Gemstone Guide
The Stones Behind Chida Gems
Every piece we make starts with a stone, not a design. Before a single ring or pendant takes shape, we've already spent time choosing that stone for its color, its origin, the way light moves through it. No two are ever quite the same.
This guide is where we share what we know about the stones we work with: where they come from, how they form, the traditions attached to them, and how to take care of them once they're yours. We update it as we work with new stones from our worldwide partners and artisans in Bali and Lima Peru.
Explore Our Stones
Larimar
Found in one mountain range in the Dominican Republic, nowhere else on Earth.
Lapis Lazuli
Mined in Afghanistan for over 6,000 years, once ground into the pigment ultramarine.
Purple Turquoise
A bold, uniform violet stone, and an honest look at how composite turquoise is made.
Malachite
Banded green stone formed from copper deposits, used since ancient Egypt.
Shattuckite
A rare blue-green stone from Namibia, often found alongside malachite.
Peanut Jasper
Named for its mottled, speckled pattern.
Welo Opal
A fiery, water-absorbing opal discovered in Ethiopia's mountains in 2008.
Turritella Agate
A 50-million-year-old stone with real fossil snails preserved inside.
Bumble Bee Jasper
A volcanic stone from one Indonesian crater, not actually a true jasper.
Sky Plume Agate
An agate with cloud-like mineral plumes suspended inside.
Hubei Turquoise
Genuine turquoise from a Chinese region mined for over 2,000 years.
Green Turquoise
Turquoise's bold green side.
Chrysocolla
A vivid blue-green stone once used by ancient goldsmiths to solder gold.
Sonoran Sunrise
Two copper minerals fused into one picture stone from a single Mexican mine.
Black Onyx
A timeless solid-black stone, with a surprisingly honest history.
Dendritic Agate
A clear stone with tiny fossil-like trees branching through it.
Maligano Jasper
A remote jasper discovered in 2011, with fractures naturally healed by nature.
Where These Stones End Up
Browse the full collection to see these stones set in rings, pendants, and bracelets.