The estimated value of natural gemstones produced from U.S. deposits during 2013 was $11 million, a slight decrease from 2012. U.S. gemstone production included agate, amber, beryl, coral, garnet, jade, jasper, opal, pearl, quartz, sapphire, shell, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise and many other gem materials. More than 60 varieties of gemstones have been produced from U.S. mines, but commercial mining of gemstones has never been extensively undertaken in the United States. Most U.S. gemstone production has been from relatively small mining operations, or production has been as a byproduct of the mining of other mineral commodities. In the United States, much of the current gemstone mining is conducted by collectors, gem clubs and hobbyists, rather than commercial organizations.
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