Know Your Gemstones

Know Your Gemstones by Paul

Gemstones, precious stones, jewels...just a few terms for the stones that adorn our jewelry and give us a great deal of pleasure.
Gemstones range from the clear diamond to the solid onyx, colored or clear, speckled and striped. There are ones that are “birthstones” and ones traditionally given meanings.
This article takes a brief look at gemstones …#34; their characteristics, what to look for and how to take care of them, with a little bit of history thrown in for good measure!

BIRTHSTONES
One of the most common uses of gemstones in jewelry is to give a gift containing a birthstone. The most likely source for the theory of birth stones is said to come from the Pagans, who associated characteristics of a person with those of the stones.
The birthstone is to represent the month in which a person was born. To confuse matters, there are also 'zodiac stones'. These might be the same as the birthstone or may differ, depending which end of the sign the birth date is, and it might be appropriate to consider the person who the gift is for when choosing to gift a birth or zodiac stone …#34; are the type to read their horoscopes, for example?

The following table charts the birth stones, taken from the 1937 list created by the National Association of Goldsmiths in Britain, a list that was created in order to settle once and for all which stones were recommended, when several versions of the list existed. The birthstone list is more commonly used than the zodiac list and is accepted worldwide, though minor variations still exist.

January Garnet Dark red
February Amethyst Purple
March Aquamarine Pale blue
April Diamond Clear
May Emerald Green
June Pearl Cream
July Ruby Red
August Peridot Pale green
September Sapphire Deep blue
October Opal Multi
November Topaz Yellow or pale blue
December Turquoise Turquoise

ANNIVERSARIES
Some stones are also attached to particular wedding anniversaries. US tradition has us give the following gemstone gifts …#34; in between those of other materials for intermediate years:
15th: china or emeralds
30th: pearl
40th: ruby
50th: sapphire
55th: emerald
60th: diamond

The ideal gift to a spouse on one of these anniversaries is a piece of jewelry. For a friend or relative, consider an attractive stone by itself in a presentation box or a decorative ornament containing the jewel. Glass is often a good choice for this type of presentation.

GEMSTONE CHARACTERISTICS
Since there are considerably more gemstones known to man than the birthstones already mentioned, it would take writing an encyclopedia to cover them all! So, in introducing you to a few gemstones, we shall just look at the birthstones, since these are most commonly found in jewelry.

Natural stones are most desirable. Man-made, or synthetic, stones are acceptable as they are created from the same material as the natural stone but made to maximise clarity and color, perhaps because of a lack of the real thing. Simulated stones are “fakes”, often given an alternative name.

Natural stones are given a hardness based on a scale produced by the German Friedrich Mohs in 1822. His findings were based on which materials could scratch others. Generally speaking, a stone suited to jewelry setting, and in particular rings, has a hardness of 7 or more. The highest rating is 10.

The value of a natural gemstone is determined by several factors, amongst them being:
color - the brighter and truer the color, the more valuable the stone
clarity - in transparent stones, the clearer they appear, the higher the value
sparkle - the cut of the stone determines how well it refracts light and therefore how much it sparkles. More facets (flat faces) on a stone give more sparkle.
size - the more there is of a stone, the more it costs
hardness and durability …#34; it goes without saying that the more likely it is to stay smooth and beautiful, the more desirable it is for wearability

Garnet
This gem is usually dark red in color but can range through yellow to brown to orange shades. It's hardness rating is 6.5 to 7.5.
The rarest garnet by far is the blue garnet, a recent find only occurring in color-change stones. These are stones which change according to the type of light they are under and are themselves very rare.

Ancient Egyptians were fond of garnets as a gift to the Gods. They promised a safe journey to the afterlife for the resident of the garnet-containing tomb.
Garnet is fairly inexpensive and looks good set in both gold and silver. To give a garnet is a symbol of loyalty and devotion.

Amethyst
Another inexpensive stone, amethyst comes in all shades of purple and sometimes yellow. Occasionally, a stone can be found containing both colors. It has a hardness rating of 7.
The name comes from the Greek 'amethustos' which translates to "not drunken". The Greeks believed it protected them from the effects of alcohol! Apart from the Greeks, there is evidence of the Ancient Egyptians and the Anglo Saxons using amethyst in jewelry history.
Amethyst is not expensive these days, since large reserves have been discovered. In the past, it was considered more valuable and was used for religious jewelry, such as that worn higher members of the Catholic church. Victorian jewelry often contains pale amethysts called "Rose de France".

Aquamarine
This is a bright yet pale blue form of beryl and naturally occurs in several colors. A heat treatment give it it's blue color, so named because of it's similarity to seawater.
Aquamarine is popular in modern jewelry, set in silver or white gold.

Diamond
Possibly the most respected gemstone, diamonds also come in a variety of colors and are one of the hardest substances known to man, given the maximum hardness rating of 10.
Natural diamond may be found in pink, purple, yellow, gray, green or brown. A diamond as we know it as a precious stone is clear, and many diamonds today are actually manufactured. This should not be confused with what are called simulant diamonds, such as cubic zirconia, which are made to look like diamond but are considerably cheaper.

The clearer the diamond, the higher it's value. Colored natural diamond has a much higher value again.

The most famous diamond in the world is the deep-blue colored 45.52 carat Hope Diamond and the largest is the brown colored Golden Jubilee at a whopping 545.67 carats.
A high level of light dispersion can raise the value of a diamond. Dispersion is the way in which light refracts to cause prisms of light, the rainbow effect of the colors splitting.
It is an urban myth that only a good diamond will cut glass, so do not waste time trying to scratch windows and tableware with your new engagement ring to prove a point!

Emerald
Emerald is another form of beryl, given it's green color by the presence of chromic oxide. The price of an emerald can range from a couple of dollars to many thousands and synthetics are common to provide more affordable stones. The most valuable color of an emerald is a bright green.

Emerald is a very hard stone, given a hardness rating of 7.5-8. However, it also quite sensitive to heat and so care must be taken when setting or amending jewelry in which it is attached if heat processes are used.

Many emeralds today are sealed with oil or resin during the cutting phase. As a result, if subjected to any cleaning agents, such as detergent for washing dishes, they can get an unpleasant, dull sheen.

In history, emerald was believed to be a cure for dysentery and bad eyesight, whilst also protecting the innocence of it's wearer. A powerful stone by all accounts!

Pearl
Natural pearls usually come from oysters, when they pick up a foreign body such as a grain of sand and coat it with nacre. Cultured pearls are made by artificial insemination! A small object is put into the oyster for it to culture as if it were a real pearl.
An imitation pearl is usually made with a plastic bead, coated with fishscales which help to achieve the iridescent look of a real pearl.

Pearls are soft, with a hardness rating of only 3.5 - 4. The surface can be easily damaged.
A round pearl is considered most desirable. They can come in various shapes, depending on what the object was that found it's way into the oyster.

Actress Elizabeth Taylor was given one the largest pearls known by ex-husband Richard Burton, La Peregrina, which was previously owned by the Spanish Royal family.

Ruby
Ruby is red or pink corundum. Other colors of corundum are known as sapphire. Ruby has a hardness rating of 9, and is a popular material for watch bearings and watch glass.
Large, clear rubies are very rare and therefore very expensive. Smaller stones may be quite cheap, depending on clarity and color. A perfectly clear ruby might be thought to be a fake unless proved otherwise, since all natural ruby has some form of imperfection, including threads of silk running through it. If the silk is not visible, it may be that the ruby has been heated to enhance it's color.

Star rubies are also very rare …#34; these are where an imperfection inside creates a six point star inside the jewel.
A gift of ruby is a gift of love, symbolized by it's hot, passionate red color.

Peridot
These stones are bright yellow or yellow-green. They are quite soft, about a 6.5 hardness rating, and as such do not fare particularly well as a ring stone.
It was first found on an Egyptian island named Topazios and is therefore often wrongly labeled topaz.

Sapphire
Sapphire can be many colors, though is most well known in a deep blue. Any other color of sapphire is brought into the name, for example, “pink sapphire”. Like ruby, it is a form of corundum, with a hardness of 9.

The most desirable sapphires are of an intense blue color. This, along with the clarity and cut, determines the value which may move into the thousands of dollars. Also like the ruby, a star sapphire is rare and collectible.
The rarest form of sapphire is the Padparadsha, or lotus flower sapphire, which is an orange color.

Opal
Earliest known mining of opal dates back to the Romans. They are quite soft at only 5.5 to 6.5 on the hardness scale. They are formed from a type of quartz gel and can come in black or white but are often found with flashes of several colors, giving them a unique beauty and value.
Opals have a water content of up to 30%, therefore can be easily damaged by exposure to heat or cold as this can cause them to expand or contract, affecting their appearance.

A faded opal is likely to have lost it's water. Soak in water and see if the color returns. If not, take it to be professionally rehydrated using oils.
Opals like to be worn. This helps them retain their moisture content by soaking up humidity in the air around them.
Wearing opal is said to aid depressed minds and to help the wearer find true love.

Topaz
Topaz may be blue, green, pink, orange or brown but it's purest form is yellow. Blue topaz is very common and very cheap, usually being the product of heat treatment to give it the pretty blue shades. Red or pink topaz are the rarest and most valuable.

Although it has a hardness rating of 8, if taking a hard knock at the wrong angle, topaz can split easily, though this should not be an issue with properly mounted jewelry.
Ancient Egyptians thought yellow topaz to be colored by Ra, the sun God, and so it was considered valuable in protective amulets. Romans had a similar tradition relating to Jupiter, their own sun God.

Other traditions surrounding topaz were the Greeks view that it protected it's wearer by making them invisible to danger and that it changed color if subjected to poisoned food. It is also said to cure insomnia and hemorrhaging.

A gift of topaz denotes love and affection. A yellow topaz is good for the artist as it is said to be an intellectual stimulant, while the blue topaz is for relaxing.

Turquoise
This stone is an opaque blue/green, favored as far back in time as the Ancient Egyptians and is also popular in Native Indian jewelry. Turquoise often occurs as a by-product of copper mining, since it forms by the reactions of other minerals to the atmosphere.

Turquoise means “Turkish stone” though it did not originate in Turkey. It was traded through Turkey, to reach Europe. It is said to have many properties for the wearer, including bringing happiness, good health and protection from evil spirits.

Turquoise has always been treated to bring out color and luster. In the past, oil and wax were used, today, it's more likely to be epoxy resin and plastics. Stones treated the old fashioned way are prone to 'sweating', forming a film over the surface. It's hardness is only around 6.
The most valuable turquoise is that which is untreated.

About the Author
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