Gem, Mineral & Fossil Identification Guide
Use this guide to identify the gemstones, minerals, and fossils you might dig out of a mining bucket at Pigeon Forge Gem Mine in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. Already sifted your bucket? Try our interactive identification checklist to mark off everything you found.
Jump to: Gemstones · Fossils · Minerals · Zodiac Signs
Gemstones
Gemstones are minerals prized for their color, clarity, and durability. Here are the gems you might uncover in your bucket.
Garnet
Gemstone · Mohs 6.5–7.5 · January birthstone
Garnet is January's birthstone, most often seen in deep wine-red but also found in orange, green, and even purple. It forms in metamorphic rock under heat and pressure, and has been worn for thousands of years as a symbol of friendship and protection.
Amethyst
Gemstone · Mohs 7 · February & June birthstone
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and the birthstone for February & June. Its color, ranging from pale lilac to deep violet, comes from trace iron and natural irradiation. Large crystals grow inside hollow geodes, and it has long been associated with a calm, clear mind.
Aquamarine
Gemstone · Mohs 7.5–8 · March birthstone
Aquamarine is a sea-blue to blue-green member of the beryl family and March's birthstone. Its name comes from the Latin for "sea water," and its blue color comes from traces of iron. The finest crystals are remarkably clear.
Emerald
Gemstone · Mohs 7.5–8 · May birthstone
Emerald is the rich green form of beryl and May's birthstone. Its color comes from chromium and vanadium. Most emeralds hold tiny natural inclusions, poetically called the stone's "jardin" (garden), which help tell a real emerald from an imitation.
Labradorite
Gemstone · Mohs 6–6.5
Labradorite is a feldspar famous for its flash of electric blue, green, and gold — an effect called labradorescence. First described in Labrador, Canada, and also found in Finland and Madagascar, it seems to light up from within when the light hits it just right.
Ruby
Gemstone · Mohs 9 · July birthstone
Ruby is the red variety of corundum and July's birthstone. At Mohs 9 it is second only to diamond in hardness. Its glowing red comes from chromium, and fine rubies rank among the most valuable of all colored gemstones.
Sapphire
Gemstone · Mohs 9 · September birthstone
Sapphire is corundum — the very same mineral as ruby — and September's birthstone. It is best known for its deep blue, colored by iron and titanium, but it actually occurs in nearly every color. Like ruby, it is extremely hard and hard-wearing.
Rose Quartz
Gemstone · Mohs 7 · October birthstone
Rose quartz is a soft pink quartz and an October birthstone. Its gentle color comes from trace minerals, and it has been treasured for centuries as a symbol of love and tenderness.
Citrine
Gemstone · Mohs 7 · November birthstone
Citrine is the golden-to-amber variety of quartz and November's birthstone. Its warm, sunny color has long been linked with energy, optimism, and abundance, earning it the nickname "the merchant's stone."
Tiger's Eye
Gemstone · Mohs 7
Tiger's eye is a golden-brown quartz with silky bands that seem to shift and shimmer as the stone moves — an effect called chatoyancy. It forms when quartz slowly replaces fibrous mineral layers, locking that glow into the stone.
Smoky Topaz
Gemstone · Mohs 7
Smoky topaz is a warm, smoky brown-to-tan stone — a variety of quartz — prized for its rich, earthy color. Its smoky tone comes from natural irradiation deep within the earth.
Topaz
Gemstone · Mohs 8 · April & December birthstones
Topaz is a hard, brilliant gemstone that comes in several colors. Clear topaz is an April birthstone, and blue topaz a December birthstone; it also appears in pink and deep "London blue." Its glassy shine and toughness make it a longtime favorite for jewelry.
Peridot
Gemstone · Mohs 6.5–7 · August birthstone
Peridot is a bright olive-green gem and August's birthstone. It is one of the few gemstones that occurs in only a single color, with the green coming from iron. Peridot forms deep in the earth — and has even been found in meteorites.
Fossils
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of ancient life. Here are the fossils and natural finds that turn up in our buckets and displays.
Petrified wood
Fossil · Ancient plant
Petrified wood is ancient wood that slowly turned to stone as minerals like silica replaced the original plant tissue, cell by cell. The process can preserve the grain, knots, and growth rings so well that it still looks like wood.
Ammonite
Fossil · ~400–66 million years old
Ammonites were sea creatures with coiled, chambered shells that lived alongside the dinosaurs and vanished with them about 66 million years ago. They are related to today's nautilus, squid, and octopus, and their spirals are a collector favorite.
Whale vertebrae
Fossil · Marine mammal
A whale vertebra is a fossilized backbone bone from an ancient whale. These heavy, rounded fossils come from old marine deposits — a reminder that many of today's land areas were once covered by sea.
Shark teeth
Fossil · Marine
Fossil shark teeth are common finds because a single shark can shed tens of thousands of teeth in its lifetime. Made of hard, mineral-rich enamel, they preserve far better than cartilage skeletons and come in many shapes and sizes.
Megalodon teeth
Fossil · ~23–3.6 million years old
Megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived, reaching perhaps 50 feet or more. Its fossil teeth can be larger than a human hand and are highly prized. The name "megalodon" simply means "big tooth."
Water buffalo tooth
Fossil · Ice Age mammal
A fossilized water buffalo tooth comes from ancient relatives of today's buffalo that roamed during the Ice Age. The large, ridged molars were well suited to grinding tough grasses.
Desert Rose
Mineral formation
A desert rose is a rosette-shaped cluster of gypsum or barite crystals that forms in sandy, arid conditions. As the crystals grow they trap grains of sand, giving each "petal" its earthy color and rose-like shape.
Orthoceras
Fossil · ~400 million years old
Orthoceras was a straight-shelled, squid-like creature from the ancient seas, hundreds of millions of years before the dinosaurs. Its long, cone-shaped fossils are often preserved in polished black stone.
Fossilized clam
Fossil · Marine
A fossilized clam is an ancient bivalve shell turned to stone. Some are solid, while others are hollow and lined with sparkling calcite or quartz crystals, almost like a tiny geode.
Arrowhead
Stone artifact
An arrowhead is a stone point carefully shaped, or "knapped," by hand from flint, chert, or obsidian for hunting and tools. While not a fossil, these crafted points are popular natural finds with a deep human history.
Shiva stone
Polished stone
The Shiva stone, or Shiva Lingam, is a smooth, egg-shaped stone gathered from the Narmada River in India. Its banded markings are completely natural, and it holds sacred meaning in Hindu tradition.
Shells
Natural
Seashells are the protective outer skeletons of mollusks like snails, clams, and conches. They come in a remarkable range of shapes, sizes, and colors, and have been collected and traded by people for thousands of years.
Minerals
Minerals and rocks make up the world around us. Here are the colorful minerals you might spot in your mining bucket.
Jasper
Mineral · Mohs 7
Jasper is an opaque variety of quartz that comes in earthy reds, browns, yellows, and greens, often with swirls, spots, or banding. No two pieces look quite alike, and patterned types like picture jasper and ocean jasper are especially popular.
Aventurine
Mineral · Mohs 7
Aventurine is a quartz speckled with tiny flecks of mica that give it a soft shimmer, an effect called aventurescence. It is most often green, colored by a mineral called fuchsite.
Calcite
Mineral · Mohs 3
Calcite is a soft, glassy carbonate mineral found in a rainbow of colors, including orange, honey, blue, and green. Clear "Iceland spar" calcite famously splits light into a double image, and many calcites glow under ultraviolet light.
Quartz
Mineral · Mohs 7
Quartz is the most common mineral at Earth's surface, ranging from clear "rock crystal" to milky white and often forming six-sided points. Hard and durable, it is the parent of many gemstones, from amethyst to citrine.
Granite
Igneous rock
Granite is a coarse, speckled igneous rock made mostly of quartz, feldspar, and mica. It cooled slowly deep underground, which is why its mineral grains are large enough to see, and it is used worldwide for countertops and monuments.
Agate
Mineral · Mohs 7
Agate is a banded form of chalcedony (a type of quartz) that forms in the cavities of volcanic rock. Its colorful rings and stripes are often revealed by slicing and polishing the stone.
Fluorite
Mineral · Mohs 4
Fluorite is a calcium fluoride mineral known for glowing mixes of green and purple and for its glassy cubic crystals. It often shines under ultraviolet light — and in fact gave us the word "fluorescence."
Pyrite
Mineral · Mohs 6–6.5
Pyrite, nicknamed "fool's gold," is a brassy-gold iron sulfide that famously fooled prospectors. It often forms striking cube-shaped crystals with a bright metallic shine.
Sodalite
Mineral · Mohs 5.5–6
Sodalite is a rich royal-blue mineral streaked with white veining. It is often mistaken for lapis lazuli, but it is usually lighter and lacks the gold pyrite flecks that lapis contains.
Fuchsite
Mineral · Mohs 2–3
Fuchsite is a green, chromium-rich variety of mica that sparkles when light catches its flat, flaky crystals. It is the mineral that gives green aventurine its shimmer.
Apatite
Mineral · Mohs 5
Apatite is a phosphate mineral prized for its vivid blue-green to teal color. Interestingly, it belongs to the same mineral family that makes up the enamel of your teeth.
Lepidolite
Mineral · Mohs 2.5–3
Lepidolite is a lithium-rich mica in soft shades of lilac and purple, often with a pearly, scaly surface. It is an important source of lithium and a popular calming display stone.
Carnelian
Mineral · Mohs 7
Carnelian is a warm orange-to-red variety of chalcedony quartz, colored by iron oxide. It glows beautifully when held to the light and has been used in jewelry and carved seals since ancient times.
Moonstone
Mineral · Mohs 6–6.5
Moonstone is a feldspar with a floating, blue-white glow that seems to drift across the surface as the stone moves — an effect called adularescence. That dreamy shimmer has made it a favorite for centuries.
Sunstone
Mineral · Mohs 6–6.5
Sunstone is a feldspar that flashes warm, coppery glints from tiny mineral inclusions inside it. Its orange-to-peach color and inner sparkle give the stone its sunny name.
Zodiac Signs
Every month and zodiac sign has its own birthstone, and many of those gemstones are the very same stones you can dig up in a mining bucket here at Pigeon Forge Gem Mine. Use the guide below to find your zodiac sign, its dates, and the birthstone traditionally tied to it — a fun way to learn a little gemstone lore and pick a favorite before you start sifting.
♑ Capricorn
Zodiac sign · Dec 22 – Jan 19 · Garnet
Garnet is January's birthstone and a natural match for grounded, hard-working Capricorn. It is best known for a deep wine-red, but garnet is really a whole family of gemstones that also appears in orange, green, and even rare color-changing varieties, forming in metamorphic rock under intense heat and pressure. For thousands of years it has been worn as a symbol of loyalty, steady energy, and protection on a long journey — a fitting stone for a sign known for patience and quiet determination.
♒ Aquarius
Zodiac sign · Jan 20 – Feb 18 · Amethyst
Amethyst, the purple variety of quartz, is the birthstone for February & June and suits independent, inventive Aquarius. Its color ranges from pale lilac to deep violet and comes from traces of iron and natural radiation deep in the earth, with the largest crystals growing inside hollow geodes. Long linked with a calm, clear, and imaginative mind, amethyst has been treasured since ancient times — a perfect match for a sign that is always thinking a few steps ahead.
♓ Pisces
Zodiac sign · Feb 19 – Mar 20 · Aquamarine
Aquamarine is March's birthstone and mirrors dreamy, intuitive Pisces. A sea-blue to blue-green member of the beryl family, it takes its name from the Latin for "sea water," and its soft color comes from tiny traces of iron. Sailors once carried aquamarine as a charm for calm seas and safe passage, and it remains a stone tied to peace, hope, and gentle emotion — much like the water sign it represents.
♈ Aries
Zodiac sign · Mar 21 – Apr 19 · Aquamarine
Aquamarine, March's birthstone, carries into the first fiery days of Aries. A sea-blue to blue-green member of the beryl family colored by traces of iron, it takes its name from the Latin for “sea water.” Its cool, clear color is a fitting balance for bold, headstrong Aries — a reminder to pair fearless action with a calm, level head. Sailors once carried aquamarine for courage and safe passage, a good-luck charm for the zodiac’s natural-born trailblazer.
♉ Taurus
Zodiac sign · Apr 20 – May 20 · Emerald
Emerald, the rich green form of beryl, is May's birthstone and a fine fit for steady, nature-loving Taurus. Its lush color comes from chromium and vanadium, and most emeralds hold tiny natural inclusions poetically called the stone's "jardin," or garden, which help tell a real emerald from an imitation. Long a symbol of growth, patience, and renewal, emerald echoes the earthy, dependable nature of the bull.
♊ Gemini
Zodiac sign · May 21 – Jun 20 · Emerald
Emerald, May's birthstone, reaches into the bright, curious days of Gemini. The rich green form of beryl, its color comes from chromium and vanadium, and most emeralds hold tiny natural inclusions poetically called the stone’s “jardin,” or garden. A timeless symbol of growth, communication, and fresh ideas, emerald suits the quick-witted, endlessly curious mind of the twins — the most social and adaptable sign of late spring.
♋ Cancer
Zodiac sign · Jun 21 – Jul 22 · Ruby
Ruby, the fiery red variety of corundum, is July's birthstone and warms nurturing, big-hearted Cancer. At Mohs 9 it is second only to diamond in hardness, and its glowing red — colored by chromium — has made fine rubies among the most valuable colored gemstones on earth. Traditionally a stone of love, warmth, and vitality, ruby reflects the deep loyalty and devotion of the sign of home and family.
♌ Leo
Zodiac sign · Jul 23 – Aug 22 · Peridot
Peridot is August's birthstone and shines for confident, warm-hearted Leo. A bright olive-green gem colored by iron, it is one of the few stones that occurs in only a single color, and it forms deep in the earth — some peridot has even arrived on meteorites. Long associated with light, good fortune, and cheerfulness, this sunny stone is a natural match for the radiant, generous lion.
♍ Virgo
Zodiac sign · Aug 23 – Sep 22 · Sapphire
Sapphire, September's birthstone, is the very same mineral as ruby — corundum — and suits thoughtful, precise Virgo. Best known for a deep, velvety blue colored by iron and titanium, it actually occurs in nearly every color and is extremely hard and hard-wearing. For centuries sapphire has symbolized wisdom, truth, and loyalty, mirroring the careful, sincere nature of the sign.
♎ Libra
Zodiac sign · Sep 23 – Oct 22 · Rose Quartz
Rose quartz, the soft pink variety of quartz, is an October birthstone and a gentle fit for harmony-seeking Libra. Its tender color comes from trace minerals, and it has been treasured for centuries as the stone of love, compassion, and emotional balance. Calm and warm-hearted, rose quartz reflects Libra's love of beauty, fairness, and peaceful connection.
♏ Scorpio
Zodiac sign · Oct 23 – Nov 21 · Citrine
Citrine is November's birthstone and matches passionate, determined Scorpio. The golden-to-amber form of quartz, its warm color has long been linked with energy, optimism, and abundance, earning it the nickname "the merchant's stone." Bright and resilient, citrine reflects the intensity and drive of one of the zodiac's most focused and strong-willed signs.
♐ Sagittarius
Zodiac sign · Nov 22 – Dec 21 · Blue Topaz
Blue topaz, a December birthstone, is a cool, brilliant, and durable gem that suits adventurous, optimistic Sagittarius. A variety of topaz that ranges from pale sky-blue to deep "London blue," it is prized for its glassy sparkle and toughness. Traditionally a symbol of clarity, truth, and far-reaching journeys, blue topaz is a fitting stone for the zodiac's restless traveler and free spirit.