gemology

This term describes a specialized branch of mineralogy focused specifically on precious and semi-precious stones. It carries a professional and academic connotation, typically associated with laboratory analysis, certification, and the high-end jewelry trade rather than the casual act of collecting rocks.

As a field of study ending in the suffix -logy, the word is an uncountable mass noun. It refers to the abstract body of knowledge or the academic discipline itself, meaning it cannot be pluralized or counted with numbers; one does not refer to multiple gemologies.