Starting To Collect Gemstones
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 assorted number of gemstones you can find just about everywhere in the world. This article will discuss a number of things you need to know in starting in this hobby.
The first thing you need to do in becoming a gemstone collector the intelligent way is by acquiring knowledge about them. By visiting a local library you can find books on the subject that will prevent you from making mistakes at the start.
One of the first things you look at Is gemstone color. Highly prized gemstones exhibit colors similar to the purest spectral colors of yellow, blue, Violet, green, orange or red. Muted gemstone colors or too dark lowers the value per carat.
Gemstone cut is very important and factors highly into the appraisal of not only diamonds but gemstones as well. A precision cut gemstone highlights the natural color of the gemstone, lessen any inclusions and show off its symmetry and proportions. One way of determining the excellence in gemstone cut is to consider how well and consistent 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 rather than reflecting inside the stone. Gem color appears washed out.
The clarity of a gemstone is an important consideration. 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 more valuable. To examine flaws not seen with the naked eye you need a gemstone loupe (gemstone clarity magnifier) or gem microscope. Many hobbyists will employ a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.
Next up are size and weight. Except for corals and pearls, 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. Density or specific gravity can very. 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.
Although gems are frequently used in jewelry, they are a great hobby and pastime as well. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gemstones 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 beautiful colors and the finish you apply to 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 United States in Oregon you'll find Agate, Obsidian, Hydrolite and Sunstone. And if you travel to Canada you will find nephrite jade in Cry Lake, British Columbia or sodalite and rose quartz near Bancroft, Ontario and even iolite from Manitouwadge, Ontario. Think of collecting gemstones as a great hobby and pastime.
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Hints On loose cut gemstones
Obsidian is natural glass formed by volcanic lava that cooled too quickly. It is
generally black. Other obsidian colors include: brown, gray, red, blue and green
. If there are bubbles or crystal inclusions, it has white or gray marks and is
often named snowflake obsidian. Some obsidian has iridescence: flashes of color.
Obsidian has a hardness rating of 5.
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Very Good Grade diamonds: This grade also has high brilliance and scintillation,
but expect them to be a bit darker in the center or around the edges. In some
cases a diamond can have top brilliance and scintillation, but be down graded by
its pattern. The stone above has a splintery pattern that prevents it from being
graded excellent.
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Some loose cut gemstones Stories
Open Rectangle Earring:White Pearl/gg (e-cts2-wp-gg)
Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:51:49 -0800
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.
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'The right surface materials help your garden to succeed both ... Times Online, UK - You can cut holes in it to plant through, which will help break up the expanse. Avoid laying loose materials too close to your back door because they’ll ... |
He's makin' a list, checking it twice, he's gonna find out who's ... - Canoe.ca
Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:34:08 GMT
He's makin' a list, checking it twice, he's gonna find out who's ... Canoe.ca, Canada - Yes, unless you hang out with ostriches, Silly Hall never fails to give the impression of playing fast and loose with their budgeted bucks. ... |
