When buying a gemstone, it is often a different experience than when buying a diamond. It is important for buyers to be well informed before they purchase a gemstone.
Gemstones are primarily purchased because of favorite colors, wardrobe matches, personality or fashion trends.
When buying a gemstone, use the 4 C’s.
For example, when purchasing a sapphire, compare sapphires to sapphires. Do not compare sapphires to an emerald or an aquamarine. Also, choose the gemstones based on your personal preference!
Shape: We sell gemstones in all different shapes! Some of the most popular shapes are round, marquise, oval, pear, princess and baguette.
Cut: Gemstones can be cut in a variety of different ways. Transparent stones will often be cut with facets. Unlike diamonds, the facets are planned to maximize the color. Other stones like jade, opal, and onyx will be cut into a smooth domed shape also known as a cabochon.
Color: Judging a gemstone color is different than judging the color of a diamond. Every gemstone has ranges that they come in. They range from light to dark and more vivid to less vivid. All of the families of color are represented by gems of different types.
- Red: Mozambique, Garnet, Ruby
- Pink: Rhodolite, Garnet, Pink Sapphire
- Yellow: Yellow Sapphire, Citrine
- Green: Bloodstone, Emerald, Jade, Peridot
- Blue: Aquamarine, Blue Chalcedony, Blue Spinel, Blue Zircon, Lapis, Blue Sapphire
- Purple: Amethyst, Tanzanite
- White: Akoya Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Mabe Pearl, South Sea Pearl, White Spinel, White Topaz, Moissanite, Opal
- Brown: Smoky Quartz
- Black/Gray: Tahitian Pearl, Onyx
Clarity; Gems also have internal characteristics called inclusions. Some gemstones like emerald are known for having many inclusions, but citrine is known for having few inclusions. Each gemstone will be graded for clarity differently.
Carat Weight: Gemstones are like diamonds because they are both measured using carats. A carat is equivalent to .2 grams or .007 of an ounce. Unlike diamonds, each gemstone has a different density which greatly contributes to the weight of the stone.