No matter who the buyer is, when selecting jewelry it is essential to take many factors into consideration. From precious vs. semi-precious gemstones and symbolic meaning to cultural relevance and unique formation; all come into play when looking for that ideal piece. Crystal and gemstone jewelry is no exception!
Date of birth and zodiac signs can also help determine an ideal gemstone choice to match your energy.
Birthstones
Birthstones have long been associated with specific months since ancient times; today most modern charts offer both ancient and contemporary gems for an expanded selection.
As an example, February’s birthstone is amethyst, an exquisite purple stone that ranges in hue from lilac to eggplant and is said to promote loyalty while soothing insomnia and headaches.
Other notable birthstones include opal, which is an elegant white and fire-colored gemstone found only in Australia and is said to represent love, luck and sight clarity for its wearer. Other birthstones include citrine (which acts as a cheaper alternative to November’s topaz) and tanzanite, a deep blue gem colored by trace amounts of vanadium derived from trace amounts within it – these longstanding traditions of birthstones is one reason more people than ever are considering stones by month when selecting jewelry pieces from jewelry collections or collections from jewelry retailers or manufacturers.
Colors
Color is one of the key indicators that distinguish gemstones. Gemstones can be divided into precious and semi-precious categories depending on their color, translucency and hardness – traditionally, emeralds, rubies and sapphires are considered precious, while all others fall under semi-precious.
Gemstone colors are determined by trace elements in their atomic structures. Examples include beryllium (emerald, smoky topaz and citrine); beryllium, chromium and jade; copper (green tourmaline and paraiba); iron (yellow sapphires, chrysoberyls, and kunzites), manganese (pink tourmalines) and sulfur (lazulite and spessartite garnet).
Certain natural gemstones are treated in order to improve their color or clarity, usually through heat, irradiation and waxing or oiling treatments. Inclusions within gemstones may also alter its hue by reflecting or absorbing different wavelengths of light – producing phenomena like chatoyancy (cat’s eye effect) and asterism (star effects). Most colored gemstones range from very pale hues to darker ones while some — like rubies, sapphires and alexandrites — display an array of hues across their color range.
Saturation
Color saturation is often the key element in determining gemstone value. Color, followed by tone (light or dark), then clarity are all critical factors in establishing its worth.
Gemstones are beautiful minerals, rocks or organic materials crafted into jewelry for human adornment. Many gemstones feature natural beauty characteristics like iridescence, opalescence and chatoyance that add extra beauty.
These beauty features may also be enhanced through treatments like irradiation and fracture filling, producing fancy-colored diamonds through one process while treatment with wax or oil can improve the look of emeralds and turquoises. Not only are these treatments aesthetic, they create synthetic gems with almost identical characteristics to natural gemstones – providing valuable alternatives to rare natural stones.
Cut
Gemstones may be polished and cut into facets that reflect light and display their depth of color, which makes them suitable for fine jewelry applications. Gemstones come in an assortment of hues; diamonds typically feature white, red and pink tones while sapphires display blues across all spectrum of hues.
Gemstone luster can be determined by factors like its refractive index, dispersion and hardness; additionally, clarity (emeralds are an example) and optical phenomena are important considerations when considering gemstone’s luster.
Most gemstones are sold faceted to showcase their beauty, while many varieties (such as agate) may also be purchased in slices for those who appreciate its interior marbling or stripes (like agate). While certain stones such as rubies and emeralds feature inclusions that show how they were formed below Earth’s surface, others such as agates and citrines tend not to contain such inclusions; furthermore some gemstones can even be treated to increase color depth, including oiling, tumbling, heating or dyeing/staining ( like emeralds).