Gemstones

Most gemstones come in one color, one shade only. Some gems come in a couple of different shades, but are basically the same color when you really get down to the specifics of it. While this is the case for basic gemstones, the classics such as those used as birthstones, there are other kinds of stones that come in a wide variety of colors, such as tourmaline or amber. While tourmaline is popular in certain areas of the country and there are only a limited number of people who have heard of tourmaline before, amber jewelry is virtually taking America by storm. It's been starting for a little while already, but it seems that amber is the new gem for just about every taste in jewelry.

This jewelry comes in very small, refined pieces, which seems to suit people with a more delicate taste in jewelry. This sort of amber jewelry is usually made with silver and has a silver chain with an amber stone of one color, or perhaps more, as a pendant in the front of the necklace. The same goes for earrings and for bracelets; one or a few small pieces of amber are set as the centerpiece in a piece of silver jewelry.

One of the popular looks with amber jewelry is to either match pendant, earrings, bracelet and ring to be all made of the same silver and the same color of amber. Conversely, you can choose a pendant with three colors of amber, usually orange, yellow and green but are not limited to those, and then have the earrings of one color, the bracelet of another, and the ring of another color of amber. This is done because presumably the necklace will be the biggest piece, so it should contain the most colors and then each of the three coordinating pieces complements with one color of amber.

Amber jewelry also comes in very large, tribal looking fashions. These pieces of jewelry frequently do not have silver or another metal as part of their construction, but rather are constructed entirely of amber, usually with the connecting fibers being in the interior of the pieces of amber. The result of this type of jewelry is a sort of ethnic look, a grassroots approach to jewelry, but one that is elegantly beautiful instead of being beautiful in a simple way, like hemp jewelry is.

When amber jewelry is made this way, with large pieces of amber, the biggest advantage is that you can see the variation within a stone of one color of amber. An orange, a yellow or a green stone has many hues inside of it, but the smaller stones set in silver don't really allow this property of amber to be seen. These large pieces of jewelry are certainly not to suit everyone's style or every occasion, but the rainbow effect they produce, thanks to this internal variation in the stone, is stunning.

By Dustin Cannon

Labels: amber, gem, gemstone, gemstones, jewelry

The aesthetic appeal, magic and mystery have lured mankind since ages. Different cultures across the world have lore and beliefs associated to colored gemstones. In this day and age, natural gemstones are more of a fashion accessory, though the mystical symbolism remains.

What are natural gemstones

A gemstone is defined as a mineral or petrified material that when cut and polished, can be used in jewelry. It is a mineral that is valuable, rare and often beautiful.

Minerals were forged beneath the surface of the earth over millions of years through the forces of heat and pressure, resulting in a distinct crystal form with an orderly pattern of atoms. This internal arrangement determines a mineral's chemical and physical properties, including its color.

Crystals are not necessarily formed only in rocks or beneath the surface of the earth; they are also formed within plants and animals. Such gemstones are called Organic gemstones (coral, amber etc.). Every mineral originates as a small crystal and "grows" as more atoms are added. A particular gem or mineral can be a variety of different colors, depending on impurities, also known as inclusions, in its atomic structure.

Quartz, for example, is normally colorless, but occurs in a range of colors from pink to brown to the deep purple of amethyst, depending on the amount and type of impurities in its structure.

Gemstones are precious because the extreme climatic conditions and the nurturing inside earth's womb for millions of years, are not just rare conditions but almost impossible to occur again. And this is the reason that the importance of gemstones is much beyond the obvious aesthetic appeal.

Of almost 4,000 different types of minerals found on earth, fewer than 100 are considered beauteous or durable enough to be used as gemstones. Of those, only around 20 are commonly used in jewelry.

The traditionally included category of most valuable gemstones is emerald, ruby, sapphire and pearl. Because of their aesthetic appeal and glorious history, these gemstones are more valuable than other colored gemstones. Finest quality emeralds and rubies can sometimes be more valuable than diamonds of comparable size.

Gemstones are classified into different varieties, species and groups.

For instance, ruby (gemstone) is the red variety of the species corundum (mineral) that belongs to the hematite (crystal) group. Varieties of the mineral beryl include emerald (green), aquamarine (blue), heliodor (yellow), bixbite (red), goshenite (colorless) and morganite (pink).

Gemstone treatments or enhancements refer to the way some gems are treated to improve their aesthetic appeal or durability, or even change their color. Almost all gemstones are treated in some or the other way. Most of these treatments are permanent in nature and an accepted norm in the industry. Treatments do not affect a gemstone’s value.

Seeking quality

Akin diamonds, gemstones are judged by the "Four Cs" of color, clarity, cut and carat weight, with color being the most important consideration, by far. As a general rule for all gemstones, the better the color, the higher the value; better clarity and better cut are also valued more - and generally, the larger the stone, the more it will cost per carat. Even to an untrained novice eye, many of these types of differences can be seen when similar stones are examined side-by-side.

Other factors that may influence the price of a gemstone include whether it is available readily or is rare in existence; whether it is a rare fancy shape or a calibrated size; and sometimes the origin of the gem. For instance, sapphires from Kashmir or rubies from Burma command a higher price than their equivalents from other origins.

By Prajapati

Labels: gemstone, gemstones, natural

The naturally occurring gemstone is a crystalline form of a mineral. Desirable for their beauty, gemstones are also loved for their rarity and durability. As adornments in jewelry, gemstones can bring enjoyment for generations. While many gems have remained popular for years, some are rare collector stones that have only been discovered recently.

Emeralds

The much-loved emerald is admired for its radiant green color. The top quality emeralds are considered even more valuable than diamonds. For centuries, fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem and in some cultures the gemstone held great power. For instance, in South America the Incas and Aztecs considered the emerald a holy gemstone. Indian maharajas believed the green emerald to possess healing and good luck powers.

They were so valued in ancient Egyptian society that the pharaohs who ruled between 3,000 to 1,500 B.C. exhausted their plentitude in Cleopatra's Mines. Today's best emeralds hail mostly from Colombia, where there are nearly 150 known emerald deposits, although not all are currently being mined.

These stones are known to be especially fine with an emerald green color that is the most highly esteemed in the international emerald trade industry. Emeralds are also harvested in places such as Zambia, Brazil, Madagascar, India and Russia, which have produced some interesting and rare variations and have provided additional sources of emeralds for an eager market.

Ruby

Long associated with power, passion and love, the ruby has long been considered one of the most valuable gemstones in existence. Its brilliance, hardness and gorgeous color are preferred characteristics of a precious stone. In its finest form, a ruby is called a "Burmese ruby." This does not necessarily mean the stone's origin is Burma, but that it possesses the rich, full red color with a slight bluish hue, such as those found in the famous deposits of Burma (now called Myanmar). Other ruby deposits are found in Pakistan, Laos, Kashmir, Nepal and Afghanistan.

The rubies of India possess many inclusions, but are still suited to be cut as beads or cabochons. East Africa is another site that has recently become a site for rubies. While some very fine rubies were mined from Kenya and Tanzania in the 1960s, they are mostly a rarity. Typically, these stones are considered average in quality. The ruby's most important feature is its color, with transparency being of secondary importance. Inclusions, therefore, do not impair the quality of the stone unless it should decrease the stone's transparency. In fact, these imperfections are known to give a ruby its individuality and help to provide proof of its natural origin.

Sapphire

Earlier civilizations believed that the firmament was actually an immense blue sapphire in which the earth was embedded. It's not hard to believe that theory when one considers all the blue shades the sky and sapphires both contain. Sapphires also come in a variety of other colors such as yellow, pink, orange, and purple. However, blue remains the much favored color. Found in India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand and Brazil, and Vietnam to name a few, sapphires are cut by skilled craftsmen who respect the stone is that is not only durable, but it also produces various colors and intensities of color, depending on which angle it is viewed.

The challenge for the cutter is to bring out the stone to its very best advantage. The most precious blue sapphires came from Kashmir in the 1880s. These stones created a lasting impression on people's idea of a first-class sapphire's color. The intense blue with subtle violet undertones does not change with artificial light.

Amethyst

Coveted by royalty for generations, the amethyst has had numerous powers attributed to it by a variety of cultures. It has occupied a prominent position in the ornaments of the Catholic clergy because of its representation of chastity and piety. Therefore, it has served as the stone of bishops and clergy.When heated, the amethyst changes its color. Smoky stones turn shining yellow to brownish-red when heated by temperatures of 250 degrees. Meanwhile, stones with high transparency turn yellow or colorless at 400 degrees.

Note to amethyst wearers: this tendency to change colors can render an amethyst colorless in daylight so avoid sunbathing while wearing an amethyst. Amethysts are imported from Brazil, Uruguay and Madagascar. However, valuable specimens can be found all over the world. In North America, Lake Superior on the Canadian side is home to Amethyst Harbor. Here, violet quartz is found in generous quantities although it is not considered gemstone quality.

At one time, Russia's Empress Catherine the Great enlisted thousands of miners into the Urals to mine for amethyst. While Uruguay produces beautifully rich amethyst of the deepest color, much of it is blemished. It's not surprising then that truly immaculate stones can fetch fairly high prices from those who covet its violet brilliance.

By Ron Peterson

Labels: amethyst, color, gems, gemstones, stones