So You Want To Collect Loose Gemstones
By Lee MacRae
Gemology is the science, art and profession of identifying and evaluating gemstones from natural diamonds to loose gemstones. Many people take up gemology as a hobby. They collect and evaluate loose diamonds or loose gemstones. Some people even begin to travel to various neghbourhood locations to look for rough gemstones. Some hobbyists will learn to cut or tumble the gemstones they find. If you have an interest in this hobby then read along as we reveal the various factors in gemstone collecting.
Right at the beginning, what you need is to get yourself some reading material. You want to understand everything there is to know about your new hobby. The more you learn about each kind of gemstone the wiser will be your purchases. You'll know exactly what to look for in a quality stone.
First on the list to evaluate is gemstone color. Gemstones are the most intensely colored naturally occurring materials you can find. Gemstones are so related to color that they've even become associated with particular ones. Without a doubt you will recognize sapphire blue, ruby red, jade green, aquamarine, emerald green or turquoise. Gemstones become higher in value they closer they are to natural spectral colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They become less valuable the more they deviate from the spectral color.
The cut of the gemstone is one of the most important traits when you consider a gemstone's value. The stone has to be cut in a way that reflects light back to the viewer. A gemstone with an improper cut will not reflect light consistently over its entire surface. Color saturation, hue and tone will always appear inconsistent
The clarity of a gemstone is the next item to consider. Gemstone clarity relates to the amount of inclusions (trace elements or large particles of other elements or minerals) that a gem has. A flawless gemstone 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. Most hobbyists will buy a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.
You will often find that gemstones are often listed according to their size since it is more uniform than carat weight. But two different gemstones may have the same size but different carat weights and consequently, different prices as well. This is due to the nature of gemstone difference regarding specific gravity and depends on the materials chemical composition and crystalline structure. A one carat round brilliant diamond, for example of typical proportions will be approximately 6.5 mm in diameter. A comparable a brilliant ruby of the same proportions in size will weigh in at 1.55 carats instead.
Although gems are frequently used in jewelry, loose gemstones are great for collecting. Actually there are many interesting and attractive gemstones who that are too fragile or too large to be used in jewelry. Look at each stone and consider it as a piece of art and value it for its unique nature and vibrant colors. And unlike some hobbies that require you to pay for your specimens you can actually go hunting for raw gemstones in the field. In the United States in New Hampshire you can rock hunt for Beryl, Rock Crystal and Garnet. And in Canada you can find nephrite jade in Cry Lake, British Columbia or labradorite on the adjacent islands and coastal area of Labrador and even hessonite garnet in Asbestos, Quebec. Think of collecting gemstones as a great hobby and pastime.
Buy loose Coral gemstones along with rough loose diamonds as well as rough natural diamonds today in our store!
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There are a lot of different trade names for opals, but the most recognized and
widely used is the precious and common opal. Even though the opal is brittle and
can break quite easily, and is prey to scratches and heat it remains high on the
list of gemstone collectors. The reason is that opals are truly beautiful. Its.
beauty fascinated earlier cultures. Some even believed it fell from heaven. The
birthstone of October is the opal and in the 19th century those who were
superstitious believed that only those born in that month should wear opals.
Anyone else wearing one was supposed to have run the risk of having bad luck or
running into a dire fate.
Buy loose Jade gemstones today!
Topaz is a very large stone. One giant gem at the Viennese Historical museum is
reputed to weigh 585,000 carats. The rarest topaz is the Imperial Topaz and pink
topaz. Pakistan is the only place today where rose-red tinted topaz can be found
today. All other pink topazes get their color from heat treatments of up to 475?
C. Imperial topaz is has a yellow tint to it while other members of the topaz
family can be completely colorless. Some of the most beautiful examples of topaz
are the famous blue topaz which can have colorful ranges starting with light
blue stones. The very deep blue topaz is artificially produced by heating and
irridation processes. One of the most interesting characteristics about topaz is
that it bleaches in daylight and then renews itself as the light subsides. The
color changes occur because of natural heating and irridation.
Buy loose quartz gemstones today!
De Beers reigned as the supreme supplier of diamonds until other countries began
successful operations. One country is Australia. Diamond entrepreneurs and
geologists began searching for kimberlite pipes in the Kimberly region of
Western Australia in 1969. The search went on for 10 years and on October 2,
1979 the Argyle pipe was discovered. Once it was decided that the enterprise
would be economical they started to mine the area in 1983, and the Argyle
Diamond Mine was given its commission in December 1985.
Buy hessonite Garnet loose gemstones today!
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