Gemstone Quality

A gemstone is a precious stone cut and polished to use in the making of jewelry. If you are in the market for a gemstone, there are a few things that you should know before you buy. You should estimate the quality of the stone to make sure that you are getting what you pay for. There are a few guidelines to go by to make sure that you are not spending too much on a low quality stone.

If a stone is rare, like a diamond, then it will be expensive regardless of its quality. Sometimes certain rocks will be considered gems, and again, can be very expensive if they are a rarity.

Colored gemstone value is usually assessed depending on the color of the stone. Size is also, of course, a major consideration. Larger stones can be quite rare and can cost considerably more than the same weight in smaller stones. Inclusions, flaws or pits can cause the value of a stone to go down. Cloudiness is another factor. Sometimes gemstones are manipulated to increase their value.

One simple method of making a stone more beautiful is to heat it. Jewelers can increase the color and clarity of many stones by heating them up. Aquamarine stones are usually heated to make them more blue than green and to remove yellow undertones. Almost all rubies and sapphires are heated to improve their color and clarity. Diamonds are the exception here. Heating a diamond can actually burn it.

Emeralds just about always have inclusions. Sometimes these tiny flaws are filled with wax or oil by the jeweler to make them appear smoother. Turquoise stones are also commonly waxed or oiled. Sometimes the wax or oil is tinted to bring out a brighter or deeper color in emeralds and turquoise stones.

If you can not afford the gemstone of your dreams, then you might consider synthetic gems. These are man-made gemstones that are identical, physically and chemically, to naturally occurring gemstones. Therefore, they are often referred to as real gemstones. Cubic zirconia is produced to look like a diamond, but it does not retain the same chemical properties as a real diamond. This is why it is called a cubic zirconia as opposed to a synthetic or lab-created diamond. You can save money by selecting lab-created or synthetic stones. You will have beautiful real stones. The only differences are that they were not found in nature, they can be mass produced and they are not as rare as naturally occurring stones.

All kinds of gemstones are used in jewelry manufacturing today. Whether you are buying an imitation stone, such as a cubic zirconia or going all out on perfect diamond rings, you are sure to have a treasure worthy of admiration.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of diamond rings, eternity rings, platinum rings and gold rings.

The Emerald

The emerald has captivated people throughout ancient history, and remains a treasured jewel today. Like many valuable gems, emeralds have been surrounded by folklore and mysticism and believed to possess supernatural powers throughout history. This vibrantly colored gemstone has been historically thought to bestow good luck on its owner, and instill virtues such as mental clarity, wisdom and youth. Egyptians even buried emeralds with their dead under the belief that they would grant perpetual youth. The emerald was a subject of high regard, even worship, by ancient Incas and Aztecs. The belief that emeralds aid in eyesight has been examined consistently across numerous cultures over time, as has the notion that emeralds can grant insight into the future.

The emerald is a variety of Beryl, a mineral occurring in a range of colors from colorless to pink to green to red. The most widely known forms of beryl are its blue variety, aquamarine, and its green variety, the emerald. The term “emerald” is thought to stem from an Old French word that translates to “green gemstone.” A deep, vibrant green is the characteristic color of the most valued emeralds, a hue attributed to traces of chromium present in the gems. Unlike many other gems, inclusions in emeralds are tolerated as a natural feature, and vibrant, intense green color attributes more to an emerald’s value than the presence or absence of flaws within it.

Colombia is the origin of some of the most beautiful and valuable emeralds in the world. Colombian emeralds are renowned for their deep green hue absent a devaluing blue tint. A majority of the world’s emerald supply today comes from Colombia, with much of it originating in the same areas mined by ancient civilizations. Emeralds are also mined in other areas throughout the world including Brazil, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, and Russia, to name a few.

Emeralds are set in all styles of jewelry. A single emerald makes a beautiful solitaire ring, or multiple smaller emeralds may be set surrounding a larger stone, a popular design for diamond rings. Because of the presence of inclusions in natural emerald, cutting emeralds is challenging and requires utmost precision and skill. The emerald cut, now also a popular cut for diamonds, was created to alleviate some of the challenges associated with emerald cutting and emphasize the beauty of the stone. It is common today for emeralds used in jewelry to be treated with special oil, wax or resin to enhance their appearance.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of diamond rings and other platinum and gold rings. For more information, please visit www.Maliere.com.