Gemstone Quality

A gemstone is a precious stone cut and polished to use in the making of jewelry. If you are in the market for a gemstone, there are a few things that you should know before you buy. You should estimate the quality of the stone to make sure that you are getting what you pay for. There are a few guidelines to go by to make sure that you are not spending too much on a low quality stone.

If a stone is rare, like a diamond, then it will be expensive regardless of its quality. Sometimes certain rocks will be considered gems, and again, can be very expensive if they are a rarity.

Colored gemstone value is usually assessed depending on the color of the stone. Size is also, of course, a major consideration. Larger stones can be quite rare and can cost considerably more than the same weight in smaller stones. Inclusions, flaws or pits can cause the value of a stone to go down. Cloudiness is another factor. Sometimes gemstones are manipulated to increase their value.

One simple method of making a stone more beautiful is to heat it. Jewelers can increase the color and clarity of many stones by heating them up. Aquamarine stones are usually heated to make them more blue than green and to remove yellow undertones. Almost all rubies and sapphires are heated to improve their color and clarity. Diamonds are the exception here. Heating a diamond can actually burn it.

Emeralds just about always have inclusions. Sometimes these tiny flaws are filled with wax or oil by the jeweler to make them appear smoother. Turquoise stones are also commonly waxed or oiled. Sometimes the wax or oil is tinted to bring out a brighter or deeper color in emeralds and turquoise stones.

If you can not afford the gemstone of your dreams, then you might consider synthetic gems. These are man-made gemstones that are identical, physically and chemically, to naturally occurring gemstones. Therefore, they are often referred to as real gemstones. Cubic zirconia is produced to look like a diamond, but it does not retain the same chemical properties as a real diamond. This is why it is called a cubic zirconia as opposed to a synthetic or lab-created diamond. You can save money by selecting lab-created or synthetic stones. You will have beautiful real stones. The only differences are that they were not found in nature, they can be mass produced and they are not as rare as naturally occurring stones.

All kinds of gemstones are used in jewelry manufacturing today. Whether you are buying an imitation stone, such as a cubic zirconia or going all out on perfect diamond rings, you are sure to have a treasure worthy of admiration.

About the Author: Ian Maher is the CEO of Maliere, a leading provider of diamond rings, eternity rings, platinum rings and gold rings.

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