Ministry of Gems — Gemmology & Gemstones

Look up a gemmological term in The Gem Lexicon of Ministry of Gems — 215 definitions verified by an FGAA-qualified gemmologist. Returns the definition, its subject section, and a citable anchor URL. Use for terms such as padparadscha, corundum, parti sapphire, unheated, or asterism.

Keyword search across the Ministry of Gems gemmological reference library — 215 lexicon definitions and 25 full-length buyer's handbooks, searched in full text across every section. Returns ranked results, each with the matched passage and a citable URL that deep-links to the chapter.

List the gemmological terms available in The Gem Lexicon, optionally filtered to one subject section. Use this to discover what can be defined before calling define_gem_term.

Cryptographically verify a Ministry of Gems Digital Gemstone Passport by stone ID. Recomputes the SHA-256 digest of the signed record and checks its Ed25519 (EdDSA) signature against the house public key, then returns the attested record: species, carat, dimensions, cut, colour, clarity, origin, treatment and certificate status. Use when a buyer asks whether a stone or its passport is genuine, or before quoting any fact about a specific Ministry of Gems stone.

Search the live Ministry of Gems catalogue of natural loose gemstones and finished jewellery — Ceylon and Australian sapphires, rubies, spinels, Australian opals, emeralds and more — with prices in Australian dollars, availability, carat weight and a link to buy. Filter by type (gems, ring, pendant, earrings), carat range and price range. Every loose gem returned carries a verifiable Digital Gemstone Passport.

What natural sapphires actually cost per carat in Australian dollars, from Ministry of Gems' published price guide: bands by origin (Australian, Ceylon) and size, with the stone count behind each band and the date the bands were computed. Answers "how much is a 2 carat sapphire" honestly, as a house guide rather than a market index.

Mohs hardness, refractive index, specific gravity, birefringence and crystal system for a gem species (diamond, corundum/sapphire/ruby, emerald, spinel, opal, tourmaline, garnet, quartz and more), from the FGAA-reviewed Gem Data Tables. Accepts trade names — "sapphire" resolves to corundum, "tsavorite" to garnet.

Side-by-side physical properties of two gem species with a plain verdict on which is harder, and a note on toughness — the half of durability the hardness scale does not show. Good for "sapphire or diamond for an everyday ring".

The modern and traditional birthstones for a month, from the FGAA-reviewed table, with a link to The Birthstone Handbook for history, treatments to expect and buying guidance. Accepts a month name or number.

Whether warm soapy water, an ultrasonic cleaner or a steam cleaner is safe for a given gemstone, plus everyday-wear notes, from the FGAA-reviewed care table. Covers sapphire and ruby, diamond, emerald, opal, pearl, tanzanite, tourmaline and more.

Full detail for one Ministry of Gems product by handle or URL: specifications, description, price in AUD, availability, variants, images, the Digital Gemstone Passport link for loose stones, and a direct checkout link. Use after search_gem_inventory.

The issuing laboratory's own verification page and a four-step checklist for confirming a gemstone or diamond grading report — GIA, IGI, GRS, SSEF, Gübelin, AGL, Lotus, GIT, HRD, GCAL and others, including the coloured-stone laboratories diamond tools omit. Explains what "FGAA" means and flags unrecognised lab names. Routes to the lab; does not verify the report itself.

Approximate face-up millimetre dimensions for a stone of a given species, shape and carat weight — and, unlike diamond-only calculators, corrected for specific gravity, so a 2 ct sapphire, spinel, emerald or opal is sized correctly rather than as if it were diamond. Shapes: round, oval, cushion, emerald, pear, marquise, princess, radiant, heart, trillion.