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Starting To Collect Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Many people, young and old, say collecting semi-precious and precious gemstones like loose diamonds or loose gemstones is a passionate hobby. They simply love the beauty and the colors Of the assorted number of gemstones you can find just about everywhere in the world. This article will examine the things you need to know when starting this gemstone hobby.

The first thing you need to do in starting the hobby of collecting gemstones the proper way is through the power of knowledge. By taking a quick trip to the library or local bookstore you can locate all you need to know about the subject that will prevent you from making mistakes at the start.

The first criteria you need to evaluate is stone color. Without a doubt, gemstones are the most intensely colored naturally occurring materials you can find. Gems have become so synonomous with color, they've even had their names combined with associated colors. Everyone knows ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue, aquamarine, turquoise, and jade green Gemstones are valued much higher when they equal the colors in the spectrum of orange, green, yellow, violet and blue. They become less valuable the farther they deviate from the pure natural color.

Gemstone cut is easily one of the most important aspects in evaluating gemstones. The stone has to be cut correctly to reflect light properly. A poor cut will not reflect light in a consistent way. Color saturation, hue and tone will always look inconsistent.

The next factor to consider is the clarity. This means the purity of the stone or the lack of internal inclusions, internal particles or spots within the crystal structure. Needless to say, stones with no flaws will make a gemstone very valuable.

Next up are weight and size. Except for corals and pearls, all gemstones are valued by the unit called the carat. One carat equals a 0.2 grams. Be aware however, that weight and size are not the same in gemstones. The density and specific gravity can differ in stones. Take a diamond that is 1.00 carats in weight and you will find that a similar sized sapphire or ruby would weigh 1.20 carats.

Though you may find gemstones used a lot in jewelry, they are perfectly good collectibles in their own right. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gems that are simply too big and fragile for use in jewelry. Look at each stone and consider it as a piece of art and value it for its unusual nature and for the craftsmanship of the artisan who shaped it. And in this hobby you don't have to always lay out cash because you can find your raw materials through field trips In the US in Georgia you can find Ruby, Beryl, Amethyst, Citrine, Garnet and Quartz. And in Canada you can find nephrite jade in Mount Sidney Williams, British Columbia or labradorite on the adjacent islands and coastal area of Labrador along with the unique deep blue beryl in Canada's Yukon Territory. Think of gemstone collecting for the great hobby it is.

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Obsidian is fairly fragile. treat obsidian carefully as sharp blows will cause
it to crack. Obsidian is most often found in Hawaii, Japan and Java. However, it
can be found in all areas with volcanic activity. Apache tears are dark obsidian
pieces found in Arizona and New Mexico. It is said that gemstone healers use
obsidian to get clearer insight into problems. In ancient times, obsidian was
used as mirrors. Sharp shards of obsidian were formed into arrowheads.
Buy loose Diopside gemstones today!

Onyx is a rich-looking, affordable black stone. It is often mixed with pearls to
create elegant jewelry. Onyx, sard, and sardonyx are all varieties of chalcedony
(microcrystaline quartz). Onyx comes in brown, white, grey, and black. Sard is a
reddish-brown variety. Sardonyx is a blend of sard and onyx with the red bands
of sard and the white bands of onyx. Onyx, Sard and Sardonyx all have a hardness
rating of 7.
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