| Though none of us will ever see a treasure chest | | | | Fewer flaws mean a more valuable stone. |
| full of emeralds, rubies and sapphires outside a | | | | Inclusions can also help determine if a gemstone |
| pirate movie, most of us will own gemstone | | | | has been treated. As with other factors, clarity is |
| jewelry. It is traditional, but more importantly, | | | | related to type--a flawless emerald would be |
| gemstones are beautiful. When worn properly, | | | | priceless while flawless aquamarines are fairly |
| they are a statement about the fashion sense | | | | common. 'Flawless' means a trained jeweler sees |
| and financial security of the wearer. Since their | | | | no inclusions when examining a stone under 10x |
| value remains fairly stable, gems are an excellent | | | | magnification. |
| way to pass wealth and memories to future | | | | Semi-precious and Artificial Gems |
| generations. | | | | Semi-precious: |
| There's no scientific definition for gem or jewel; | | | | Diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires have |
| these are marketing concepts. Minerals are | | | | always been the most popular gems, so some |
| formed by geological processes continuously | | | | jewelers took to calling other gemstones |
| happening deep inside planet Earth. When people | | | | 'semi-precious'. This was a mistake and it is a |
| excavate certain minerals and cut them into | | | | deceptive term; these jewels are not |
| specific shapes, they become gems. When placed | | | | 'half-precious.' In fact, a prime amethyst or agate |
| in a decorative setting for display, they become | | | | can be much pricier than medium-grade rubies, |
| jewels. | | | | emeralds or sapphires. |
| While these natural processes create an | | | | Likewise, "not all that glitters is gold" wrote J. R. R. |
| astonishing variety of beautiful gemstones, few | | | | Tolkien; and not all that sparkles is a gem. |
| can become jewels in their natural state. Jewelers | | | | Imitations of various qualities and costs are |
| cut and polish stones and use other | | | | available and consumers should not pay for what |
| enhancements to bring out their color and brilliance | | | | they are not getting. By law, these cannot be sold |
| or stabilize their chemical composition, making | | | | without clear identification that they are not |
| more high-quality gems available to the public. As | | | | natural. The FTC defines two types of non-natural |
| much as 80 percent of all gemstones are treated | | | | gemstones: |
| in some way before reaching the retailer. | | | | Lab-created: |
| Gemstone quality | | | | "Lab created...has the same chemical, physical and |
| Like diamonds, are classified and valued by the | | | | optical properties of the natural ruby, emerald, or |
| "Four Cs": | | | | diamond, etc." Minerals have a specific composition |
| Color: | | | | which can be duplicated, so lab-created gems are |
| The most important factor in evaluating | | | | real gems in every sense. |
| gemstones, gems with the brightest, most vivid | | | | Simulant: |
| colors usually command the highest price. Specific | | | | "Simulant (or imitation) merely resembles the |
| gemstones only occur in certain color ranges, | | | | natural stone." Simulants are not the same type |
| based on their chemistry. However, when | | | | of rock, in spite of their appearance. |
| evaluating color, judge carefully: Don't call a peridot | | | | For example, a diamond is pure carbon. A |
| a weak green just because it isn't the same | | | | lab-created diamond is also pure carbon and is as |
| green as an emerald. Sapphires and rubies are the | | | | hard as a diamond because it is a diamond. A |
| same mineral, corundum; rubies are red | | | | cubic zirconia (or CZ) is zirconium oxide. Quality |
| corundum, all other colors are called sapphires. | | | | CZs look so diamond-like that only an experienced |
| Carat: | | | | jeweler can tell the difference (in the stone, that |
| Heavier gems are more rare; so more expensive | | | | is, anyone can tell a diamond from a CZ by |
| than smaller ones. Rarity of large stones also | | | | looking at the price tag). Most natural stones have |
| depends on the type--the world's largest cut ruby | | | | inclusions, while lab-created and simulant gems |
| is just over 23ct, while the largest cut topaz is | | | | have few, or none. These faux treasures are |
| just under 23,000ct! Carat measures the stone's | | | | more affordable than natural stones, they look |
| weight, but the crystal structural and other | | | | real and they're perfectly acceptable wear in any |
| chemical properties can affect density, meaning | | | | jewelry at any time. |
| two stones of the same size may have slightly | | | | Gemstone symbolism |
| different weights. For this reason, colored | | | | Ancient mythologies considered some gemstones |
| gemstones are often listed by size. (By the way, | | | | to be magical; wearing the stones associated with |
| 'carat' measures gem weight; 'karat' measures | | | | one's birth was a way to insure good luck and |
| gold's purity, a 'caret' is a punctuation mark and a | | | | birthstones remain popular gifts. Not to be |
| 'carrot' is a vegetable.) | | | | outdone by the mythologists, gem sellers came |
| Cut: | | | | up with an anniversary gemstone list. Perhaps |
| Determining the final beauty of a stone means | | | | they thought you didn't already have enough |
| picking precise angles and proportions. Diamond | | | | excuses to buy gemstone jewelry for that special |
| cutting focuses on maximizing brilliance (reflected | | | | someone. And, while they probably weren't |
| light), while gemstone cutting is about maximizing | | | | thinking about jewelry, most US states have |
| color. There are many traditional cuts--cabochon, | | | | designated official state gemstones. If your wife |
| emerald, heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess, | | | | is Utah-born, consider a topaz ring for her. If your |
| round brilliant, square--and a quality cut can be the | | | | husband is a native New Yorker, a set of garnet |
| difference between a good stone and a | | | | cuff-links might remind him of home. |
| breath-taking stone. | | | | Regardless of when or why you choose |
| Clarity: | | | | gemstone jewelry, get what you pay for by |
| Flaws (called 'inclusions') exist in all natural | | | | knowing what to look for. |
| stones--part of the proof of their natural origin. | | | | |