Gemstone Article Of The Month
So You Want To Collect Loose Gemstones
By Lee MacRae
Why would anyone collect items like loose gemstones, you ask? For many people it's because gemstones are extremely beautiful. And just like natural diamonds they can appreciate in value over time. Many hobbyists love to find, collect and finish the wide variety of gemstones available today. Read long as we discuss the hobby of loose gemstone collecting.
At the very beginning you need to read up on the various gemstones available. This knowledge will help you to know the properties of each stone and prevent you from making mistakes. A knowledgeable buyer is a wise one.
First on your list to look at will be gemstone color. You'll want the gemstone that is as close as possible to the pure spectral colors. We are talking about orange, red, violet, green, yellow, and blue. In general terms, the prices of very dark are very pale precious and semi precious gemstones are lower than the vibrant colors.
The cut of the stone is extremely important and is used not only to appraise diamonds along with gemstones. An excellent cut will showcase the gemstone's color, diminishes its inclusions, and highlight the proportions and symmetry of the stone. One way to determine the precision regarding the cut of the gemstone is how consistent and well, it reflects the light throughout its surface. But if a gem is cut too shallow, much of the light will refract out of the gem instead of reflecting inside the gemstone. That will make the gem seem washed out and windowed.
The clarity in a stone is an important consideration. When we talk of clarity it relates to the amount of inclusions (trace elements or large particles of other elements or minerals) that a gem has. Generally speaking, a clearer stone is obviously valued highly. To see flaws beyond with the eye can see you need a 10X gemstone loupe (gemstone clarity magnifier) or gem microscope. Many hobbyists will employ a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.
Next up are weight and size. Other than the corals and pearls gemstones are priced by the carat. One carat equals a 0.2 grams. You should know however that weight and size are not always equal and gemstones. Density or specific gravity can very. If you have a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats, you will find a similar sized sapphire or ruby weighs out at 1.20 carats.
Collecting various gemstones can create an enjoyable hobby and pastime. And there is a wide range and variety in precious and semi precious stones that you can collect. You can collect gemstones like Obsidian, Quartz and its varieties or Zeolite (Thomsonite) and then try others. The opportunities are seemingly endless. And if money is tight you can go gemstone hunting and find the raw materials instead of buying them. For example in Arkansas you can find Clear & Smoky Quartz, Diamond and Agate.
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Hints On diamond naturals
Opal is October's birthstone and is an elegant sparkling gemstone. Opal is a
soft gemstone so wearing it in pendants, necklaces and earrings is ideal. The
fabulous fire of an opal has made this stone a favorite of many.
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A semiprecious stone is defined as: "Any gemstones other than a precious stone, or any gemstone of lower commercial value than a precious stone; specifically, a mineral that is less than 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness. A gemstone may also be regarded as semiprecious because of its comparative abundance, inferior brilliance, or unfamiliarity to the public, or owing to the whims of fashion. This arbitrary classification is misleading, as it does not recognize, for example, that a ruby of poor quality may be far less costly than a fine specimen of jadeite."
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The Logan sapphire is named after Mrs. John Logan who donated the gemstone to
the Smithsonian Institution in 1960. The Logan sapphire is a flawless specimen,
possesses a rich blue color and is the second largest (blue) sapphire known,
weighing 423 carats (84.6 g). The cushion-cut stone is one of the world's most
famous sapphires and is set in a brooch surrounded by 20 round brilliant cut
diamonds weighing in total 16 carats (3.2 g). The Logan sapphire originates from
Sri Lanka, a famous location for sapphires.
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