Collecting Prescious And Semi-Prescious Stones
By Lee MacRae
Why collect loose gemstones you ask? For many people it's because they've been sought for their beauty for many centuries. And like their more familiar cousin, natural diamonds, they can become extremely valuable over the years. Many in this hobby love to collect and show case the nearly 150 types of gemstones found today. This article will discuss the hobby of loose gemstone collecting.
To begin with your first priority is to visit the library and get some books. You want to learn as much as possible about precious and semiprecious gemstones. The more you understand about gemstones the better off you'll be. You'll know exactly what to buy.
One of the first things you look at is the color of the gem. Top grade gemstones have pure colors there as close as possible in pureness to the spectral colors of violent, blue, green,, orange or red. Muted gemstone colors or too dark are diminished in value.
The cut of your gemstone is an important aspect to consider when buying a gemstone. The stone has to be cut with precision to reflect the light properly. A poor cut can't reflect the light consistently over its surface. Color saturation, hue and tone will always look inconsistent.
The next factor to look at is the clarity. This refers to the purity of the gemstone or the lack of internal inclusions, particles or spots within the crystal. Needless to say, stones with no flaws are hard to find and make your stones very valuable.
You will note that gemstones are categorized according to their size aspect because it is more uniform than carat weight. But two different gemstones may have the same size but differ in carat weights and as a result different pricing structures. This is due to the nature of gemstone difference in specific gravity depending upon the chemical composition and crystalline structure. A one carat round brilliant diamond, for example with standard proportions will be approximately 6.5 mm in diameter. A comparable round brilliant ruby of the same size and proportions will weigh approximately 1.55 carats.
Taking up the collecting of loose gemstones can be very rewarding hobby. And there is such a variety when it comes to gemstones. You could try collecting Chrysoprase, Sugilite Zircon and then try others. The opportunities are seemingly endless. And if you like a hands on hobby you can go hunting for raw gemstones. For example in New Mexico you'll find Turquoise, Garnet, Peridot, Rock Crystal and Obsidian
Buy Obsidian loose gemstones as well as loose diamonds as well as natural blue diamonds today in our store!
Gemstones For Sale
Hints On natural yellow diamond
The topaz has superb qualities of color, clarity and hardness. Its. hardness
allows it to be easily polished because it contains an innate smoothness. The
smoothness and slipperiness of topaz is one of the ways it is identified along
with the brilliancy of color. It comes in all different shades of yellow, blue,
brown and rose reds. Most deep blue hues are produced artificially by heat and
irridation. Citrine is sometimes mistaken for topaz. The more intense colors of
topaz is what usually sets it apart from the lighter citrine colors. However,
there is a test known as the "methylene iodide test" that can make a final
determination. A stone is place in the solution, and a citrine gem will float
while the topaz will sink to the bottom. While hardness is a definite prime
attribute, topaz has a real disadvantage with its. basal cleavage. This makes
the stone very sensitive to sharp blows so artisans and miners have to handle it
very carefully.
Buy Peridot loose gemstones today!
Aventurine, often called "poor man's Emerald" is a nice affordable stone. When
it has inclusions, they appear to be sparkles. Extremely high quality aventurine
(free from inclusions), can seem like emerald. It is wonderful for everyday wear
as it is quite durable as well as pretty.
Buy Red Beryl loose gemstones today!
Moonstone can be easily scratched. Moonstone is found in Brazil, European Alps,
India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and USA (Pennsylvania
and Virginia). Sri Lanka has the highest quality moonstones. Moonstone is the
June Modern and Mystical Birthstone
Buy loose Chalcedony gemstones today!
All The Latest News From The natural yellow diamond World
Shooting the Rapids - Egypt Today
Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:59:00 GMT
It’s summer 2005, and I’m in a country along the Nile. The president has proposed an amendment to the constitution and rumor is rife that he will be standing for yet another ...
PTL Beauty Editor Lori Geiger - KDKA
Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:55:00 GMT
If you need a gift for a special person or a hard to buy for person check out the Woodlands Spa at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. They offer many different spa services and packages ...
