Collecting Prescious And Semi-Prescious Stones
By Lee MacRae
Why would anyone collect items like loose gemstones, you ask? Well for one thing they are very beautiful items. And like their more familiar cousin, natural diamonds, they can become extremely valuable over the years. Many hobbyists love to find, collect and finish each and every one of the 150 varieties available. Follow along as we discuss the hobby of loose gemstone collecting.
To start off right you need to learn all you can on each of the gemstones out there. This will help you to know what exactly you're looking for and prevent you from wasting your money. A knowledgeable buyer is a wise one.
Color is a subjective idea but a very important part in giving value to a gemstone. The closer the color comes to its pure spectral color the more valuable the stone becomes. Traditionally, these specter colors are orange, green, yellow, Violet and blue. Gemstones colors that are darker or paler tend to be less valued.
Cut is one of the all-important 4Cs and factors into appraisal of diamonds but gemstones as well. An excellent cut will highlight the pure color of the stone, lessen any inclusions and show off its symmetry and proportions. One excellent way to determine the excellence of the cut is to consider how evenly it reflects light over its entire surface. If the stone is cut on the shallow side much of the light will refract out of the gem instead of reflecting inside. The gem appears washed out.
Gemstone clarity is the next item to consider. 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. A perfect gemstone is definitely worth much more. To examine flaws not seen with the naked eye requires a 10X gemstone clarity magnifier or gem microscope. Most hobbyists will employ a jewelers diamond gemstone loupe 10X for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.
Next item to look at is the duo of weight and size. Due to the fact gemstones vary and specific gravity or density. Weight and size are not necessarily equal across the board. If a diamond of a certain size weighs 1.00 carats then an equal sized ruby would weigh 1.20 carats instead. An Emerald of equal size would be approximately 0.95 carats while an Alexandrite gem stone would came in at 1.23 carats.
Although gemstones are normally used for jewelry, they are perfectly good collectibles in their own right. 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; Think of it as a mini sculpture or piece of art to be highly treasured for its unique nature and vibrant colors. And in this hobby you don't have to always lay out cash because you can actually go hunting for raw gemstones in the field. In the US in Alabama you can find Beryl, blue and yellow; Smoky Quartz and Hematite. And if you travel to Canada you will find nephrite jade in Mount Ogden, British Columbia or amazonite (microcline) near Eganville, Onttario as well as the unique deep blue beryl in Canada's Yukon Territory. Think of gemstone collecting for the great hobby it is.
Buy fire Agates loose gemstones along with loose diamonds as well as natural uncut diamonds today in our store!
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The Peruvian opal is said to aid sleeping and calming down the mind. It is a
blue opal that is quite rare and can only be found in the Andes Mountains in
Peru. It has a Caribbean color to it, and is considered the national gemstone of
Peru. Charlatans have taken to pushing dyed blue opals onto the market. Experts
say that if the blue color of the stone appears to be uneven then it is probably
a dyed stone and not a valid opal.
Buy loose Lapis gemstones today!
Onyx is very similar to agate. Onyx has straight bands of brown, white or black;
agate has curved lines of many colors. Since ancient times, Onyx has been dyed
to improve it's color. Often treated agate is sold as Black Onyx. Onyx may chip
or scratch rather easily. Onyx is found worldwide. Onyx is the anniversary
gemstone for the 7th year of marriage. Black Onyx is the anniversary gemstone
for the 10th year of marriage. Black Onyx is used to help one change habits.
Buy loose Flourite gemstones today!
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