Glossary of Terms

Absorption spectrum

Describes the specific bands of light that pass through and those that get absorbed into a gem and disperse into the colors of the spectrum. Different gems have different absorption spectra, meaning they are all unique in regard to which colors are absorbed and which pass through. This plays an important role in identifying gems, and can easily distinguish between an imitation gem that has similar properties to the true gemstone. A spectroscope is the tool used to determine the absorption spectra of a mineral.