| One question we hear frequently from | | | | want to make sure they are considering the right |
| prospective buyers is, "What are the best values | | | | options in the market. Here is our short list: |
| in natural gemstones in today's market?". | | | | Sapphire |
| Prices on gemstones go up and down depending | | | | With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale and no |
| on supply and demand, but generally they go up | | | | cleavage, sapphire is an superb gem for everyday |
| over time, sometimes dramatically. Give general | | | | wear. Sapphire has a high refractive index, so it |
| pricing trends, virtually every gemstone variety is | | | | has excellent brilliance. It is available in a good |
| a good value today, since they are all likely to be | | | | choice of colors, though blue is the perennial |
| more expensive next year. But the buyer asking | | | | favorite. Most sapphire has been heat-treated. |
| the question has, it seems, something else in mind. | | | | Spessartite Garnet |
| He wants to know, as the Americans say, how | | | | Spessartite is one of the premium garnets, with a |
| do you get "the most bang for the buck." | | | | brilliant orange to orange-red color. With a |
| Since beauty is to some considerable degree in | | | | hardness of 7.5 and indistinct cleavage, it is durable |
| the eye of the beholder, we wouldn't presume to | | | | gem suitable for all kinds of jewelry. It is almost |
| tell you what the most beautiful gemstone is for | | | | always untreated. |
| your money. But we can tell you which stones | | | | Spinel |
| have the best gemstone characteristics based on | | | | Spinel is ranked right below sapphire for hardness, |
| their per carat price. And that seems to us to be | | | | with a rating of 8 on the Mohs scale. Spinel has |
| a reasonable way of defining gemstone value. | | | | both excellent brilliance and impressive dispersion |
| Good gemstone characteristics, in our view, | | | | or fire, especially in the lighter colors. You will find |
| include superior hardness (greater than 7 on the | | | | spinel in a wide range of colors, including red, pink, |
| Mohs scale), durability (absence of cleavage), very | | | | orange, violet and blue. Unlike sapphire, spinel is |
| good transparency and clarity, and interesting | | | | always untreated. |
| colors. Absence of any sort of gem treatment | | | | Tourmaline |
| would be would be a definite plus as well. | | | | Tourmaline has the widest range of colors of any |
| Since there are not that many gem varieties with | | | | gemstone, including many multicolor specimens |
| a hardness greater than 7, it didn't take us too | | | | such as the well-known watermelon tourmaline. It |
| long to put together a short list of the best | | | | has good hardness of 7 to 7.5, and an attractive |
| gemstone values. We didn't try to rank them, or | | | | vitreous luster. Of all the gems on this list, |
| say which is "best"; we think the short list is | | | | tourmaline is the affordable in larger sizes. |
| information enough for prospective buyers who | | | | |