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Featured Gemological Article

So You Want To Collect Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

The term gemology refers to the science, art and profession of identifying and evaluating gemstones from loose gemstones to natural diamonds. A number of people taken up this profession as a passionate hobby. They become interested in collecting items like loose gemstone or natural diamonds. You'll even find some that like to travel to different areas close by or to other countries to look for rough gemstones. Some of them will even tumble or finish off the gemstones themselves. If this hobby interest you follow along as we reveal the various factors in gemstone collecting.

To start off right you need to learn all you can on the various gemstones available. You'll find it very helpful to know the properties of each stone and prevent you from wasting your money. A knowledgeable buyer is a wise one.

Color is a very important part in giving value to a gemstone. The closer the color comes to its purer spectral value the more valuable it is. Traditionally, these specter colors include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Gemstones colors that are paler or darker than the pure spectral color tend to be less valued.

The cut of a stone is the second most important value determination to take a look at. How precise the cut is is the factor which determines how much light the gemstone stone will reflect. It will fully determine the brilliance of the stone and its final value.

The clarity in a stone is an important consideration. When we talk of clarity it relates to the absence of flaws or blemishes inside the stone. A perfect gemstone is obviously valued highly. To examine flaws not seen with the naked eye requires a gemstone loupe or gemstone microscope. Most hobbyists will get an inexpensive 10X gemstone or jewelers loup for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.

Next on the agenda is the duo of weight and size. Due to the fact gemstones vary and specific gravity or density. Weight and size are not equal for each and every stone. If a diamond of a certain size weighs 1.00 carats then a ruby of equal size would weigh 1.20 carats. An equal sized Emerald would be 0.95 carats while an Alexandrite gemstone would be about 1.23 carats.

Although gemstones are normally used for jewelry, they are perfectly good collectibles in their own right. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gemstones that are simply too big and fragile for use in jewelry. Take each gemstone and Think of it as a mini sculpture or piece of art to be highly treasured for its unique nature and vibrant colors. And in this hobby you don't have to always lay out cash because you can actually go hunting for raw gemstones in the field. In the US in Alaska you can find White Quartz and Jade. And in Canada you can find nephrite jade in Cry Lake, British Columbia or labradorite on Tabor Island, as well as amethyst from Nova Scotia. Think of gemstone collecting for the great hobby it is.

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Tips About loose gemstone beads

Honored as the stone of fidelity and chastity, some say it is a sign of peace
and friendship, while ancient Romans and Egyptians felt it was a holy stone of
truth and justice. Innocent III, during his time as Pope said that every
Cardinal and Bishop should wear a sapphire ring on the right hand to be used
when they were giving blessings.
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Gemstone sizes are usually given in carat weight (ct) or described in millimeters (mm). Some typical gemstone shapes and approximate weights for various sizes and shapes are shown on the opposite page although the exact size varies with the type of gemstone. In addition to weight and/or size, the prices of finer gemstones typically vary depending on the shape, cut, degree of clarity and tone or color of each gemstone.
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Known variously as the Alan Caplan Ruby or the Mogok Ruby, this 15.97-carat
untreated Burmese stone was sold by Sotheby's of New York in October 18th, 1988
for $3,630,000; a whopping $227,301 per carat. It was purchased by Graff of
London, who reportedly sold it to the Sultan of Brunei as an engagement ring for
one of his wives.
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Dainty hand hammered sterling silver discs with pink tourmaline accents. All sterling silver earwires and components. Earrings measure 3/8" (about 9.5mm). Also available in larger sizes and 23kt gold vermeil.

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