Collecting Loose Gemstones
By Lee MacRae
Why would anyone collect items like loose gemstones, you ask? Well to begin with gemstones are extremely beautiful. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds they can appreciate in value over time. Many hobbyists love to find, collect and finish each and every one of the 150 varieties available. This article will examine the loose gemstones hobby.
To begin with you need to read up on each of the gemstones out there. This will help you to know what you're buying and prevent you from wasting your money. Get the answer to questions like how, where and what to buy.
Of paramount importance is the color of the gemstone. Gemstones at the top of the ladder have colors that are close in pureness to the spectral colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue or violet. Gemstone colors that are muted or are too dark can lower the value.
Cut is one of the all-important 4Cs and factors into appraisal of diamonds but along with your gemstones. An excellent cut will highlight the gemstone's color, diminishes its inclusions, and show off its symmetry and proportions. One way of determining the excellence regarding the cut is if it is able to reflect light on a consistent level over its entire surface. If the gemstone is cut to shallow much of the light will refract out of the gem rather than reflecting internally. Gem color appears washed out.
The clarity of a gemstone is an important consideration. Gemstone clarity relates to the amount of inclusions (trace elements or large particles of other elements or minerals) that a gem has. The gemstone without flaws is obviously valued highly. To determine the flaws not seen with the unaided eye requires a gemstone loupe or gemstone microscope. Most hobbyists will employ a jewelers diamond gemstone loupe 10X for examining coins, stamps and of course gemstones.
Next up are weight and size. Save for pearls and corals, all gemstones are priced by the carat. One carat equals a 0.2 grams. However you should know size and weight and gemstones are not the same. The density and specific gravity can differ in stones. If you have a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats, you will find a similar sized sapphire or ruby would weigh 1.20 carats.
Collecting gemstones can be very rewarding hobby. And there are so many different types in gemstones you can collect. You can start collecting gemstones like Kunzite, Chalcedony (bloodstone) or Iolite and then try others. The varieties are nearly endless. And if you like a hands on hobby you can go hunting for raw gemstones. For example in Montana you'll find Agate, Sapphire, Beryl, Amethyst, Smoky Quartz, Obsidian, Tourmaline and Garnet.
Buy Pear Citrine loose gemstones as well as marquise loose diamonds and natural diamonds today in our store!
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More Information On loose gemstones
Legend has it the Hope Diamond came from the eye of an idol in a temple on the
coleroon River in India. If that is so, one can only conjecture that the eye
must have had a mate, but the fate of "the other eye" has never come to light.
It would not be the first famous diamond that started it's notoriety in a
religious idol. The Idol's Eye, the Eye the Goddess, the Heart of the Goddess
and the Orlov came from idols, according to legend. Tavernier purchased the
stone and smuggled it to Paris, where he later sold it to King Louis XIV. It was
cut there into a triangular-pear-shaped stone weighing 67.50 carats, and was
then known as the French Blue.
Buy uncut natural diamonds today!
The Cullinan VII diamond is nearly 9 carats and is mounted in a pendant on a
small all-diamond brooch. In the centre of this brooch is the 6.80 carat
Cullinan VIII.
Buy loose diamonds today!
The Latest loose gemstones News
Delaware County Institute of Science: A tiny gem in Media celebrates ... - TriVallyCentral
Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:58:00 GMT
Loose Marbles of New Orleans performs at a benefit for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition at the Delaware County Institute of Science on Sept. 15. Posing for a picture with ...
Pickup Sticks Necklace: Circle/ms (n-ps2-ms)
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:28:49 -0700
Brushed silver disc, measuring 5/8'', with riveted vermeil stick accent. 16'' sterling silver chain and toggle clasp.
Open Rectangle Earring:White Pearl/gg (e-cts2-wp-gg)
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:28:49 -0700
Brushed 23kt gold vermeil open rectangle earring, measuring 1/2'', with white pearl rondelle accent. 14kt gold-fill earwires. Please select rondelle stone color: garnet, pink tourmaline, citrine, peridot, hessionite, white pearl, black onyx, white quartz, black pearl, carnelian, blue topaz, mystic topaz, apatite, green apatite, dark apatite, london blue etc.
natural yellow diamond
natural diamonds
loose gemstone beads
natural green diamonds | natural uncut diamonds
Labels: tanzanite loose gemstones
