used in cabochon form, set into ornamented weaponry and harness, rings and courtly jewelry of all types.

Skydrop: [50gp]
The name given in the Realms to clear or lightly colored tektite material; fragments of glass of celestial (meteoric) origin, found in the vast shifting sands of the deserts. Such stones are usually buffed and polished to sparkling clarity, and fixed in claw mounts as pendants or “teardrop” earrings.

Smoky quartz: [50gp]
The transparent variety of crystalline quartz that ranges from gray-brown to brown-black; regardless of hue, it must be clear rather than cloudy to be of value. The very clearest and palest stones are faceted; lesser ones are polished and made into beads, or carved into figurines, small cups, and the like. Certain varieties, especially the paler gray-brown stones or those with a bluish tinge, are also called "cairngorm".

Spodumene: [50gp]
A hard and quite durable stone, also known as kunzite (pink to purple varieties) and hiddenite (emerald-green). It is readily cleaved, cut into faceted gems often of great size, but the kunzite varieties suffer from a strange condition: Their colors fade with the passage of time.

Star rose quartz: [50gp]
The only valuable form of rose quartz, a translucent-to-opaque quartz variety usually found in massive form. Star rose quartz is a rose-pink, translucent crystalline stone (not as red as a ruby) with the usual whiteish six-rayed "star" displayed therein; and, like all stars, it must be cut in a cabochon to bring out this quality.

Tabasheer: [50gp]
An opal-like silica found in the joints of certain types of bamboo. It is irregular in shape and is usually tumbled and buffed to a velvet-smooth finish and worn as tiny stones on rings, or fringe stones on jeweled pectorals or shawls.

Tchazar: [50gp]
The name given in the Realms to aragonite, a straw-yellow gemstone found in elongated, prism-shaped crystal form. It is soft and fragile, and requires skilled cutting to yield faceted gems. Cabochon-cut tchazar is much less valuable; consider it as Ornamental grade.

Witherite: [50gp]
Occurs in large fibrous deposits containing translucent areas large enough to yield faceted pale yellow to whitish gems, or, more rarely, in clusters of translucent yellowish crystals which are cut similarly.

Zircon: [50gp]
This is a transparent, crystalline stone; in addition to the usual pale blue-green and orange-red varieties (these two being the most valued), the stone also comes in brownish-yellow, reddish-brown, green, and purple varieties. It is brittle and difficult to cut, and is traditionally finished as small faceted stones. The orange-red variety is called the "lesser" or "common hyacinth", or the "lesser jacinth"; the smokier form is sometimes called a "jargoon".

FANCY STONES

Angel’s Skin: [100-500gp]
Fine pink coral suitable for use in jewelry; usually found in shallow tropical seas, upon isolated reefs or atolls. It is delicate and easily shattered unless properly treated and mounted. In the Realms, it is slowly sun-baked on large flat rocks to drive off water and tiny animal life (dead from lack of water but still present in the coral) that otherwise would give it an offensive odor not conducive to use for adornment.

Alexandrite: [100gp]
A unique variety of chrysoberyl. In daylight, an alexandrite is brilliant green with a vague bluish tint; in magical light it appears yellow or reddish-yellow; and in the light of a flame (candle, lantern, torch) it appears red with a hint of blue. It is normally faceted, although cabochon cat's-eye alexandrites have been reported.

Amber: [100gp]
The congealed and hardened resin of ancient giant conifers. It appears as lumps of pale-gold to deep-gold color as a rule, but also ranges from an opaque, frothy white form called "bone amber", to the murky, near-black "bog amber". The most transparent golden pieces are more valuable, and the rarest and most precious of these have bits of plants, or even whole insects, preserved within. Amber is carved into beads and cabochons, and sometimes larger, more intricate shapes. It is quite a brittle material, somewhat flammable, and comparatively soft.

Amethyst: [100gp]
The pale- to deep-purple form of transparent crystalline quartz. To be of real value, it should be entirely clear; such stones are faceted. Pale stones, or those with many inclusions, are often polished and used as beads. A massive, translucent -to- opaque form of quartz, often with bands of agate or milky quartz, far less valuable, is made into cabochons and beads, carved into bowls, and so forth; this stone is called "amethyst quartz" to distinguish it from true gem-quality amethyst.

Aquamarine: [500gp]
The aquamarine is a transparent crystalline stone of a pale blue-green; like the emerald, it is a species of beryl, but it shows far fewer flaws (as a rule) than an emerald of equal size. It is normally cut as a faceted stone.

Brandeen: [100-500gp]
The name given in the Realms to what is known here as “stibiotantalite,” a rare mineral which sometimes contains clear areas of reddish-brown to honey-yellow hue which can be cut to yield small, hard faceted gems.

Chrysoberyl: [100-500gp]
A transparent, greenish-yellow to green, crystalline stone. It also occurs as cat's-eyes of a yellow or brownish color, which are sometimes called "precious cat's-eyes", since they are quite beautiful and valuable. Occasionally, chrysoberyl crystals will occur in six-fold forms resembling simplified snowflakes. Clear stones are faceted; the cat's-eyes are cut as cabochons, and the 'snowflakes' are simply polished to emphasize their beauty and symmetry.

Coral: [100gp]
The clean, dry skeleton of tropical marine polyp colonies; jewelry-quality coral is exceptionally compact, solid, and free of pores. The chief, 'red' variety also occurs in shades ranging from pure white to very dark oxblood red; black and blue varieties also exist. All forms are polished and worn as bangles, or carved into beads, cabochons, figurines, and so forth. The black variety is traditionally used for dagger handles, walking sticks, and the like, usually with additional silver decoration. It is a soft but not brittle 'stone', and quite vulnerable to acid.

Euclase: [100-500gp]
A rare gemstone found in small, readily cleavable crystals ranging from colorless to pale yellow, vivid yellow, pale green, and blue — this last hue being the most prized.

Flamedance: [100-500gp]
The name by which rhodizite is known in the Realms; there, as here, it is an extremely rare gemstone found in small crystals or fragments used in lapidary work only when faceted gems can be cut from them.

Garnet: [100gp]
A transparent crystalline stone; in addition to the usual orangish- to purplish-red or red-brown, garnets also occur in black, violet, and even green color varieties. The violet form, also called rhodolite, is the rarest, most prized, and most valuable. Small crystals, the most frequently occurring form, are sometimes drilled and strung into necklaces; larger stones are faceted.

Heliodor: [100-500gp]
A deep yellow variety of “golden beryl” varying in hue from greenish yellow to reddish yellow and yielding large or medium-size faceted gems.

Horn Coral: [100-500gp]
A deep black coral; like Angel’s Skin (see above), it is used for jewelry in polished twig or branch form, or is cut cabochon.

Jade: [100gp]
A translucent-to-opaque, massive stone with an oily luster. It occurs in several color varieties: shades of green, including the near-transparent bright green "imperial jade" (highly prized) and the rare spinach-green jade with its golden glints; white, waxy-looking "mutton-fat jade", which may have patches of green or (rarely) streaks of carmine; and the uncommon yellow, lavender varieties. It has been carved into beads, cabochons, pendants, vases, buttons, figurines, bottles, weapons, musical instruments, and a myriad other forms, for it is hard and dense, and carves well.

Jargoon: [100-500gp]
A rare, red variety of zircon much prized in the Realms (slightly less so here). The name “jargoon” has been carelessly applied here to a large variety of gem materials.

Jet: [100gp]
This is a glossy black, opaque and massive stone, actually a very hard, dense, compacted form of coal. It is usually faceted, or simply polished, for beads and pendants; it is sometimes carved into figurines and other shapes. The stone is flammable under great heat.

Kornerupine: [100-500gp]
A hard, rare, green or brown translucent gemstone that yields faceted gems of up to medium size. It is usually found in streambed or ridge-pit gravel.

Laeral's Tears: [100-500gp]
Gems named in the Realms after the famous sorceress of that world: soft, brittle colorless crystals and crystal fragments of large size. Here the same gemstone is called beryllonite.

Octel: [100-500gp]
The name by which scheelite is known in the Realms; it occurs in soft crystals which yield sparkling faceted gems of pale yellow or orange hue. Large, irregular crystals are often used for carved pendants or inlays.

Orbaline: [100-500gp]
The name given in the Realms to what is known here as benitoite. It is a relatively soft gemstone usually found in fragments. These can yield blue to colorless faceted gems, usually small.

Pearl: [100gp (Black variety: 500 gp)]
The pearl is the end product of layers of secretion with which certain mollusks surround bits of foreign matter in their shells. When the secretion hardens, it takes on a unique luster which originates in its dispersion of light just below its surface. It occurs in many shapes: round, teardrop, "button" (flat on one side), and the myriad irregular forms known collectively as the baroque" pearl. This is generally the order of value as well, with only the most lustrous and largest baroques being treasured. As well as the traditional "pearly white", these stones come in less common color varieties in a range from yellow and pale rose to the rare, lustrous deep black. They are mounted in all sorts of jewelry settings (mountings often use half-pearls), and, being easily drilled, are strung in various ways — by graduated sizes or in a uniform string; in single, multiple, or even braided strands. Fresh-water mollusks sometimes yield pearls, but these are usually of much poorer quality than from a salt-water mollusk. Pearls are quite vulnerable to acid, fire, and electrical attacks, to crushing blows, and other physical trauma. They may be damaged by sudden changes in temperature, and are alleged to deteriorate if left untouched for great lengths of time, although sea water will supposedly negate any such deterioration. 

Peridot: [500gp]
A transparent, crystalline stone, usually a clear yellow-green, although it can vary from near emerald-green to almost an olive-green. The better stones are faceted; flawed or cloudy stones are polished for  beads, or made into cabochons, as are the occasional cat's-eye peridots. The stone is also known as chrysolite. 

Raindrop: [100-500gp]
The name given in the Realms to cassiterite, specifically to the flawless, colorless crystals or areas in larger dark brown crystals. These can yield small, hard, durable faceted gems. In the Realms, the stones are usually fashioned into velvet-polished teardrop shapes for use on cloaks and other garments, hence their name. The colored material is much less valuable. (See Woodtine in the section on Ornamental stones.)

Rusteen: [100-500gp]
The name by which microlite is known in the Realms. This dark reddish-brown to pale brown gemstone yields small faceted stones much prized for sword and harness ornamentation in the North due to their durability; rusteen is less rare in the Realms than it is here. 

Scapra: [100-500gp]
The name given in the Realms to the finest scapolite, which yields pale to medium yellow faceted gems. Found in rough crystal form, scapra is somewhat soft, lending itself to easy cutting by the unskilled — but proving unsuitable for the wear and tear of serving as clothing ornamentation, or in ring stones.

Shandon: [100-500gp]
The name by which natrolite is known in the Realms; its slender, colorless crystals yield tiny faceted gems used often in veils and robes to capture the effect of beads of water glistening upon the material. Such gems will fetch their true value only when sold to gem-cutters and others familiar with them — they are too small (and colorless) to impress the eye of the uninitiated.

Sinhalite: [100-500gp]
A rare stone, found in both worlds only in streambed gravels (or the deposits left by vanished streams) as pale straw-yellow to yellow-brown water-worn pebbles. It yields cabochon gems of up to an inch in diameter.

Sphene: [100-500gp]
A soft, brittle gemstone (and, like Scapra, thus easily worked by unskilled cutters) of various yellow to green shades. A fine emerald green is the most prized hue. Sphene crystals can be cut into beautiful sparkling faceted gems of small and medium size.

Spinel: [100gp]
This is a transparent, crystalline stone that occurs in a range of colors from gray-green to blue-black to purple to deep red to rose. The most valuable "non-precious" stones are a pure deep red; the deep blue form is more valuable still, but also much more scarce. Spinel is usually faceted, but extremely large specimens of the better sorts are simply polished and put into highly elaborate mountings.

Star Diopside: [100-500gp]
The most prized form of a hard, durable gemstone that is rarely found in attractive colors. It is usually too dark in color for beauty, but mountain and streambed-pebble crystals of pale green hue provide attractive semi-precious stones (see Diopside in the section on Semi-precious stones). A few specimens of darker green provide four-or six-rayed stars when cut, and these are valued at 100 gp (or more) each.

Topaz: [500gp]
A transparent, crystalline stone, normally yellow to golden yellow-brown in color; colorless, pink, and blue varieties are also known. Because it cleaves easily, it is often difficult to cut well; it is generally faceted, but cloudy specimens may be cut as cabochons or pendants. Occasionally, large crystals of startling clarity are discovered.

Tourmaline: [100gp]
A transparent, crystalline stone, normally yellow to golden yellow-brown in (some specimens are so cloudy as to be nearly translucent). It occurs with fair frequency in a bewildering variety of colors: white, blue, gray, purple, red, orange, yellow, brown, green, near-black; and in combinations of two and even three colors in a single stone. Clear stones are faceted; cloudy ones are cut into cabochons or beads, or carved into figurines. The largest and cloudiest crystals are often sawn into slices, especially in order to display such color combinations as the "watermelon tourmaline": deep green exterior, bright red
interior. Stones with deep, pure colors are usually more valuable, even when the colors are combinations. Cat's-eye tourmalines occur in all colors and combinations, and are made into cabochons.

Tremair: [100-500gp]
The name given in the Realms to “hexagonite” (the pink variety of tremolite). Tremair is found in small, clear crystals which yield even smaller faceted gems.

Ulvaen: [100-500gp]
A stone which is prized in the Realms; soft but shatter-resistant, it can be easily worked by unskilled cutters into large cabochons or faceted gems of pale to rich yellow hue. It is rarer, and less prized (due to its softness) here, where it is known as amblygonite.

Wateratar: [100-500gp]
As rare in the Realms as it  is here (where it is known as achroite or colorless tourmaline). The only material valued for gem use is that entirely free of flaws and inclusions, which can yield quite large faceted gems, colorless but sparkling.

Ziose: [100-500gp]
The name given in the Realms to a particular facet-grade variety of zoisite; a rare mineral that yields cut stones that flash three vivid hues depending on how the light catches them or in what direction they are viewed: purple, blue, and red, or purple, green, and red. Very large (fist- or foot-sized) specimens are sometimes found, and are prized for use in pendants for humans, demi-humans, and humanoids of large stature.

GEM STONES

Amaratha: [1,000+gp]
Also known as “shield-stone,” this is a soft, greenish-white or very pale green sparkling gemstone. It is thought to be unique to the Realms, and is found there in the form of small lumps or nodules in deep rock strata. Too soft to wear well in exposed settings (such as in rings, at the top of a staff, or at the peak of an ornamented helm), it serves magnificently as a gem set in large body jewelry or other protected positions. Shieldstone attracts and absorbs electricity in a 10-foot radius, and can be used to protect those who wear it or accompany the wearer. A one-inch diameter sphere of shieldstone will absorb up to 6 hit points worth of electrical damage, so that a large number of shield-stones worn as a necklace could absorb a natural or magical lightning bolt, electric eel shock, or the like. In absorption, the shieldstone is consumed, vaporizing at the rate of a 1”-diameter volume per 6 hit points of damage absorbed. If an attack exceeds the capacity of a shield-stone or group of shieldstones, all will vaporize and the excess hit points of damage will be suffered by creatures or objects in the vicinity.

Beljuril: [1,000+gp]
Presently unknown outside the Realms; found there as smooth-surfaced, fist-sized stones, asymmetrical but roughly spherical. Beljurils are durable and very hard; cutting one typically wears out several sets of metal tools, so they are usually worn in pectorals or shoulder-plates which are fashioned with claw settings. Normally a deep, pleasant “seawater” green, beljurils periodically blaze with a sparkling, winking, flashing light. This discharge is pleasantly eye-catching in a candle-lit great hall or a lantern-lit dancing grove, but in a dark chamber or murky night, it is dazzling. At random, beljurils absorb some heat, light, and vibratory energy from their surroundings (up to 3” distant), and periodically — usually about once per turn, but rates vary from stone to stone, regardless of size or age and for no known reason-discharge this stored energy in a “flash.” The discharge is silent and cold; the sparks given off are few and do not carry a strong electrical jolt. Beljurils are sometimes used in experiments by mages, alchemists, and artisans, but have not yet proven useful as a power source. Beljurils are often used for warning lamps or night beacons by the wealthy. Beljurils occur in old rock, usually in blue claystone. No beljurils significantly larger or smaller than fist-sized have yet been found.

Black opal: [1,000gp]
Variety of opal in which the body color is smoke black, deep green, and dark blue, forming an almost opaque background in which its opalescent color play is displayed. It otherwise has the properties of the other forms of opal.

Black sapphire: [5,000gp]
A blue-black form of the sapphire, so dark as to approach translucence. It is usually faceted, or can be cut into a cabochon, especially the cat's-eye and star varieties. 

Diamond: [5,000gp]
A transparent, crystalline stone, the hardest substance known in nature. The most valued color is a clear bluish-white; most lesser stones are clear white or off-white, but other less valued color varieties are known, among them mauve, pink, peach, and chartreuse. The gem is always faceted.

Emerald: [1,000gp]
This is a deep bright green stone, transparent and crystalline, always showing a number of inclusions. Usually it is faceted; an occasional stone with a vast number of inclusions will be made into a cabochon, as will the infrequent cat's-eye emerald. A
large, comparatively flawless stone will be more valuable than a diamond of similar qualities — and much, much rarer.

Fire opal: [1,000gp]
This is an orange to orange-red form of opal, ranging from transparent to transparent with mottled translucence. It does not always have the intricate color play of other opals; when play is present, the stone is more valuable. If transparent, it is often faceted; usually it is made into cabochons otherwise.

Jacinth: [5,000gp]
The jacinth is the orange to fiery red-orange variety of the hard, transparent crystalline mineral corundum (rubies and sapphires are also corundum). It is faceted, except in the case of the rare translucent cat's-eye and star jacinths. It is also known as the "true" or "greater jacinth", the "greater" or "oriental hyacinth", and the "orange sapphire".

Jasmals: [1,000+gp]
A durable, very hard gemstone found in the form of small veins or (very rarely) larger seam deposits in certain mountain ranges in the Realms. It is so hard that it can hold a cutting edge and can even be worked into small weapons. When polished, jasmals catch sunlight or torchlight and, although themselves remaining transparent and colorless, give off haloes of amber light Jasmals are usually cut cabochon, and thus appear as small glassy globes of orange light when worn on cloaks or tunics.

Kings' Tears: [1,000+gp]
Sometimes called “Frozen Tears,” these are known only in the Realms, and are rare indeed. Clear, teardrop-shaped, smooth-surfaced, and awesomely hard (as yet unbreakable, even by hammer and forge), these stones are said to be the crystallized tears of long-dead necromancer kings. In each gem can be seen that which the weeping king loved long ago: in some, women; in some, lands now lost and forgotten or greatly changed with time; in some, dreams. The true nature of these stones and the images seen within them is unknown, but sages value these gems above all others.

Moonbar: [1,000+gp]
Pearly white, opaque gem-stone crystals found in desert and tropical areas of the Realms. Moonbars are naturally large and rectangular (with curved corners), and have a smooth, shiny surface, so when found and washed clean, specimens are immediately suitable for use as gems; cutting is only required when fragments are found. The largest known moonbar serves as the lid of an unknown king’s casket in a barrow on the Trollmoors, and is almost seven feet long, but most are approximately a foot long and four inches wide.

Opal: [1,000gp]
This is a translucent, massive stone, usually pale blue-white but displaying an array of red, yellow, green, and violet highlights when light is reflected from its surface. Many varieties exist: a mosaic of small colored areas of play is the mark of a "harlequin opal"; near-transparency and a moonstone-like appearance distinguish a "water opal"; near-opacity, paleness, and limited play of color indicate the common "milky opal"; and there are several others (see black opal and fire opal). It is made into cabochons and other low, rounded forms to best display the play of colors. It is a soft and somewhat brittle stone; and, heated opals may lose part or all of their opalescent color play, and thus much oftheir beauty and value.

Orblen: [1,000+gp]
A rare gemstone unique to the Realms, yielding deep golden gems of large size. The hue of the material has earned it the nickname “honeystone,” and it is much favored in the North.

Orl: [1,000+gp]
A gemstone believed unique to the Realms, where it is found only in “blue caves” such as those at Whaeloon. Orls are found in the softest rock, as sharp-edged, spindle-shaped, symmetrical crystals of red (sometimes tawny or orange) hue. Red-hued orls are the most valued, and some orl fanciers prefer to wear the unfaceted, natural crystals rather than faceted cuttings.

Ravenar: [1,000+gp]
The name given in the Realms to schorl, the black variety of tourmaline. Highly valued in the Realms, it is rarely used in jewelry here and has little value. Ravenar is commonly used in the Realms for inlay-work on daggers, buckles, and the like.

Red Tears: [1,000+gp]
Gems unique to the Realms, where legends say they are the tears of lovers for their men slain in battle, stained red by the spilled blood of the fallen. Red tears are teardrop-shaped, glossy-surfaced crystals of unusually vivid fiery orange, cherry red, or blood-crimson hue. Most such gems are found in deep mines or gorge-walls, where old rock has been exposed.

Ruby: [5,000gp]
The ruby is a moderate-to-deep red, transparent variety of the hard crystalline mineral corundum (sapphire and jacinth are also corundum). The finest rubies are absolutely clear and uniformly of that deep red color called "pigeon's blood"; lesser stones may vary from a paler red to a somewhat garnet-like red tinged with purplish-brown. It is usually faceted, but cloudy specimens may be made into cabochons, as may the rare cat's-eye; see also star ruby.

Sapphire: [1,000gp]
This name is traditionally reserved for the moderate-to-deep clear blue tradum, one of the hardest substances in existence; "sapphire" is also sometimes used to refer to other color varieties of corundum, such as the "orange sapphire" or jacinth. The sapphire is usually faceted, but there are the occasional cat's-eye sapphires; and see also black sapphire and star sapphire. Among the color varieties of corundum that are not given other names, and are therefore called "(color) sapphires," are pinkish, chartreuse, clear/white, and brown; and each color of corundum occurs in cat's-eye and star forms as well.

Star ruby: [1,000gp]
The star ruby is a translucent ruby with a whitish "star" at the center, cut into a cabochon to display the asterism. It otherwise conforms in all respects to the description and properties of ruby.

Star sapphire: [1,000gp]
The star sapphire is a translucent, deep blue sapphire with a whiteish "star" at the center, cut in the cabochon shape to display this phenomenon.

Tomb Jade: [1,000+gp]
Rare and highly prized both here and in the Realms, this is jade which has been buried for great lengths of time, and has turned red or brown. Buried jade can also be turned green by bronze objects buried near it; jade of such hue is no more valuable than normal jade.

Water Opal: [1,000+gp]
Colorless, clear opal with a “play” of color. It is rare and valuable both here and in the Realms. Colorless, transparent opal without such a play of color is known as “hyalite,“ and is much less valuable (10 gp base value).

Zendalure: [1,000+gp]
A gemstone presently unknown outside the Realms, where it is found as large (2- to 6-inch diameter) egg-shaped crystals in solidified lava flows. These mottled blue-white crystals are polished to a glassy finish and most often seen as inlays and tiny cabochons for rings, earrings, and pendants.

HARDSTONES

Alabaster: [5sp/lb.]
The finely textured but brittle white form of gypsum (plaster). It has the same ornamental uses for structure interiors in the Realms as it does here.

Archon: [2gp/lb.]
The name by which “Blue John” (see Fluorspar in the Ornamental Stones section) is known in the Realms.

Hornbill Ivory: [7sp/lb.]
Not ivory at all, but rather material from the beak of the hornbill bird. A very similar bird (heavier, and with grey plumage) is found in the Realms, and the material is used in the same fashion.

Iris Agate: [2gp/lb.]
A massive variety of agate much used in temples in the Realms for effect; its vivid colors can be seen only when light shines through it.

Ivory (or dentine): [1-5 gp, depending on quality/lb.]
The substance that provides the teeth of all mammals; whenever the teeth or tusks are large enough, they can be used for carving — thus, ivory in our world comes from the tusks of the elephant, the teeth of the hippopotamus, and the tusks of the walrus, narwhal, and boar, and the teeth of the cachalot whale. Tiny quantities of fossil ivory (from prehistoric elephants, mastodons, and sabre-toothed tigers) can also be found here. In the Realms, ivory also comes from creatures that are not found in our world. Unicorn horns, it should be noted, are not used for ornamental carving, and command prices of thousands of gold pieces from alchemists. The price of ivory depends on its hardness and durability, its hue and any mottling of colors, and the shine or surface it can take. Prices depend on current preferences; what is valued highly in a particular place or time may be extremely cheap elsewhere and else when.

Lumachella:[26sp/lb.]
Also known as “Fire Marble,” this is a rare, dark-brown fossil marble variety containing small, iridescent opal-like snails (lumachella means “little snail”), known both here and in the Realms.

Luspeel: [3gp/lb.]
The name by which magnetite is known in the Realms; it is used in temples for its properties — i.e., a kneeling worshipper will find his ferrous metal weapons and accoutrements adhering to the floor.

Marble: [3gp/lb.]
Also called calcite, it is as widely used here as in the Realms, for its beautiful colorations, its ability to take a polish, and its abundance. It is extremely heavy, but is easily quarried in precise dimensions without fracture or wastage.

Meerschaum: [2gp/lb.]
Sometimes known as sepiolite, this is used in the Realms as here, for small carvings and for pipes. White and porous, it is light and can therefore be quarried and transported in large pieces without much equipment.

Pipestone: [1gp/lb]
A soft, easily carved brown to red-hued carving stone used both here and in the Realms. It is also known as catlinite.

Psaedros: [6sp/lb.]
The name by which lepidolite is known in the Realms; it is a soft pink to mauve mica rock used in low-priced carving. With time, its colors fade.

Serpentine Stone: [3gp/lb.]
The name by which “verde antique” is known in the Realms; the massive variety of serpentine (see the Semi-precious stones section).

Soapstone: [9sp/lb.]
A brittle and soft stone, it is thus unsuitable for fine carving, but is easily worked by unskilled hands, and can be quickly brought to a warm, glossy finish.

Star Metal: [10,000gp/lb.]
Another name for meteorite, this stone is as rare in the Realms as it is here, but smiths there have mastered the technique of forging it (adding small amounts to alloys of more common metals) to make weapons of great strength and durability — hence the material’s high price. Tiny pieces are sometimes sliced and polished for inlay work.

Sulabra: [7sp/lb.]
The name by which argillite (or “haida slate”) is known in the Realms. It is not as rare there as here, and is widely used for inexpensive carvings. It is soft and grey, cleaving easily in planes, and is low-priced due to its hue and softness.

Tempskya: [1gp/lb.]
A form of quartz which we refer to in this world as petrified wood; the silicified woods vary widely in hue (black or white through red, yellow, tawny, brown and sometimes pink), and, like the original wood, vary in size from twigs to huge logs. Some are difficult to polish because of differences in hardness across a tempskya surface, and most have fractures and inclusions of clear quartz, opal, or chalcedony. In the Realms, as here, tempskya of pretty grain and hue is sometimes cut and polished cabochon for personal ornamentation, but usually is cut in flat slabs, polished, and fitted for inlay-work.

Turritella: [8sp/lb.]
A type of agate (quartz) consisting of many small silicified shells. The shells are conical and spiral in appearance, less than an inch long, and the rock is dark brown in color. It is quarried in slabs and used in inlay work or for facings (as a cheap alternative to marble).

Xylopal: [22sp/lb.]
The name used in the Realms for opalized wood, or “lithoxyle”; it is more highly prized there than here, where it is usually fashioned into bookends, polished for collectors, and so on. In the Realms it is more often used for table inlays and personal adornment.