The Gobi is rich in mineral deposits, particularly copper and gold. It is rich is siliceous rocks and minerals, such as different types of quartz. Quartz comes in two basic groups—the crystalline group with different types of large crystals, and the cyptocrystalline group that has microscopic crystal whose individual crystals are too small to be seen by the human eye. Both groups occur in the Gobi Desert, but the latter group makes up 95% of the stones sold in the viewing stone markets of northern China. In mineralogical terms, these are classified as different varieties of chalcedony. According to the well-known mineralogist, John Sinkankas, chalcedony is a term used for microscopic quartz crystals that are massed in parallel position, forming dense wax-like masses. Some of the better known varieties of chalcedony are carnelian, agates, chrysocolla, onyx, jasper, chert, and replacements of wood, shells, bones, and other organic matter with silicon dioxide. Petrified wood from the western Gobi is an example. Thus, Gobi Desert viewing stones have shared or common features in that they are formed from crystalline silica. This explains why Gobi stones are typically very hard and difficult to modify, unlike the softer carbonate stones found in southern China.

There are three cities with permanent stone markets that feature Gobi Desert stones. The western-most location is Urumachi in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The eastern-most city is Yinchuan in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and the third--and the most important one--is Alashan in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region. Alashan has grown rapidly in the last ten years to become the stone capital of northern China. Visits to the stone markets in these cities will allow you to see the wide range of Gobi stones.