Gemstone Buyers Guide


Gemstone Basics

Gemstones come in every variety of color, shape, design and clarity. Due to these factors each gemstone has a natural beauty about them and have their own individual look. When put together with fine jewelry its true brilliance is brought out. The most powerful effect of a gemstone it's color and when set in any piece of jewelry whether a pair of earrings, engagement ring or even a tennis bracelet it can produce a visual paradise. When blended with diamonds and a high quality metal, it is the gemstone that elevates the ring.

Throughout history gemstones have had different meanings to people all around the world. Its most frequent use is to symbolize special events and milestones in one's life. Also certain stones are anointed by each month which becomes a birthstone. For more information on each individual birthstone click here. There are other occasions such as wedding anniversaries which become excellent opportunities to present these stones as ideal gifts.

Below are the main factors that are considered when evaluating and purchasing semiprecious and precious gemstones.

Gemstone Color

The two characteristics that define a gemstone's color is its natural tone and hue. Gemstones with the highest value are attributed to an intense and deep color with a medium natural tone. A gemstone's color is described by its natural tone and hue. For most stone types, an intense, heavily saturated color of medium tone is attributed the highest value. Recently many gems are color enhanced to improve the stone's depth of coloration. It is a treatment that has become welcomed in the fine jewelry world.

Gemstone Clarity

Gemstones of all degree in quality all have some bit of natural inclusions unless the stone is clarity enhanced with a laser which dramatically lowers its value. It is usually in the form of a cloud, fracture, bubble or crystallization. The most rare and valuable gemstones are inclusion free to the naked eye. When a gemstone has absolute perfection in all of these factors there is a very big chance it's a manmade or lab created simulation.

Gemstone Cut

There are three major factors that determine a superior cut in the majority of all gemstones. The ability for the stone to evenly reflect light, a symmetrical appearance, and the luster of its polish. As with diamonds there is a five level measuring system-excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor- to rate the quality of the gemstone's cut.

Gemstone Size

Most of our customers are generally used to the carat format when weighing any stone whether it be a diamond or a sapphire. But due to different density in a stone's composition, the gemstone's measurement is given in millimeter measurements. This is also done when deciding what size stone is adequate to fit in a setting's head. This measurement is usually given in millimeters for matters of accuracy. The larger the stone, the greater the value of the stone.