BABEL QUARTZ :
Variety of Hyaline Quartz.

BABYLONIAN QUARTZ :
Synonym of Babel Quartz. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BACALITE :
Name given to a variety de fossilized resin much alike to Amber, found in Mexico (Baja California).

BACCHUSSTEIN :
German term (old term) designating Amethyst.

BACON STONE :
English term (Pierre de Bacon in French) designating a variety of Steatite.

BADAKSKAN-LAPIS :
Lapis-lazuli of Afghanistan, violet-blue or greenish-blue with violet tint.

BAFFA DIAMOND :
Prohibited Appellation : for Rock crystal. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BAGAGEM :
Diamond blue white from Brazil.

BAGRATIONITE :
Synonym Epidote.

BAHIA AMETHYST :
Amethyst from Bahia, generally a more lighter violet than the amethyst from Uruguay but more often reddish and smoky in appearance. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BAHIA EMERALD :
Beryl slightly greenish yellow from Bahia. See Brazilian emerald. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BAÏKALITE :
Variety of Diopside, green in colour and found in Russia (South-East of lake Baikal).

BAKELITE :
Artificial Resin (by condensation of phenol); phenol-formaldehyde ;
tinted or not tinted to imitate Amber.
There are two methods of fabrication.
Physical and optical properties:
- Colour : produced in all colours.
- Transparent to opaque
- Hardness : 2 to 3
- S.G. : about 1.5 (if composed of phenol : 1.25 to 1.30).
- R.I. : 1.55 to 1.62 (if composed of phenol : 1.61 to 1.70).
- Single refractive, resinous aspect.

BALAIS :
French synonym for the French Rubis Balais.
Prohibited appellation for a pink spinel.

BALLAS :
Variety of industrial diamond (See Boart).
Term given to Diamonds of spherical form and particularly hard of Brazil.

BALMITE :
Variety of Sillimanite.

BALTIMOREITE :
Name given by the Americans to a variety of Picrollite from Maryland (Serpentine - Antigorite).
Occurrence :
Bare Hills, Maryland U.S.A.

BALTIMORITE :
= Baltimoreite.

BALYLONIAN QUARTZ :
Synonym of Babel Quartz.
Variety of Quartz Hyalin.

(BAMBOO) OPAL :
It is a mass of silica found in the stems of the bamboo : the colour of blond tobacco, and presenting the characteristics of opal.

BAMLITE :
Variety of Sillimanite.

BANDJASPER :
Synonym = Ribbon Jasper. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BARBARA BERYL :
Name given to a Beryl from Barbara (N.E. of Transvaal). (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BAREKETH :
Synonym = Bereketh. Third stone of the Rational of the Upper Priest of the Jews, often considered as Emerald, but was most probably Amazonite.

BARDIGLIO :
Variety of Calcite. (Source : mineralogical index of the British Museum)

BARIUM GLASS :
Glass with high S.G. and R.I.. Rarely used. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BARKLYITE :
Variety of Corundum Ruby.

BARODA GEM :
American Simili Diamond.

BAROQUE PEARL :
Pearl with irregular form. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BAROCK PEARL :
Synonym baroque pearl. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BARROK PEARL :
Synonym baroque pearl. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BARYTINE or BARYTE:
Collector’s stone.
Ba[SO₄].
Physical and optical properties :
- Colour : colourless to white

- Transparency : transparent to opaque.
- Hardness : 3 to 3.5
- S.G. : 4.3 to 4.6 (gem quality : generally 4.47)
- R.I. : 1.636 - 1.648 (Birefr. : 0.012)
- Biaxial positive.
- Crystal system : orthorhombic.
- Dichroism : none.
- Cleavage : perfect in two directions.
- Sometimes a weak fluorescence.

BASALTINE :
Erroneous Appellation for a pale Amethyst.

BASANITE :
Synonym : Lydian stone or Lydian quartz .
A black jasper .
Touch-stone, meaning : with very fine grain used in non polished plaques for testing metals by analysing the streak left on the stone.

BASTARD AMBER :
="cloudy" Amber (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BASTARD EMERALD :
Synonym for Peridot. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)
Prohibited Appellation for an amerald

BASTARD QUARTZ :
Old miner’s Term designating a white Quartz not associated with other minerals. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BASTITE :
Synonym : Schiller Spar or Serpentine of Saxony.
A light green bronzite  altered more or less completely into Serpentine , often cut as cabochon.
Containing also mainly Chrysolite and/or Lizardite.
Physical and optical Properties :
- Colours : green, resembling  Serpentine.
- Transparency : opaque
- Hardness : 3.25 to 4
- S.G. : 2.5 to 2.7
- R.I. : average : 1.57 to 1.58
- Biaxial negative.
Occurrence :
Germany, MyanMar.

BASTONITE :
Name given to a brownish Biotite in an advanced state of alteration , found in Quartz containing rocks around Bastogne (Belgium) and in the underlying layers of Gedine period rocks.

BATI XAGA :
Term used by the Pomo Indians of California to designate an Obsidian.

BATRACHITE :
Term used in the U.S.A. to designate an imitation of Turquoise composed mainly of brown iron containing Jasper coming from Cuba.

BAVARIAN CAT'S EYE :
Prohibited appellation : Quartz cat’s eye found in several localities (a.o. Hof) in Bavaria (Germany). Producing but few stones of good quality. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BAYATE :
American term for an iron containing Jasper , origin : Cuba.

BAYLDONITE :
Collector’s stone.
PbCu₃[OH|AsO₄]₂
Phisical and optical properties:
- Colour : green.
- Transparency : translucent to opaque.
- Lustre : resinous
- Hardness : 4.5
- S.G. : 4.35
- R.I. : 1.95 - 1.99 ( Birefr. : 0.040)
- Biaxial positive.
- Crystal system : probably monoclinic. Fibrous crystal habit.
Occurrence :
South West Africa.

BAZARUTO PEARL :
Natural Pearl from the Bazaruto isles, near Zanzibar.
Synonym African Pearl. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BDELLIUM :
Substance mentioned in the book of Genesis (II.12); depending on the author, it would mean a pearl, a red stone,  resinous material or manna.

BEAUMONTITE :
Term applied to a variety of Chrysocolla.

BECCARITE :
American term for a Zircon olive-green in colour coming from Sri Lanka.

BEC DE CALAO :
French. In Asia and Africa a bird is found with a large imposing beak surmounted by a casket.
Divers objects are sculpted in this very hard material, golden yellow, red or amber in colour. The structure of the beak resembles ivory : but is translucent and finely zoned lengthwise.

BECKERITE :
Fossilized opaque resin coming from the separation of rubber.
Not to be confounded with Amber.
Beckerite sometimes shows imprints of fruits.

BECKLITE :
Synonym of Beekite.

BECKITE :
Synonym Beekite.

BEEKITE :
Synonym : fossilized Coral.
American term for silicified coral.

BEEF BLOOD CORUNDUM :
Term used in Great-Britain to designate a subdivision of Burmese rubies.
Ruby of a darker red colour than pigeon blood. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BEILSTEIN :
German term. Synonym for Nephrite.

BELGITE :
Synonym for Willemite.

BELLITONITE :
Synonym for Billitonite.

BELL PEARL :
Pearl in the form of a clock or pearshaped. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BELOMORITE :
Name given to a variety of Adularia (moonstone); provenance : White Sea (Russia).

BENGAL AMETHYST :
Prohibited Appellation for violet sapphire.

BENITOIDE :
Synonym Benitoite. (Source : index mineralogical du British Museum)

BENITOITE :
Etym. : after the location where it was discovered in 1906 (thought to be the only location) : San Benito County, California, USA. (since then : also found in Arkansas, and Japan).

Collector’s stone.

Silicate of titanium & barium.
BaTi[Si₃O₉]
Physical and optical properties :
- Colours : dark blue to light blue, colourless.
- Transparency : transparent to translucent
- Hardness : 6 to 6.5
- S.G. : 3.65 to 3.68
- R.I. : 1.757 - 1.804 (Birefr. : +0.047 to 0.049).
- uniaxial positive
- Crystal system : hexagonal (double pyramids).
- Pleochroism :very strong : colourless, greenish to blue.
- No cleavage or cleavage difficult.
- Fluorescence : vivid light blue under SWUV.
- Chelsea Filter : greenish for the blue stones and reddish for the violet ones.
- Only found as small crystals.
Occurrence :
Only found in San Benito County in California, in metamorphic rocks of high pressure.
Inclusions :
Sometimes fine needles of natrolite (=> R.I. varies).
Confusions :
Sapphire. After measuring S.G. and R.I., no confusion possible (S.G. : 4 ; R.I. : 1.76 to 1.77 ; spectrum of iron : a band in the blue around 450 nm).

BEREKETH :
Synonym Bareketh. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BERESDEITE :
Synonym Crocoite. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BERESOWITE :
Synonym Crocoite. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BERGBLAU :
German term. Synonym of Azurite.

BERGKRISTALL :
German term for rock crystal or Synonym for Quartz in general. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BERGGRUN :
German term. Synonym for Malachite or Chrysocolla.

BERGMAHOGANY :
German term. Synonym for Obsidian.

BERGLAZUR :
German term. Synonym Azurite. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BERIGEM :
Prohibited Appellation for a green (chrysolite colour) synthetic spinel.

BERILIO :
Portuguese for Beryl.

BERILLO :
Italian for Beryl.

BERILO :
Spanish for Beryl.