| The colors of the rainbow caught forever in | | | | Clarity is the absence of internal flaws that can be |
| glittering jewels that take your breath away. | | | | seen with a magnification of 10. Most colored |
| Colored gemstones can rival diamonds for their | | | | gemstones naturally have inclusions or flaws. A |
| beauty but how are they valued? | | | | prime example are emeralds which very rarely |
| Even though sapphires, rubies and emeralds differ | | | | don't have flaws. The lighter the color of the |
| in color and weight for example, there is a | | | | stone the more visible the flaws become, while |
| consistency in how they are valued. And that | | | | the darker the color of the stone the less |
| includes lesser known gemstones like tourmaline, | | | | obvious. The type of flaw and where it occurs in |
| alexandrite, peridots, and garnets as well. The four | | | | the stone affects its value as well. |
| characteristics that determine value in a colored | | | | Cut is the way a stone is faceted to bring out the |
| gemstones are color, clarity, cut, and carats, but | | | | best characteristics of that particular stone for its |
| the most important is color, color, and more color. | | | | type. The cut brings out the color, fire, and |
| The intensity of the color and the closer it comes | | | | brilliance of the stone, not sacrificing one for the |
| to the true spectral color means the stone has | | | | other. Unlike diamonds colored gemstones can also |
| more value. Emeralds should be a pure green, | | | | be presented as a smooth rounded surface |
| rubies the reddest red, and sapphires a deep rich | | | | known as cabochon cut. Cabochon cut sapphires |
| blue. As the color varies from the spectral ideal, | | | | and rubies often reflect a star and are known as |
| the value declines. For example: Burmese rubies | | | | star sapphires and star rubies. |
| have the best color. Rubies that are a lighter red, | | | | Carat is the weight of the stone, not how big it is. |
| reddish orange, or with a touch of brown or a bit | | | | Different types of gemstones have different |
| of blue aren't nearly as valuable. | | | | weights when cut to the same size. The density |
| Color is measured in intensity or saturation, in | | | | of rubies is greater than the density of emeralds |
| other words the vividness of the color. It also | | | | so a one carat ruby will be smaller than a one |
| reflects the hue, or how close the color | | | | carat identically cut emerald. Stones can be cut to |
| approximates the pure spectral color; tone which | | | | look bigger as well. Some gemstones are more |
| is how light or dark i.e., how much black or white | | | | readily available in larger weights such as |
| is in the color; and finally the distribution of the | | | | amethysts or tourmalines, that say emeralds. For |
| color or how even the color is across and within | | | | example: An 18 carat tourmaline will have a lesser |
| the stone. | | | | value per carat than a 5 carat alexandrite |
| The other factors of clarity, cut, and carats are | | | | because large tourmaline stones are more |
| not as important to the value of a stone that has | | | | common than large alexandrite stones. |
| the best color and inversely have a greater | | | | The best safety precaution when buying |
| impact on the value of a stone that is not as | | | | gemstones or gemstone jewelry is to buy from a |
| pure a color. | | | | reputable jeweler. You will get what you pay for. |