The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Many people today say collecting loose gemstones or loose diamonds is their favorite hobby. They simply love the beauty and the colors of the wide array of gemstones found worldwide today. This article will discuss a number of things you need to know in starting in this interesting hobby.
The first step in beginning this hobby the smart way is by acquiring knowledge about them. By taking a quick trip to the library or local bookstore you can locate all you need to know about the subject that will let you make wise purchases from the beginning.
To start with, an important aspect in gemstone evaluation is color. Gemstones are the most intensely colored natural materials you can find. Gems have become so synonomous with color, they have even lent their names to specific colors. Everyone knows ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue, aquamarine, turquoise, and jade green Gemstones become higher in value the closer they come to the natural spectral colors of violet, blue, green,, orange and red. They are valued much less the more they deviate from the spectral color.
The cut of the stone is extremely important and factors highly into the appraisal of not only diamonds but gemstones as well. A precision cut gemstone showcases the natural color of the gemstone, lessen any inclusions and exhibits good overall symmetry and proportion. One excellent method to determine the precision of the cut is to look at how well it reflects light on a consistent basis over the stones complete surface. If the gemstone is cut to shallow much of the light will refract out of the gem rather than reflecting internally. That will make the gem seem washed out and windowed.
Next to look at is the aspect of clarity. Clarity is the term that refers to internal flaws (inclusions) or the external blemishes of a stone being considered. Any large flaws can easily be seen with the naked eye while others need a 10X magnification.
Next comes size and weight. All gemstones [except for pearls and corals] are priced by the unit, carat. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. You should know however that weight and size are not the same in gemstones. Density or specific gravity can very. Take a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats and you will see that a similar sized ruby or sapphire is 1.20 carats.
Collecting gemstones as a hobby can become an enjoyable pastime and also rewarding in the long run. You don't need to spend a lot of money and yet you can end up with some very beautiful stones. Many people loved to spend weekends to go hunting for raw gemstones. Just in the United States in New Mexico you'll find Turquoise, Garnet, Peridot, Rock Crystal and Obsidian And if you like to travel farther you can find opal in Coober Pedy, Andamooka or Mintabie in South Australia, topaz in Beechworth, Victoria or hunt the quartz regions in Beechworth and Mooralla in Victoria Australia.
Buy pear Tourmaline loose gemstones along with a loose diamond lot as well as natural diamonds today in our store!
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An aspect of a stone�s color that can effect its value is its rarity. For
example, a golden-pink topaz (Imperial Topaz) is more valuable than a blue topaz
, all other characteristics being equal. This is because it is harder to find
topaz of this color.
You can purchase loose diamonds in our store today!
The Patricia Emerald Crystal was discovered in the Columbian Andes' Chivor Mine
in 1920 and is named after the mine owner's daughter. Not only is it one of the
largest gem-quality emeralds in the world, but it is also dihexagonal, or 12-
sided, and measures 2�" � 1". The stone has flaws, but this is common in
emeralds -- the vast majority of faceted emerald gems have flaws. The stone
resides in the New York Museum of Natural History.
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