Buyers Guide; How to Choose the Best Gemstone
Here is the guide post how to choose the best gemstone:
Color
Jewelers describe the color of a gemstone in terms of three characteristics: hue, saturation, and tone. A gemstone’s basic color is its hue, and those with purer hues (for emeralds, green; for sapphires, blue; and for rubies, red) are generally considered more valuable. Often, however, a hint of another color can be detected. Sapphires will range from purplish blue to greenish blue; emeralds, yellowish green to bluish green; and rubies, orangey red to purplish red. Saturation is a measure of the intensity or purity of a gem’s hue and is determined by the degree to which gray or brown hues mute its defining color. Value tends to increase with saturation, so a fully saturated purplish blue sapphire may well be more expensive than a muted pure blue one. The tone of a gemstone, a measurement of its lightness or darkness, is usually given as light, medium-light, medium, medium-dark, or dark.
Clarity
A flawless gemstone is rare and usually extravagantly priced. As with diamonds, most gemstones have inclusions, or tiny mineral flaws, that can be seen under magnification or by the careful eye. Sapphires tend to be moderately included, while emeralds and rubies are usually heavily to moderately included. Make sure that any inclusions in the stone do not penetrate deeply into the gem, as this may cause it to break or crack. Clarity grades range from VVS (very, very slightly included) to I3, in which inclusions are prominent and severely affect the gemstone’s beauty.
Cut
A gemstone’s cut refers to its proportions and symmetry. It is essential in making a gemstone look appealing–the stone should be symmetrical in all dimensions so that it will appear balanced, and so that its facets will reflect light evenly, providing good brilliance. Color should also be taken into account when cutting for optical efficiency. If a stone’s color is highly saturated, a shallow cut will allow it to pass more light, while a deeper cut may increase the vividness of a less saturated gem. There is no generally accepted grading system for gemstone cut.
Size
Though a gemstone’s weight is usually given in carats, this may not give an accurate idea of its size, because different types of stone have different densities. Therefore, a 1-carat sapphire or ruby will be smaller than a 1-carat emerald, though they have the same weight, because sapphires and rubies (both a form of the mineral corundum) are more dense than emeralds.
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