How to Buy and Choose Gemstone Jewelry

Chances are you are passionate about gems.

What is a Gem? Most gems are minerals: natural, inorganic (non living matter) materials with specific chemical compositions and usually characteristic structure. The 4 most valued gems in the world today are the diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald. Following suit is a wide spectrum of colored stone gems commonly used in precious metal alloy such as platinum, gold and silver jewelry.

Inorganic, meaning composed of or arising from, a non living matter like gems such as diamonds, rubies, topaz etc.

Organic, meaning once living, or produced by a living organism (plant or animal) like pearls, amber, coral and ivory.

The 3 Traits of all Gems

A substance isn’t automatically considered a gem just because it is used in jewelry. Items like bones, wood, hair or plastic have been used in jewelry, but it does not place them in the same category as rubies, pearls and amber.

To be a gem, a substance must possess some degree of beauty, rarity and durability.

Beauty
Color – This is perhaps the most subjective factor as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. The No.1 rule to wearing color stones: There are no rules. Colored gemstones make subtle and elegant matching accessories without making one look over dressed on color. Many people also wear natural colored gemstones to synthetic (manmade) stones because of their crystal healing and meditational properties.

Lustre – The surface of a gem in reflected light, is probably the most captivating factor of a gemstone. Most gems are polished to a high luster (all shapes) as a final product. For pearls, they are partly priced based on how smooth and sharp a reflection is off a pearl’s surface.

Transparency – Is the 3^rd factor in play as it describes the level of light allowed to pass through a stone. The most priced gems in the world are transparent, but there are also many popular and priced translucent stones such as Jade, Amber or opaque stones like Turquoise and Lapis Lazuli.

Rarity
Some gems might be priced and considered more rare than others. Gem-quality benitoite and red beryl – each only found in one place on earth – are occasionally used in jewelry. But rarity doesn’t always make a gem valuable because few people would have heard of them therefore demand is unpredictable compared with common stones in the market backed with million dollar ad campaigns. Often shrewd marketing can sway consumer preference. However in order to run a successful campaign, the gem must be readily available and in sufficient quantities to stay in the market and in the minds of the public for a period of time.

Durability
Durability is the combination of three factors: hardness, toughness and stability.

Hardness – Relates to the surface of a gem and how well a gemstone resists scratches and abrasion. For example the topaz is relatively resistant to scratches, but it has poor toughness, lesser than jade.

Toughness – Relates to its internal substance and how well a gemstone resists breaking, chipping and cracking. Jade is not as hard as some gems, but it has exceptional toughness, which makes it superior for delicate carvings.

Stability - Measures how resistance a gemstone is to light, heat and chemicals. The cleaning solution that make sapphire sparkle can damage a peridot (not as durable as sapphire). Likewise, everyday sunlight can fade a kunzite over time.