Mineralogical Simulant

Green Obsidian Sphere (man-made glass)

Vitreous Silica with Chromium/Iron additives

Cubic Zirconia

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2)

Faceted Quartz or Cubic Zirconia

SiO2 (Quartz) or ZrO2 (Cubic Zirconia)

Clear Quartz (Faceted) or Cubic Zirconia / Glass imitation

SiO2 (if Quartz), ZrO2 (if Cubic Zirconia)

Colorless faceted gemstone, likely glass or cubic zirconia

Probably cubic zirconia (zirconium dioxide, ZrO₂); diamond cannot be confirmed visually

Colorless faceted gemstone (likely glass or cubic zirconia)

Likely cubic zirconia, ZrO₂; exact identification is uncertain from the photograph

Diamond (or Simulant)

Carbon (C) or relevant simulant formula (e.g., ZrO2 for Cubic Zirconia)

Diamond (or Simulant)

Carbon (C) or Cubic Zirconia (ZrO2)

Clear gemstone earring (likely cubic zirconia)

Cubic zirconia (synthetic zirconium dioxide, ZrO₂); identification from the image is uncertain

Diamond (or Simulant)

Carbon (C) or Cubic Zirconia (ZrO2)

Diamond (or Simulant)

Carbon (C)

Cubic Zirconia (or possibly Diamond)

Zirconium dioxide (or Carbon)

Black-and-white spotted jasper (likely dalmatian jasper), polished beads

Commercially called Dalmatian jasper; typically a feldspar-rich rock with dark inclusions, not true jasper (microcrystalline quartz). Exact composition cannot be confirmed from the image.

Painted beach pebble

Unidentified natural pebble; underlying lithology cannot be determined from the image

Diamond (or diamond simulant)

C

Cubic Zirconia (simulant) or Diamond

ZrO2 (Cubic Zirconia) or C (Diamond)

Mixed mineral and shell specimen assortment

Primarily unidentified quartz-/feldspar-like pebbles with possible dark basalt or iron-rich fragments; white pieces may include shell or calcite

Diamond (or Diamond Simulant)

C (Carbon) or synthetic equivalent

Diamond (or Simulant)

Carbon (C) or various simulants (e.g., Cubic Zirconia)

Diamond (or Simulant)

Carbon (C)

Diamond (or Simulant)

Carbon (C)

Pistachio-green and dark mineral-bearing rock, possibly serpentine with dark inclusions

Undetermined; the image is insufficient for reliable species-level identification

Clear Quartz (Faceted)

SiO2 - Silicon Dioxide

Dalmatian jasper (often sold as Dalmatian stone)

Quartz-bearing microgranular felsic rock, commonly an altered rhyolite or related volcanic rock with black aegirine/arfvedsonite-group inclusions

Manganese Dendrite on Siltstone

Manganese Oxide (pyrolusite or psilomelane) Dendrites

Pyrite Sun (Pyrite Dollar)

Iron Disulfide (FeS2)

Pink faceted gemstone, likely synthetic cubic zirconia or pink sapphire

Uncertain from image; possible zirconium dioxide (cubic zirconia, ZrO₂) or corundum (pink sapphire, Al₂O₃)

Cubic Zirconia (Set in Jewelry)

Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO2)

Serpentinite

Serpentinite (composed primarily of Serpentine group minerals, e.g., Antigorite, Lizardite, or Chrysotile)

Diamond (or Diamond Simulant)

Carbon (C) if diamond, various if simulant (e.g., Cubic Zirconia ZrO2)

Citrine

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Faceted Clear Quartz or Diamond Simulant

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) if Quartz or Cubic Zirconia (ZrO2) if Synthetic

Cubic Zirconia

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2)

Silicon Carbide (Carborundum)

Moissanite (SiC)

Diamond stud earrings

Diamond, crystalline carbon (C)

Colorless faceted gemstone, likely glass or cubic zirconia

Uncertain; possible cubic zirconia (zirconium dioxide, ZrO₂) or synthetic glass

Flint or chert fragment

Microcrystalline quartz (SiO₂), commonly termed chert or flint

Silicon Carbide (Carborundum)

Silicon Carbide (SiC) / Moissanite (natural)

Moissanite

Silicon Carbide (SiC)

Weathered brown rock fragment, possibly iron-rich sandstone or altered basalt

Indeterminate; likely an iron-oxide–stained silicate rock

Polished banded calcite/aragonite tower

Calcite (CaCO₃), possibly aragonite (CaCO₃)

Clear faceted gemstone, likely synthetic cubic zirconia

Cubic zirconia (zirconium dioxide, ZrO₂); visual identification is not definitive and diamond or synthetic moissanite are alternatives