All you need to know about
gemstones
Natural gemstones have always been regarded as the most precious
gifts of the earth. Gemstones have always been alluring, thanks to their
beauty, their value and the magical powers they are supposed to have.
Let's learn about the birth, grading, and importance of gemstones in
this day and age.
How gemstones are born:
Gemstones have been mined throughout the world to be used for
decorative purposes since the beginning of times. As each crystal forms
in different and very specific natural circumstances and needs the
presence of specific chemicals, rocks or formations, the rarest
gemstones are especially hard to find and they can be found in a very
few places only.
The beautiful bright and shiny gemstones we get to see on photos are
the end-result of a long and complex cleaning and cutting process done
by cutting experts. In its raw form, most gemstone looks ordinary and
unrecognizable. It takes a specially trained eye to distinguish them from
any other rock formations in their natural habitat.
If you are looking for natural gemstones for sale you need to make
sure you look for the proper trusted resource to avoid the risk of buying
fake gemstones, for instance a Cz Diamond or a so-called cubic zirconia
Diamond, that’ the most commonly used substitute for real diamonds.
The classification and grading of gemstones:
Precious and semi-precious gemstones
The differentiation between precious and semi-precious gemstones
goes back to the ancient Greek times. According to this system, the
precious gemstones include diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire with
all the other stones being called semi-precious. While these four are
the most expensive to this day semi-precious gemstones are neither
less valuable or less attractive than them.
The Mohs scale:
This scale determines a stone’s hardness and it’s important when it
comes to specifying a stone's durability as part of jewelry. Diamonds
are not only extremely popular for their beauty but for their
exceptional durability. You can wear a diamond wedding ring every day
for decades without a problem. The Mohs scale ranges from 5 to 10
with only diamond being graded higher than 9. The gemstones which
are ranked between 8 to 9 on the Mohs scale are suitable for regular
wear.
The 4C grading system
The quality of gemstones is determined according to a strict
classification system called the 4C grading system. The 4 C stands for
Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat and each one of these qualities have a key
role in determining the actual value of a gemstone on the jewelry
market. The higher the grade of clarity and color, the larger is the carat
(the size/weight) of the stone, the pricier it becomes. Each precious
gemstone receives an official certificate enlisting their 4C grades
alongside other important details.
Natural gemstones vs. lab created
gemstones
In order to make precious gemstones
more accessible to the public, scientists
have devised various methods to enable
the forming of precious gemstones in a
controlled
and
regulated
lab
environment.
Lab created gemstones are much cheaper, more affordable and they
are often used as substitutes for precious stones.