Gemstones Resources

Gemstone Article Of The Month

Starting To Collect Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Why collect loose gemstones you ask? For many people it's because gemstones are extremely beautiful. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds their value increases over time. 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.

To begin with you need to read up on the wide variety of stones available. This knowledge will help you to know what exactly you're looking for so you buy the right items. This will help you make informed decisions.

First on your list to look at will be the color of the gemstone. You want the stone to be as close in color as possible to the pure spectrum colors. We are talking about violet, orange, yellow, green, blue, and red. In general terms, the prices of very dark are very pale semiprecious and precious gemstones are lower than the vibrant colors.

Cut is one of the all-important 4Cs and factors highly into the appraisal of not only diamonds but along with your gemstones. An excellent cut will showcase the gemstone's color, diminish any inclusions, and highlight the proportions and symmetry of the stone. One way of determining the excellence of its cut is to check how evenly it reflects light throughout the surface of the stone. But if a gem is cut too shallow, most of the light will refract out rather than reflecting inside. Gemstone color will be washed out.

Next up is the aspect of gemstone clarity. The aspect of clarity refers to the external blemishes or the internal conclusions or flaws of a stone being considered. Any large flaws can easily be seen with the unaided eye with others requiring a 10X magnification.

Next up are size and weight. Other than the corals and pearls gemstones are priced by the carat. One carat is the equivalent of 0.2 grams Be aware however, that weight and size are not always equal and gemstones. Density or specific gravity can vary in gemstones. If you have a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats, you will find a Sapphire or ruby of the same size would weigh 1.20 carats.

Collecting various gemstones can be a great hobby. And there is a wide range and variety in precious and semi precious stones that you can collect. You can start collecting gemstones like Kunzite, Amethyst (cardinal gem) or Clinohumite for example. The opportunities are seemingly endless. And if you like a hands on hobby you can find gemstones for yourself instead of buying. For example in Nevada you can hunt for Rock Crystal, Citrine, Nevada Turquoise and Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal.

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E.W. Streeter, in his book Precious Stones and Gems (1892), describes a number
of fine sapphires. One of these was in the collection of the Mus�e au Jardin des
Plantes, in Paris, and weighed 133.06 carats. The same stone was also described
by Sourindro Mohun Tagore in his classic, Mani-M�l� (1879, 1881), referring to
it as the Wooden Spoon-Seller�s Sapphire, in reference to the poor man who is
said to have found it in Bengal, India. Streeter said it was without flaw. This
is undoubtedly the same stone that resides today in Paris's Museum of Natural
History, for it is of a distinctive lozenge shape and possesses only six facets,
appearing like a huge sapphire rhomb. It is indeed nearly "without flaw,"
containing only one small feather and crystal inclusion, and is possibly of
Burmese or Sri Lankan origin. According to the museum's H.J. Schubnel, the
sapphire actually weighs 135.80 carats. In the museum it is known as the Ruspoli
Sapphire. During the 17th century, a Roman prince named Ruspoli sold this
sapphire to a salesman, who in turn, sold it to King Louis XIV sometime before
1691. At that time it was the third most prominent gem in the French Crown
Jewels.
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Amethyst is lilac, purple, or mauve. Top quality amethyst is transparent.
Amethyst has a hardness of 7. Clean your Amethyst with a soft bristle brush and
soapy, warm water. Amethyst often fades if left out in the sun for long periods
of time.
Buy heart Amethyst loose gemstones today!

Emerald is May's birthstone and is a beautiful green, well-loved stone. It is
used in rings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets. It is a wonderful birthday
gift. The dictionary definition of an emerald is: 1. a rare variety of the
mineral beryl that is green because of its chromium content and is valued as a
gem. 2. clear, deep green.
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