Why I Like Gemstones

The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting

By Lee MacRae

Many people, young and old, say collecting loose gemstones or loose diamonds is their favorite hobby. Many people have a great love Of the assorted number of gemstones found around the world today. Read long as we look at a number of factors you should understand when starting to collect gemstones yourself.

At the very beginning you need to read up on the wide variety of stones available. This knowledge will help you to know the properties of each stone and prevent you from wasting your money. Without the proper knowledge you can make costly mistakes.

One of the first things you look at Is gemstone color. Highly prized gemstones have colors that are close in pureness to the spectral colors of yellow, blue, Violet, green, orange or red. Gemstone colors that are muted or too dark lowers the value per carat.

Cut is one of the all-important 4Cs and factors highly into the appraisal of not only diamonds but along with your gemstones. A precision cut gemstone highlights the pure color of the stone, diminish any inclusions, and highlight the proportions and symmetry of the stone. One way of determining the excellence of gemstone cut is to consider how evenly it reflects light throughout its surface. If the stone is cut on the shallow side most of this light were refracted away instead of reflecting inside the gemstone. Gemstone color will be washed out.

Gemstone clarity is an important consideration. When we talk of clarity it relates to a stones relative freedom from inclusions or blemishes. A gemstones that is normally found to be clean is obviously valued highly. To examine flaws not seen with the naked eye you need a gemstone loupe (gemstone clarity magnifier) or gem microscope. Many hobbyists will buy a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for examining coins, stamps and of course gemstones.

Next thing to look at is the duo of size and weight. Due to their nature gemstones vary and specific gravity or density. Size and weight are not necessarily equal from stone to stone. If a diamond of a certain size weighs 1.00 carats then a ruby of equal size would weigh 1.20 carats. An equal sized Emerald would be 0.95 carats while an Alexandrite gemstone would be about 1.23 carats.

Although gems are frequently used in jewelry, they are perfectly good collectibles in their own right. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gemstones that are simply too big and fragile for use in jewelry. Take each loose gemstone and think of it as a piece of art, a miniature sculpture to be treasured for its beautiful colors and the finish you apply to it. And in this hobby you don't have to always lay out cash because you can use vacation time to actually hunt for raw gemstones in stead of buying. In the United States in New Hampshire you can rock hunt for Beryl, Rock Crystal and Garnet. And in Canada you can find nephrite jade in Cry Lake, British Columbia or amethyst near Thunder Bay, Ontario and even amethyst from Nova Scotia. Take up gemstone collecting and you won't regret it.

Buy loose pear Emerald gemstones or round enhanced loose diamonds and also round natural diamonds today in our store!

Gemstones For Sale

More Info On purchasing loose diamonds

Most carnelian on the market is stained chalcedony from Brazil or Uruguay.
Carnelian is placed in the sun to change brown tints to red. The best carnelian
is found in India. Carnelian is used for clear thinking. It is said to help
balance creativity and mental processing.
Buy oval Citrine loose gemstones today!

Peridot location and deposits. Historically the volcanic island Zabargad (St. John) in the Red Sea, east off Egypt, was the most important deposit that was exploited for 3500 years, abandoned for many centuries, rediscovered only around 1900 and has been completely exploited since. The most important deposits nowadays are found in Pakistan (Kashmir region and Pakistan-Afghanistan border region) and is regarded as being of the finest quality. Beautiful material is also found in upper Myanmar and Vietnam. Other deposits have been found in Australia (Queensland), Brazil (Minas Gerais), China, Kenya, Mexico, Norway (north of Bergen), South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the United States (Arizona and Hawaii).
Buy loose round Princess Emerald gemstones today!

Cleaning gemstones is easy. Simply soak the piece in a bowl of warm, soapy water for several minutes. Then use a soft, non-metallic brush to remove any grime. If you use a jewelry cleanser, make sure it is non-abrasive. Don't use harsh chemical cleaners, and be careful when cleaning the item in the sink because it can end up down the drainpipe. Also, keep in mind that some gemstones may have been treated or enhanced by heating, oiling, irradiation or diffusion. Heated and irradiated stones generally don't require special care when cleaning, but diffused stones could become lighter if scrubbed too hard.
Buy cabochon jade loose gemstones today!

Some purchasing loose diamonds Stories

Seven Cube Sterling and Vermeil Necklace

Six brushed silver cubes with one 23kt gold vermeil accent cube. Necklace is 16" long with a sterling toggle clasp. All sterling silver chain and findings.

The New Ordinary - Slate

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:59:00 GMT
Deep in the darkest recesses of every closet, there lies a stack of neglected holiday clothes. Not the festive, sequined numbers women don for the office Christmas party. I'm ...

natural diamond