The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Why collect loose gemstones you ask? For many people it's because they are very beautiful items. And like their more familiar cousin, natural diamonds, their value increases over time. Many hobbyists love to collect and work with each and every one of the 150 varieties available. This article will discuss the hobby of loose gemstone collecting.
First off you need to learn all you can on the wide variety of stones available. This will help you to know what you're buying so you buy the right items. This will help you make informed decisions.
The chief thing you need to look at will be stone color. You'll want the gemstone to be as close as possible to the pure spectrum colors. We are talking about violet, orange, yellow, green, blue, and red. 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 but along with your gemstones. An excellent cut will highlight the pure color of the stone, diminish any inclusions, and exhibits good overall symmetry and proportion. One way of determining the excellence regarding the cut of the gemstone is how well it reflects light on a consistent basis over the stones complete surface. If the stone is cut on the shallow side most of this light were refracted away instead of reflecting internally. The gem appears washed out.
Next up is the clarity of the gemstone. Clarity is the term that refers to the internal conclusions or flaws of the gemstone. Normally large flaws are visible to the naked eye while others need a 10X magnification.
Next item to look at is the duo of size and weight. Because gemstones can vary in density or specific gravity. Weight and size are not necessarily equal across the board. If a diamond of a certain size weighs 1.00 carats then a sapphire 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.
Although gems are frequently used in jewelry, loose gemstones are great for collecting. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gemstones that are simply too big and fragile for use in jewelry. Look at each stone and consider it as a piece of art and value it for its beautiful colors and the finish you apply to it. And unlike some hobbies that require you to pay for your specimens you can use vacation time to actually hunt for raw gemstones in stead of buying. In the US in Pennsylvania you can find Amethyst, Almandite Garnet and Pyrope Garnet, Beryl, Sunstone and Moonstone. And in Canada you can hunt for nephrite jade in Mount Ogden, British Columbia or labradorite on Tabor Island, and even ammolite from Lethbridge, Alberta. Take up gemstone collecting and you won't regret it.
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Hints On natural red diamonds
Moonstone is said to balance yin/yang. In India, moonstone is regarded as a
sacred stone. It is believed to bring good fortune. Legend says that Moonstone
is a highly prized gift for lovers as it arouses tender passion. Moonstone is
the US State Gemstone of Florida and New York.
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Chrysoprase is often referred to as Australian Jade due to its wonderful green
color. It is often used for beads, cabochons and cameos.Chrysoprase is apple
green chalcedony. The shade of green is due to nickel. Chrysoprase has a
hardness rating of 7. Chrysoprase will fade in the sunlight.
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Gemstone sizes are usually given in carat weight (ct) or described in millimeters (mm). Some typical gemstone shapes and approximate weights for various sizes and shapes are shown on the opposite page although the exact size varies with the type of gemstone. In addition to weight and/or size, the prices of finer gemstones typically vary depending on the shape, cut, degree of clarity and tone or color of each gemstone.
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