The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Gemology is a term referring to the art, profession and science of evaluating and identifying gemstones from loose gemstones to natural diamonds. A number of people taken up this profession as a hobby. They become interested in collecting loose diamonds or loose gemstones. Some people even begin to travel to different areas close by or even taking a trip to other countries to hunt for raw or rough gemstones. Some hobbyists will learn to cut or tumble the gemstones they find. If this hobby interest you then follow along as this article discusses the various aspects of gemstone collecting.
The very first step in beginning this hobby the intelligent way is by getting adequate knowledge about them. By taking a quick trip to the library or local bookstore you can find a number of books to broaden your knowledge and that will let you make wise purchases from the beginning.
Color is a subjective idea but a very important part in the value of the stone. The closer the color of the gemstone is to its pure spectral color the more valuable it is. Traditionally, these specter colors are orange, green, yellow, Violet and blue. Colors that tend to be darker or paler than a pure spectral color tend to be less valued.
Gemstone cut is the second most important value determination to look at. How precise the cut is determines the amount of light the gemstone stone will reflect. It will fully factor highly in the brilliance of the stone and how much someone will pay for it.
Next to look at is gemstone clarity. Clarity refers to the the internal conclusions or flaws of the gemstone under consideration. Any large flaws can easily be seen with the unaided eye while others require close examination using a 10X magnification.
Next item to look at is the duo of weight and size. Due to their nature gemstones vary and specific gravity or density. Size and weight are not necessarily equal from stone to stone. If a diamond of a certain size weighs 1.00 carats then a ruby of equal size would weigh 1.20 carats. An Emerald of equal size would be approximately 0.95 carats while an Alexandrite gemstone would be about 1.23 carats.
Though you may find gemstones used a lot in jewelry, they are a great hobby and pastime as well. Actually there are many interesting and attractive gems that are too fragile or too large to be used in jewelry. Here's a suggestion -- don't think of a gem as a component of jewelry; consider it as a piece of art and value it for its beautiful colors and the finish you apply to it. And in this hobby you don't have to always lay out cash because you can find your raw materials through field trips In the United States in Utah You can find Topaz, Garnet, Petrified Wood, Jasper and Obsidian. And in Canada you can find nephrite jade in Mount Sidney Williams, British Columbia or amethyst near Thunder Bay, Ontario as well as hessonite garnet in Asbestos, Quebec. Take up gemstone collecting and you won't regret it.
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Aquamarine gemstones are found in Brazil, India, Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan and
the United States. Aquamarine is the March Modern Birthstone. For the 16th and
19th year of marriage, Aquamarine is the anniversary gemstone. Besides being
used for anniversary jewelry, used as an aquamarine engagement ring is very
affordable and fairly traditional.
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Agate will chip and crack rather easily though it has a hardness rating of 7.
Agates occur in nodular masses. When you split open these rocks you find
beautiful banding. As such, agate slices are often used for bookends or coasters
. Agate comes in most colors.
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Peridot is one of the few gemstones which exist only in one color � green. Fine traces of iron account for the green color with a slight golden hue. It is a variety of the mineral olivine and is formed during volcanic eruptions. The amount of iron determines the variation of the color which can range from yellow-green and olive to dark lime-green. The ancient Romans noticed its color did not change in artificial light, so they named the stone �evening emerald�. Currently it is found in the U.S. in Arizona and New Mexico, Burma, Pakistan and China. Peridot ranks 6.5 to 7.0 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness and is the birthstone for the month of August.
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