African turquoise isn’t turquoise. Kambaba jasper isn’t really jasper. And those sparkling little Herkimer diamonds? Quartz!
If you’ve ever looked at a bead label and thought, “Wait… what am I actually holding?” you’re in good company. The bead world has plenty of names that have stuck around even when they don’t quite match the material.
There’s a word for that: misnomer. And I’m so happy to share this in a blog post instead of stomping around bead shows grumbling, “That’s a misnomer! That’s not turquoise!” 😂
A misnomer simply means an incorrect name. Some started as nicknames, some describe a resemblance, and some sound a little more glamorous than the stone’s actual identity.
Let’s meet a few. They’re still beautiful—just with a different story to tell.
African Turquoise: A Familiar Color, a Different Stone
With its blue-green shades and earthy markings, you can see how African turquoise got its name. But the material commonly sold under this name is jasper, rather than turquoise.
Love its mottled colors? Keep loving them! Knowing the name just helps you understand what you’re working with.
Kambaba Jasper: Those Swirls Have a Volcanic Story
Kambaba’s deep greens and dark circular patterns look like little worlds tucked inside a stone. You’ll often hear it described as fossilized algae or an ancient stromatolite.
Here’s the twist: examined Kambaba material has been identified as rhyolite, a volcanic rock, rather than jasper or fossilized algae. Its swirling patterns are still wonderful; the volcanic story is pretty wonderful, too.
Rainbow Moonstone: A Surprise in the Feldspar Family
That dreamy flash of blue and other colors belongs to labradorite. Rainbow moonstone is a widely used trade name for this lighter, translucent-to-transparent material.
Traditional moonstone and labradorite are related feldspars, so this one is more of a family mix-up. You can still call it rainbow moonstone—just know who’s behind that glow.
Herkimer Diamonds: Quartz with Points at Both Ends
Despite the name, Herkimer diamonds are quartz. The classic crystals come from the Herkimer region of New York and naturally grow with points at both ends.
They don’t need to be diamonds to be fascinating. Those naturally formed crystal shapes are part of their charm.
And What About Moss Agate?
This one is a gentler naming wrinkle. Moss agate and dendritic agate are chalcedony with mineral inclusions. Their patterns can look like moss, ferns, or tiny trees—but there are no plants trapped inside.
In the strict sense, agate is banded chalcedony. When these stones don’t have banding, “moss chalcedony” or “dendritic chalcedony” is more precise. Still, moss agate and dendritic agate are longstanding, familiar names.
Dendritic Agate: Tiny Trees Made of Minerals
Those delicate branches that look like trees or ferns are mineral inclusions, often iron or manganese oxides. “Dendritic” describes that branching shape—there are no fossilized plants inside!
Like moss agate, this is chalcedony. If it has no banding, dendritic chalcedony is the more precise name, although “dendritic agate” is a familiar, longstanding name. Think of this as a small naming wrinkle rather than a completely different stone hiding behind the label.
A Few More Names You Might Recognize
- Picasso jasper: the classic Utah material is Picasso marble.
- Bumblebee jasper: a calcite-rich material, rather than jasper.
- New jade: usually serpentine.
- Green amethyst: prasiolite, or green quartz, commonly produced by treating suitable amethyst.
- Cherry quartz: commonly manufactured glass in the bead trade.
- Goldstone: manufactured glass with tiny metallic crystals that create its sparkle.
A trade name alone doesn’t tell you everything about a bead. Suppliers sometimes use the same name for different materials, so it’s always helpful to ask: “What is the actual stone?”
For us, learning about beads is part of the joy of collecting and creating. A stone doesn’t lose its beauty when we learn its real identity—it gives us another story to share.
Which name surprised you the most?
LIVE. LOVE. CREATE.
Sources and further reading
- African turquoise trade name — Fire Mountain Gems
- Kambaba / Crocodile Jasper — Mindat
- Rainbow moonstone — GIA
- Herkimer quartz — Mindat
- Picasso marble — Mindat
- Bumble Bee Stone — Gem-A
- Chalcedony and its varieties — Mindat
- New jade / serpentine — Fire Mountain Gems
- Prasiolite — GIA Gems & Gemology Spring 1982
- Cherry quartz glass — Fire Mountain Gems
- Goldstone glass — GIA