Collecting Prescious And Semi-Prescious Gemstones
By Lee MacRae
Many people, young and old, say collecting semi-precious and precious gemstones like loose diamonds or loose gemstones is a passionate hobby. Many people have a great love Of the assorted number of gemstones found worldwide today. Follow along as we discuss a number of things you need to know when starting this gemstone hobby.
First off you'll need the knowledge 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. A knowledgeable buyer is a wise one.
To start with, an important aspect in gemstone evaluation is color. Gemstones are the most intensely colored natural materials you can find. Gems have become so synonomous with color, they have even lent their names to specific colors. 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 violet, blue, green,, orange and red. They are valued much less the farther they deviate from the pure natural color.
The cut of the stone is extremely important and factors highly into the appraisal of not only diamonds but gemstones as well. A precision cut will highlight the pure color of the stone, lessen any inclusions and highlight the proportions and symmetry of the stone. One excellent way to determine the excellence of the cut of the stone is to consider if it is able to reflect light on a consistent level over the stones complete surface. If the gemstone is cut to shallow much of the light will refract out of the gem instead of reflecting inside the gemstone. The gem appears washed out.
Next up is the aspect of gemstone clarity. Clarity refers to the internal flaws (inclusions) or the external blemishes of a stone. Larger flaws can easily be seen with the unaided eye while others require close examination using a 10X magnification.
Next to consider are size and weight. Except for corals and pearls, all gemstones are valued by the unit called the carat. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. You should know however that weight and size are not the same in gemstones. Density or specific gravity can very. If you have a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats, you will find a similar sized sapphire or ruby weighs out at 1.20 carats.
Collecting various gemstones can create an enjoyable hobby and pastime. And there is a wide range and variety in precious and semi precious stones that you can collect. You can collect gemstones like Chrysocolla, Sugilite Zeolite (Thomsonite) and then try others. The varieties are nearly endless. And if money is tight you can go gemstone hunting and find the raw materials instead of buying them. For example in Michigan you can find Agate, Chlorastrolite and Hematite.
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