Our Featured Gemological Writer
Starting The Hobby Of Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Many people today say collecting semi-precious and precious gemstones like loose diamonds or loose gemstones is a passionate hobby. They love the colors and the beauty of the various gemstones found worldwide today. This article will examine the things you need to know when starting this gemstone hobby.
The first thing you need to do is to get yourself some books on gemstones. You want to understand as much as you possibly can about precious and semiprecious gemstones. The more you understand about gemstones the less likely you are to make a mistake. You'll know exactly what to buy.
To start with, an important aspect in gemstone evaluation is color. Without a doubt, gemstones are the most intensely colored natural materials you can find. Gemstones are so related to color that they have even lent their names to specific colors. Everyone knows ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue, aquamarine, turquoise, and jade green Gemstones will have a higher value the closer they are to the colors in the spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They drop in value the farther they are from the pure spectral color.
The cut of the gemstone is one of the most important traits when evaluating gemstones. The gemstone must be cut in a way that reflects light back to the viewer. A stone that has a poor cut will not reflect light in a consistent way. Color saturation, color hue and color tone will always appear inconsistent
Another factor to consider is the clarity of the stone. This refers to the stones purity or the absence of internal inclusions, internal particles or spots within the crystal structure. Without a doubt, zero flaws will make a gemstone very valuable.
Next comes size and weight. Other than the corals and pearls gemstones are valued by the unit called the carat. One carat equals a 0.2 grams. Be aware however, that size and weight and gemstones are not the same. Density or specific gravity can vary in gemstones. Take a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats and you will see that a Sapphire or ruby of the same size would weigh 1.20 carats.
Though you may find gemstones used a lot in jewelry, they are a great hobby and pastime as well. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gemstones that are simply too big and fragile for use in jewelry. Take each loose gemstone and think of it as a piece of art, a miniature sculpture to be treasured for its unusual nature and for the craftsmanship of the artisan who shaped it. 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 US in Michigan you can find Agate, Chlorastrolite and Hematite. And if you travel to Canada you will find nephrite jade in Cry Lake, British Columbia or sodalite and rose quartz near Bancroft, Ontario along with amethyst from Nova Scotia. Think of gemstone collecting for the great hobby it is.
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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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Today, some of the finest emeralds can be found in South America. They can be
found in other parts of the world with the most important sites being in Africa,
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Madagascar. The Mines of Cleopatra were the earliest
emerald mines on earth. There was emerald mining as early as 2000 B.C. These
early mines were abandoned in 1750, briefly revived, and then finally left to
nature in the 1920.s.
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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.
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Some small loose diamonds Stories
Homeless SF State students struggle to stay in school and stay loaded - San Francisco Weekly
Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:55:00 GMT
Amidst all the murders in San Francisco, some suspicious deaths are hidden in a secret burial ground of bureaucracy. James Syhabout, who heads PlumpJack Café's kitchen, is the ...
Diamond trade feels the heat of worldwide financial crisis - Business24-7
Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:59:00 GMT
The global diamond trade is bracing for a slowdown due to the on-going worldwide credit crunch, with diamond cutting centres and merchants around the world expecting sharp declines ...
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Latest Gemological Article
Starting The Hobby Of Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Many people today say collecting various loose gemstones or loose diamonds is a favorite pastime. They love the colors and the beauty of the various gemstones you can find just about everywhere in the world. Read long as we examine the things you need to know when starting this gemstone hobby.
Right at the beginning, what you need is to get some books from the library or bookstore. You want to understand as much as you possibly can about your new hobby. The more you understand about gemstones the wiser will be your purchases. You'll know exactly what to look for in a quality stone.
The first criteria you need to evaluate is stone color. It is a fact that gemstones are the most intensely colored natural material available on earth. Gems have become so synonomous with color, they've even become associated with particular ones. Everyone knows ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue, aquamarine, turquoise, and jade green Gemstones become higher in value the closer they are to the colors in the spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. They drop in value the farther they are from the natural color.
The cut of your gemstone is an important aspect to consider when you value gemstone. The gemstone must be cut correctly to reflect light properly. A gemstone with the poor cut will never be able to reflect light consistently. Color tone, saturation, and hue will be inconsistent.
Gemstone clarity is our next factor. Gemstone clarity 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. Many hobbyists will get an inexpensive 10X gemstone or jewelers loup for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.
Next comes weight and size. All gemstones [except for pearls and corals] are valued by the unit called the carat. One carat is the equivalent of 0.2 grams You should know however that weight and size are not always equal and gemstones. The density and specific gravity can differ in stones. Take a diamond that is 1.00 carats in weight and you will find that a similar sized sapphire or ruby would weigh 1.20 carats.
Getting involved in collecting gemstones can be very enjoyable and could be rewarding as well over time. It doesn't have to be very expensive and yet you can end up with some very beautiful stones. Many people loved to spend weekends to go hunting gemstones. For example in Oregon you'll find Agate, Obsidian, Hydrolite and Sunstone. Or ou can take a longer vacation and find opal in Opalton, Yowah, Queensland, Austalia, topaz in Beechworth, Victoria or hunt the quartz regions in Yellowdine Lake in Western Australia.
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More Info On loose pink diamonds
The Midnight Star Ruby. This 116.75-carat deep purplish-red star ruby is part of
the New York Museum of Natural History's collection, along with the Star of
India, a very large star sapphire.
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The weight of a diamond is measured in carats (ct.). Each carat is divided into
100 points. For example: 1ct.= 100 points, 1/2 ct. = 50 points. Points in a
fraction are measured within acceptable ranges. For example: a 1/2 ct diamond
pendant may have a range of + or - .06 points. In other words, the total diamond
weight may vary from .44 to .56 points and still be considered a 1/2 carat.
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Turquoise is a stone of self realization that helps you to better understand
yourself. It is an excellent grounding stone helping to ground the wandering
spirit. Those who have a lot of energy might tend to avoid grounding stones
because they think it will slow them down. However, turquoise allows the energy
pack to remain open. Turquoise helps us to communicate clearly and absorbs
negativity.
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loose pink diamonds Stories
Tough, yet precious - Gilroy Dispatch
Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:43:34 GMT
Tough, yet precious Gilroy Dispatch, CA - "Fancies" are colored diamonds, which can be found in pink, red, blue, green, amber or black. - Cut: The cut allows a diamond to make the best use of light. ... |
Secret Machines - Pitchforkmedia.com
Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:02:03 GMT
Secret Machines Pitchforkmedia.com, IL - But fortunately, Secret Machines have also recognized that a rock band needs first and foremost to actually rock, and although they can represent Pink Floyd ... |
Glitter and glamour at first-regional gem fair - AME Info
Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:56:00 GMT
With a variety of loose coloured gemstones, pearls and finished jewellery pieces on display, this exhibition will feature leading global brands such as K. Brunini Jewels, JOEB ...
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