Current information on Diamonds & Gemstones Authority Site: Dec 9, 2008

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Why I Like Gemstones

Gemstone Scene Article

Starting The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting

By Lee MacRae

Why collect loose gemstones you ask? Well for one thing they've been sought for their beauty for many centuries. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds they can become extremely valuable over the years. Many in this hobby love to find, collect and finish the wide variety of gemstones available today. Follow along as we look at the hobby of collecting loose gemstones.

The first step in beginning this hobby the smart way is by acquiring knowledge about them. By taking a look in your local bookstore you can find a number of books to broaden your knowledge and that will let you make wise purchases from the beginning.

First on your list to factor in is the color of the stone. You want the gemstone to be as close as possible to the pure spectral colors. This means blue, green, yellow, orange, red and violet. The prices of very dark are very pale stones are lower.

The cut of your gemstone is one of the most important traits in evaluating gemstones. The stone has to be cut with precision to reflect the light properly. A gemstone with an improper cut will not reflect the light consistently. Tone, color saturation, and color hue will never be consistent.

Another factor to consider is the clarity of the stone under consideration. This refers to the stones purity or the absence of internal inclusions, spots, or particles within the crystal. Needless to say, stones with no flaws are hard to find and make your stones very valuable.

You will note that gemstones are categorized according to their size aspect because it is more uniform than carat weight. But different gemstones may be the same size but differ in carat weights and as a result different prices as well. This factor comes from the difference in specific gravity or relative density depending upon the chemical composition and crystalline structure. For example, a one carat round diamond with normal proportions is approximately 6.5 mm around. A comparable round brilliant ruby of the same size and proportions will weigh in at 1.55 carats.

Though you may find gemstones used a lot in jewelry, loose gemstones are great for collecting. Actually there are many interesting and attractive gems that are just too big or fragile to be used for jewelry. Look at each loose gemstone and think of it as a piece of art, a miniature sculpture to be treasured for its unusual nature and for the craftsmanship of the artisan who shaped it. 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 United States in North Carolina you can find Beryl, Aquamarine, Emerald, Almandite Garnet, Rhodolite, and Pyrope Garnet, Diamond, Cyanitecomma

Buy loose gemstones along with used loose diamonds as well as an enhanced natural diamond today in our store!

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Many natural gemstones such as the ruby, sapphire, and emerald are becoming so rare and expensive to mine that laboratory-grown gemstones are used often in jewelry designs. The first lab-grown gemstone was produced in 1902 in Paris, France by a chemist named Louis Verneuil. A gemstone that is grown in a laboratory is not imitation or artificial, and is carefully crystallized over time. It has essentially the same optical, physical and chemical properties as a natural gemstone. Only a trained gemologist can tell them apart. Natural gemstones such as rubies and emeralds can be 10 to 50 times more expensive than the cost of a lab-grown gemstone in a similar quality. And laboratory-grown emeralds and rubies are often superior to natural stones in both clarity and color.
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The color and vibration of each of the gemstones relate to and balance one or
more of the chakras. There are seven basic energy centers within and around you
known as chakras. Each of these energy centers regulates aspects of yourself on
a physical, spiritual, mental and emotional level. You want to keep these energy
centers in alignment to maintain overall health and well-being. Using a color or
chakra meditation is helpful as well as the use of gemstones.
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Store each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don't
scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is
set in. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you
throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.
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