Importance of Cut and Polish in Gemstones

Cut is one of the all-important 4Cs and is used not only to appraise diamonds but gemstones in general as well. Gemstones are often cut with regard to their size alone. But beautifully cut gemstones take their color into consideration as well.

If you are shopping for faceted gemstones, one way of determining the excellence of its cut is to check if it is able to reflect light on a consistent level throughout its surface. Look for symmetrical rather than asymmetrical cuts as well. Lastly, be reminded that cut is different from shape.

Polish is simply adding the final touches to a gemstone. A well-polished gemstone is one with evenly smooth gloss and with no visible scratches on its surface.

What about carats? Bigger is not always better. Understanding how gemstones are weighed and measured if a very important factor when purchasing an antique engagement ring or even a vintage engagement ring.

Although bigger seems better and more expensive, it is not always so in the world of jewelry. In fact, size is not even synonymous with carat weight and you need to keep that in mind when shopping for gemstones and antique jewelry.

Carat Weight versus Size

Diamonds and colored gemstones alike are evaluated and appraised according to the 4Cs which are made up by cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Carat weight is much different from size and definitely more important than the latter. Also, take note that carat is different from karat, which is the measurement unit used for gold. Carat weight uses the abbreviation ct and ct TW for carat total weight.

In the past, carob seeds were traditionally used to measure a gemstones weight because of its uniform shape and size. In 1913, however, the jewelry industry managed to set universal standards for measurement and the carat weight system was born.

One carat is always equivalent to one-fifth or twenty percent of one gram. One carat is made up of one hundred points. As a gemstones weight goes up, so does its value or price per carat.

The way carat weight is discussed is occasionally a cause for confusion. Remember that a gemstone with .005 ct may be called a half point gemstone. A .25 ct gemstone could be called a quarter carat while a .50 carat gemstone may be referred to as a half carat or fifty points.

Gemstones are often listed according to their size because it is more uniform than carat weight. Two different gemstones may have the same size but different carat weights and consequently, different prices as well.

Understanding the principles and values of a gemstone can only ensure a perfect sale and the knowledge that you really do know what you are purchasing when it comes to gemstones.

About Buying Fine Gemstone Jewelry

Something that is fun to own and is also an investment is fine gemstone jewelry. Almost everyone has a piece of jewelry with diamonds in it, it’s true, and they go with anything. However, fine gemstones can say a lot about who you are with elegance and classical taste.

You can find jewelry with precious and semiprecious stones that correlate to your birth month. If you’re not particularly enamored with your assigned birthstone, you may have to reconsider the type of gem you wear. February, for example, has amethyst as its birthstone, but perhaps purple is not your favorite color or it doesn’t suit your personality. There is green amethyst, however, which is sometimes referred to a prasiolite, and it is a lovely, pale green. Garnets and sapphires can be found in an array of different colors, so that you can wear your birthstone proudly in a color you love.

Fine gemstone jewelry can be made with investment grade gems. Some gemstones are relatively rare and more difficult to find. The names of some of them may be unfamiliar to you, as they never reach the general market because of their limited quantities. Some investigation will be necessary to discover which gems are the most rare and sought after, and where they can be acquired. You can select from so many more fine gemstones than sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.

Take your time in putting together a collection of fine gemstone jewelry. Running up your credit card balances will take a lot of the enjoyment out of owning gemstones. Put money aside, instead, so that you can purchase jewelry when a coveted piece goes on sale at a reduced price, or your birthday arrives and you want to treat yourself. People definitely notice fine gemstone jewelry, so you will want your pieces to reflect your individual taste. Classical pieces are always wise choices if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on jewelry. Versatile jewels like diamonds and pearls can tolerate daily wear. Fashion jewelry that reflects the current trends will look out of style in a relatively short period of time, and you may grow tired of it.

It is best to spend more money on fewer pieces of fine gemstone jewelry, as it will always be in fashion. Gemstones in every color imaginable will beautifully accessorize your clothing, and you might even begin your own collection of fine gems.

Online Gemstone Dealers

There are hundred of online dealers offering gemstones for sale. The attraction of buying gemstones online is similar to that of any other product — the buyer is looking for the best possible selection at the best possible prices.

However, buying gemstones online is a bit riskier than buying books or cameras. The product is not standardized, for one thing. For another, gems are very small objects and their colors and details are extraordinarily important. Buying a fine gemstone on the basis of photographs and descriptions can be challenging.

But the risks in online gemstone buying are balanced by the rewards. Prices for gemstones online can be as much as 50% less than retail shops or even wholesale distributors who are far down the supply chain for gemstones. There are meaningful savings to be found online, especially for buyers who themselves are in the gemstone or jewelry business.

Selecting a reputable dealer can look like a daunting task. But like any other specialized product, you want to find a dealer who is an expert in his or her field, and for who gemstones are a vocation, not just a business.

Here are some useful hints for finding a gem dealer who is as passionate about gemstones as you are:

* Look for a dealer who carries a large stock. The world of gems is vast, and there are more than 100 different varieties of natural gems. A professional dealer will stock the rare and exotic gems as well as the standard types. Also look for a substantial stock in each gem type. That means the dealer buys in quantity and you’ll have a wider choice of cuts, sizes and colors.

* Look for a dealer who frequently adds new gems to his stock. The supply of gems from the mines is constantly changing, and serious dealers are opportunistic buyers who always take advantage of new material as it comes on the market. Fine gems that may be plentiful this month may be impossible to find the following year. A dealer who is always buying is a dealer who is closely following the market.

* Look for a dealer who provides lots of information about gemstones. Experts have expert knowledge and usually love to share it. Look for information about the history and characteristics of the different types of gemstones, as well as information about gem mining, cutting and polishing, gemstone pricing and developments in the gemstone business.

Emeralds are the Most Expensive Gemstone

One thing that most people know is that emeralds are a major gemstone and that they are expensive. That’s largely because emeralds are a type of the mineral beryl and they are rare. They come in varying shades of green.

It is chromium, vanadium or iron elements in the stone which make that lovely green colour. On the Moh’s scale of hardness where the hardest is diamond at 10, emerald comes in around 7.5. So it is reasonably hard but rubies and sapphires come in harder around 9.

Where are they found?

Emeralds are found in India, South Africa, Russia, Pakistan and some small deposits in the USA. The most important emeralds come from Columbia.

Just how expensive is emerald?

Well, if you get any other gemstone of the same weight as an emerald, chances are most likely that the emerald will be the most expensive. So in that sense it is the most expensive gemstone in the world.

What should I know about emeralds?

One thing you should know is that emeralds often have lots of inclusions or imperfections inside them and the outer surface is often not perfect like a diamond. In order to make enhance the stone most emeralds are oiled after they have been cut. Sometimes emeralds have cracks in them which are filled with resin. These treatments have been used for longer than you have been alive and they are accepted as standard practice in the jewellery industry. Generally, you will be told by the seller of the stones treatments. Certainly you should ask if this is the case.

Are there Synthetic Emeralds?

Yes most definitely. In fact most of the emeralds you will see in the lower end to moderate end of jewellery in shops will be created emerald. It is cheap and beautiful and the only reason you shouldn’t buy it is if you love emeralds and you want and can afford real natural emerald gems.

How do I know which is a good emerald?

Think about all gemstones that you purchase in the same way:
Weight, colour, clarity and brilliance. When these qualities increase then the stone gets more expensive and its price will increase. So in simple terms a small, dull emerald with not much life to it is going to be cheap and not worth much. On the other hand, a large, vibrant, clear looking but beautiful green emerald that make you gasp is going to cost a lot and be worth it perhaps!

My advice is that if you a re looking to buy a natural emerald for that special piece of jewellery and are gong to pay well for it then buy from someone that you feel you can trust. Talk to the gemologist or jewellery and several would be better than one. Do some research by books and the internet about the stone. This will not only help you chose the right one for you but it will add some valuable interest to your purchase. Emerald is the birthstone for May.

Gemstone and Jewelry Legends

Gemstones have mesmerized and enticed people for centuries. Legends have developed throughout the world and followed these gemstones until today. These legends and stories have only served to intensify the interest with which these gemstones have been followed. Think about the image that is brought to mind when the Hope Diamond is mentioned. Many more stones have stories and legends to equal that of the Hope.

Diamond Legends

Perhaps the Hope Diamond is the most legendary gemstone of all. It has the reputation of bringing disaster to its owner. It shows red under a uvlight and is a fancy gray blue under natural light. The stone is said to be recut from a larger stone to its current shape. The Smithsonian Institute owns it. The Hope Diamond is not the Heart of the Ocean mentioned in the movie Titanic as some have said. The Hope Diamond was not on the Titanic.

Many of us have of the Taylor-Burton Diamond at 69 carats was Richard Burton’s 40th birthday gift to Elizabeth Taylor. She sold the stone in 1978 to pay for a hospital in Botswana. She still wears another gift, the Krupp Diamond, which is 33.19 carats.

Pearl Legends

Probably the most famous story about pearls was about Cleopatra. She is said to have bet Mark Anthony that she could host the most expensive party. To do so, she dissolved a large pearl earring in vinegar and drank it.

Early Romans thought that pearls were created as a drop of rain penetrated between the layers of the oysters. The Persians had a legend that the pearl was created at the point of meeting between the rainbow and the earth.

Opal Legends

The Aborigines (native people of Australia) believe that ancestors to mark their presence left behind the opal. Some groups feel that Opals brought them fire. One local legend suggests that Muda, in the form of a pelican created Cooper’s creek. He died where the opals are found and the fish in his pouch turned into opals.

Emerald Legends

Emeralds were considered to be healing in the distant past. Legend has it that in the 3rd century, emeralds were used to rest the eyes and to make snakes go blind. In Arabia, it was thought that emeralds would melt the dissolve a snake’s eyes. Other uses of emeralds were to cure dysentery, stomach troubles and even diabetes.

It was thought that the Holy Grail was carved from an emerald that fell from Satan’s crown. The Incas and Aztecs thought the emerald was a holy stone. It has even been suggested that emeralds would provide royal ancestry to commoners.

Emeralds are a form of corundum and legends abound about their powers and history, but Rubies are also corundum, and few if any legends follow Rubies.

Sapphire Legends

Early people thought that the earth was set into a sapphire. Early Persians believed that the earth rested on a Sapphire and the sky is blue because it is reflected from the Sapphire. One old legend even suggests that a snake put in a vessel with a Sapphire would die. It was believed that the Ten Commandments were written on Sapphire tablets.

Gemstones have mesmerized and enticed people for centuries. Legends have developed throughout the world and followed these gemstones until today. These legends and stories have only served to intensify the interest with which these gemstones have been followed. Think about the image that is brought to mind when the Hope Diamond is mentioned. Many more stones have stories and legends to equal that of the Hope.
Diamond Legends
Perhaps the Hope Diamond is the most legendary gemstone of all. It has the reputation of bringing disaster to its owner. It shows red under a uvlight and is a fancy gray blue under natural light. The stone is said to be recut from a larger stone to its current shape. The Smithsonian Institute owns it. The Hope Diamond is not the Heart of the Ocean mentioned in the movie Titanic as some have said. The Hope Diamond was not on the Titanic.
Many of us have of the Taylor-Burton Diamond at 69 carats was Richard Burton’s 40th birthday gift to Elizabeth Taylor. She sold the stone in 1978 to pay for a hospital in Botswana. She still wears another gift, the Krupp Diamond, which is 33.19 carats.
Pearl Legends
Probably the most famous story about pearls was about Cleopatra. She is said to have bet Mark Anthony that she could host the most expensive party. To do so, she dissolved a large pearl earring in vinegar and drank it.
Early Romans thought that pearls were created as a drop of rain penetrated between the layers of the oysters. The Persians had a legend that the pearl was created at the point of meeting between the rainbow and the earth.
Opal Legends
The Aborigines (native people of Australia) believe that ancestors to mark their presence left behind the opal. Some groups feel that Opals brought them fire. One local legend suggests that Muda, in the form of a pelican created Cooper’s creek. He died where the opals are found and the fish in his pouch turned into opals.
Emerald Legends
Emeralds were considered to be healing in the distant past. Legend has it that in the 3rd century, emeralds were used to rest the eyes and to make snakes go blind. In Arabia, it was thought that emeralds would melt the dissolve a snake’s eyes. Other uses of emeralds were to cure dysentery, stomach troubles and even diabetes.
It was thought that the Holy Grail was carved from an emerald that fell from Satan’s crown. The Incas and Aztecs thought the emerald was a holy stone. It has even been suggested that emeralds would provide royal ancestry to commoners.
Emeralds are a form of corundum and legends abound about their powers and history, but Rubies are also corundum, and few if any legends follow Rubies.

Sapphire Legends
Early people thought that the earth was set into a sapphire. Early Persians believed that the earth rested on a Sapphire and the sky is blue because it is reflected from the Sapphire. One old legend even suggests that a snake put in a vessel with a Sapphire would die. It was believed that the Ten Commandments were written on Sapphire tablets.