Value
The value of a gemstone is directly related to it's rarity. The
size or weight of the stone, it's color and clarity are all valued
ultimately on rarity. Colorless diamonds
for example, are valued more highly than yellow or brown diamonds,
simply because colorless diamonds are more rare. Larger stones are
valued higher than smaller stones, simply because larger stones are
harder to find than smaller, and generally are more costly per
carat. Supply and demand also have an effect on value. Many
gemstones are found only in places where the climate (physical,
economical and political) is hostile or unstable. This directly
affects supply, and as a supply of a gemstone dwindles, it
becomes harder to find.
Photographs and descriptions.
We make every attempt to ensure that the photographs and
descriptions of gemstones are as accurate as possible, however
no photographic process or digital scanner is perfect.
The photographs however, in GIF format cannot hope to match the beauty of
seeing the gemstone in person. What this means, is that if the gemstone
looks good here in a GIF file, it will look great when it arrives at your
door. The gemstones as pictured are not to scale.
Color and clarity grading.
As part of the description, most of the gemstones listed have a description of it's color and clarity.
Color is described in terms of tone (brightness), saturation and one of 31 hue descriptions as used by the
GIA.
Gemstone Certificates
Unlike diamond certificates, which have an international
certification standard (GIA), there is no corresponding
internationally recognized certification for colored gemstones. We don't
issue certificates with the gemstones we sell. We do guarantee
that a gemstone is what we say it is, and we guarantee it's quality.
You are free to take any gemstone purchased to a qualified
gemologist to have it evaluated, and return it for a refund within
15 days of its receipt if you are not satisfied. If we issued certificates,
we would have to pass the cost onto you. If you are purchasing a
gemstone as an
investment,
and plan to try to resell it later, then you can have it certified yourself.
We leave the choice up to you.
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Common Terms
- Blemish, an defect in a gemstone found at the surface, such as a
pit, nick, scratch, chip or even an extra facet where none should be. A
blemish differs from an inclusion, which is internal to the gemstone.
- Calibrated, a gemstone whose dimensions are a standard (mm) size, and are
cut to fit ready made jewelry pieces. See our list of
calibrated gemstones. For more information,
consult our metric conversion information.
- Carat (ct.), unit of weight. 1 carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams.
Carat weight should not be confused with the term karat (kt.), which
is used to measure the quality of gold, nor carrot which refers to a
plant. The abbreviation (cwt.) is used to indicate the total weight of two
or more gemstones, such as the weight of a parcel of stones, or a pair of
stones often traded as a group. Carat weight should not be used to judge
the size of a stone, as differences in cutting and the depth of a stone can
allow stones of the same weight to have different dimensions. Also, the
density, or specific gravity of different materials can have the same effect.
A one carat sapphire for instance is much smaller than a one carat opal.
When looking for a setting for a particular gemstone, the stones dimensions
in millimeters should be used, not the carat weight.
- Grain, unit of weight, 1 grain is equivalent to 0.32399455 carats, or 1/24 pennyweight. The term is sometimes used to approximate a quarter carat.
- Gram, unit of weight in the Metric system. 1 ounce (avdp.) is equivalent to 28.349523 grams (141.747615 ct.).
Rough (uncut) material is often sold by the gram, whereas cut or finished gemstones are generally sold by the
carat.
- Hardness, measured by the Mohs scale (1-10), after the mineralogist Friedrich Mohs (1773-1839).
- Talc
- Gypsum
- Calcite
- Fluorite
- Apatite
- Orthoclase
- Quartz
- Topaz
- Corundum
- Diamond
- Inclusion, an inclusion within a gemstone is an internal flaw, or
included crystal, bubble, cloud, graining, fracture, etc.. Inclusions are
differnt from blemishs, which are imperfections at the surface of the
gemstone. Inclusions are not always bad. Inclusions can be used like a
finger print, to identify diamonds and other valuable gemstones. Inclusions
can often be used to tell the difference between natural and synthetic
gemstones, and in some types of gemstones, the inclusion can even pinpoint
the source of the natural stone. In some cases, inclusions can actually
increase the brilliance of a gemstone. Beware of emeralds and rubies which
do not contain inclusions, as these are extremely rare, and are probably
synthetic.
- Karat (K or Kt.), a measure of the amount of gold present in a gold
alloy, expressed in 1/24ths. An alloy under 10 Kt. gold is not legally
called gold in the U.S. (9 Kt. in England). The number in parentheses
in the table below indicates a marking that is found on some foreign
manufactured jewelry, expressed in thousandths.
- 10 kt. is 10/24 or 41.60% gold (416).
- 12 kt. is 12/24 or 50.00% gold (500).
- 14 kt. is 14/24 or 58.33% gold (585).
- 18 kt. is 18/24 or 75.00% gold (750).
- 24 kt. is 24/24 or 100% "solid" gold (usually 99.999%).
- Kilogram (kg.), a unit of weight equivalent to 1000 grams, or 2.2046226 pounds (avoirdupois), or 32.150737 troy ounces.
- Loupe, a small magnifying lens, usually 10x magnification.
- Melee, also known as an accent stone, a small round gemstone, usually less
than 4mm in diameter. Melee stones are placed around a larger center gemstone to accent it,
and make the center stone or jewelry piece appear larger. Melee diamonds may have fewer
facets than a standard round brilliant cut.
- Millimeter (mm.), a measure of distance in the Metric system.
1 inch is defined as 25.4 millimeters. The metric system is the standard
used in the jewelry industry, by gemologists, and by science worldwide.
For more information, consult our metric conversion information.
- Ounce (oz.), a particularly confusing set of units, used to measure weight and volume. There are two versions of ounces for weight, troy (also called apothecaries) and avoirdupois (common ounce). There are also two versions of the fluid ounce, used to measure volume, the british fluid ounce, and the U.S. fluid ounce. To add to the confusion, a troy pound is 12 troy ounces, whereas the avoirdupois (common pound) is 16 avoirdupois ounces. When measuring the weights of precious metals, the troy ounce is the standard used.
- Pennyweight (dwt.), a measure of weight, used to weigh precious metals. 1 pennyweight is equivalent to 1/20 ounce (troy), or 24 grains, or 1.55517384 grams, or 7.7758692 carats.
- Point, unit of weight. 1 point is equivalent to 0.01 (1/100) carats.
The term point should not be confused with the number of facets that a gemstone may have.
- Precious Stones, an obsolete term which generally is used to refer to diamond, emerald, sapphire or ruby.
- Semi-precious Stones, also an obsolete term used to describe gemstones which are not diamond
emerald, sapphire or ruby. These terms are misleading as many "semi-precious" gemstones are extremely
valuable, and some "precious" gemstones are of such poor quality that their value is very low.
- Troy Ounce, a unit of weight, used to measure precious metals and gemstones. 1 troy ounce is equivalent to 1.0971429 ounces (avdp.), or 31.103486 grams, or 155.51743 carats, or 20 pennyweight (dwt) or 480 grains.
- Troy Pound, a unit of weight, equivalent to 12 troy ounces.
Pearls and Other Organic Gemstones
Our trade is solely in gemstones and some precious metals. We do not deal in any substance that is of organic
origin, such as pearls, amber, coral, shells and ivory. Several organic gems are illegal and
environmentally unethical to sell, and we prefer to stay away from all organic "gems".
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