Our Featured Gemstone Article
How To Collect Gemstones
By Lee MacRae
Why collect loose gemstones you ask? Well for one thing they are very beautiful items. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds they can become extremely valuable over the years. Many hobbyists love to collect and show case the nearly 150 types of gemstones found today. Read long as we look at the hobby of collecting loose gemstones.
The first thing you need to do in starting the hobby of collecting gemstones the proper way is by getting adequate knowledge about them. By visiting a local library you'll find numerous books on gemstones that will prevent you from making mistakes at the start.
Color is a subjective idea but a very important part in evaluating a gemstone. The closer a color is to its purer spectral value the more valuable it is. Traditionally, these specter colors are yellow, blue, Violet, green, orange and red. Gemstones colors that are paler or darker tend to be less valued.
The cut of your gemstone is an important factor to consider when you value gemstone. The gemstone must be cut correctly to reflect light properly. A gemstone with an improper cut will not reflect the light consistently. Color saturation, hue and tone will always appear inconsistent
The clarity in a stone is an important consideration. Clarity refers to the amount of inclusions (trace elements or large particles of other elements or minerals) that a gem has. A perfect gemstone is definitely worth much more. To examine flaws not seen with the naked eye you need a gem microscope or 10X gemstone clarity magnifier. Serious hobbyists will get an inexpensive 10X gemstone or jewelers loup for viewing their coins, beads, stamps or in our case gemstones.
Gemstones are often categorized according to their size criteria since it is more uniform than carat weight. But different gemstones may be of the same size but different carat weights and consequently, different in prices as well. This is due to gemstone difference of specific gravity or relative density depending upon the chemical composition and crystalline structure. Normally a one carat brilliant round diamond of typical proportions will be approximately 6.5 mm in diameter. A comparable round brilliant ruby of the same size and proportions will weigh in at 1.55 carats instead.
Though you may find gemstones used a lot in jewelry, they are a great hobby and pastime as well. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gems that are just too big or fragile to be used for jewelry. Look at each stone and think of it as a piece of art, a miniature sculpture to be treasured for its unusual nature and for the craftsmanship of the artisan who shaped it. And unlike many hobbies where you have to buy everthing you can actually go hunting for raw gemstones in the field. In the United States in Michigan you can find Agate, Chlorastrolite and Hematite. And in Canada you can find nephrite jade in Mount Sidney Williams, British Columbia or amethyst near Thunder Bay, Ontario along with ammolite from Lethbridge, Alberta. Think of gemstone collecting for the great hobby it is.
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Tips On loose dimonds
Opal-C is made up of an arrangement known as a-cristobalite which is formed into
a number of disordered stacks. Cristobalite is found in volcanic rock where the
temperatures were high and the succeeding environments were arid.
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Emerald is said to effectively reduce skin reddening in an instant. According to
Ayurvedic wisdom, eczema results from overheated liver. This is true especially
in the case of children. Emerald has properties that are capable of cooling down
the liver and reduce the symptoms of itching.
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All The Latest News From The loose dimonds World
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Gemological Article Of The Month
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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