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Starting To Collect Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Many people today say collecting various loose gemstones or loose diamonds is a favorite pastime. They love the colors and the beauty Of the assorted number of gemstones you can find just about everywhere in the world. This article will discuss a number of things you need to know in starting in this hobby.

The first thing you need to do in becoming a gemstone collector the intelligent way is by acquiring knowledge about them. By visiting a local library you can find books on the subject that will prevent you from making mistakes at the start.

One of the first things you look at Is gemstone color. Highly prized gemstones exhibit colors similar to the purest spectral colors of yellow, blue, Violet, green, orange or red. Muted gemstone colors or too dark lowers the value per carat.

Gemstone cut is very important and factors highly into the appraisal of not only diamonds but gemstones as well. A precision cut gemstone highlights the natural color of the gemstone, lessen any inclusions and show off its symmetry and proportions. One way of determining the excellence in gemstone cut is to consider how well and consistent it reflects light over its entire surface. If the stone is cut on the shallow side much of the light will refract out of the gem rather than reflecting inside the stone. Gem color appears washed out.

The clarity of a gemstone is an important consideration. When we talk of clarity it relates to the amount of inclusions (trace elements or large particles of other elements or minerals) that a gem has. A perfect gemstone is more valuable. To examine flaws not seen with the naked eye you need a gemstone loupe (gemstone clarity magnifier) or gem microscope. Many hobbyists will employ a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.

Next up are size and weight. Except for corals and pearls, all gemstones are priced by the carat. One carat equals a 0.2 grams. However you should know size and weight and gemstones are not the same. Density or specific gravity can very. Take a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats and you will see that a Sapphire or ruby of the same size would weigh 1.20 carats.

Although gems are frequently used in jewelry, they are a great hobby and pastime as well. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gemstones that are too fragile or too large to be used in jewelry. Here's a suggestion -- don't think of a gem as a component of jewelry; Think of it as a mini sculpture or piece of art to be highly treasured for its beautiful colors and the finish you apply to it. And unlike some hobbies that require you to pay for your specimens you can actually go hunting for raw gemstones in the field. In the United States in Oregon you'll find Agate, Obsidian, Hydrolite and Sunstone. And if you travel to Canada you will find nephrite jade in Cry Lake, British Columbia or sodalite and rose quartz near Bancroft, Ontario and even iolite from Manitouwadge, Ontario. Think of collecting gemstones as a great hobby and pastime.

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Tips About used loose diamonds

Lapis Lazuli, an ancient gem, is a deep blue stone that is known as the stone of
total awareness. In Egyptian cultures, people made a practice of burying a
lapis lazuli scarab with their dead, as they believed it offered protection. In
the earliest cultures, lapis lazuli was valued more highly than gold. Lapis
Lazuli brings mental clarity, self knowledge, and honesty. It is a stone of
truth and friendship, promoting harmony in relationships.
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Within each gemstone variety, quality dramatically affects price: a gem can sell
for $100 or $2,000,000. When buying a gemstone - buy the best quality, most
experts recommend. Choose a smaller stone of higher quality over a larger stone
of lower quality, or buy a higher quality gem from an unusual variety if your
budget is too small.
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Latest Article On Gemstones

Collecting Loose Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Gemology is a term referring to the profession, science, and even art of evaluating and identifying rocks known as natural diamonds or loose gemstones. A number of people taken up gemology as a hobby. They become interested in collecting and evaluating items like loose gemstone or natural diamonds. Some people even begin to travel to different areas close by or even taking a trip to other countries to hunt for raw or rough gemstones. Some of them will even tumble or finish off the gemstones themselves. If this hobby interest you then follow along as we discuss the in and outs of gemstone collecting.

Right at the beginning, what you need is to get some books from the library or bookstore. You want to know as much as you possibly can about your new hobby. The more you understand about gemstones the wiser will be your purchases. You'll know exactly what to buy.

First on your list to take into account should be stone color. You'll want the gemstone to be as close as possible to the pure colors of the spectrum. We are talking about violet, orange, yellow, green, blue, and red. In general terms, the prices of very dark are very pale stones are lower.

The cut of the gemstone is the next factor to look at before a purchase. The precision of cut determines the amount of light is reflected by the gemstone. It will ultimately determine the brilliance of the stone and how much someone will pay for it.

The next factor to look at is the clarity of the gemstone under consideration. This means the purity of the stone or the lack of internal inclusions, spots, or particles within the crystal structure. Needless to say, stones with no flaws would make the gemstone highly valuable.

Gemstones are often categorized according to size because of being more uniform than carat weight. But two different gemstones may have the same size but differ in carat weights and as a result different in prices as well. This is due to the difference of specific gravity and depends on the materials chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure. Normally a one carat brilliant round diamond with standard proportions will be approximately 6.5 mm in diameter. A comparable a brilliant ruby of the same proportions in size will weigh in at 1.55 carats instead.

Taking up the hobby of gemstones can give you an enjoyable pastime and rewarding in the long run. You don't need to spend a lot of money and yet you can buy some very beautiful items. Many people love to take vacations to go looking for gemstones. For example in Nevada you can hunt for Rock Crystal, Citrine, Nevada Turquoise and Virgin Valley Black Fire Opal. Or ou can take a longer vacation and find opal in Opalton, Yowah, Queensland, Austalia, topaz in Mt Surprise or O'Briens Creek in Queensland, Australia or hunt the quartz regions in Beechworth and Mooralla in Victoria Australia.

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Hints On natural blue diamonds

Malachite is always coated with a protective polish. This polish will wash off.
Imitation malachite has very regular black or white banding. Malachite is found
most everywhere. However, the most important mine is in Zaire. Malachite is the
anniversary gemstone for the 13th year of marriage.
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Only three colored gemstones are considered precious. These are the emerald, sapphire and ruby, which have retained their prized positions among jewels due to their extraordinary colors and extreme rarity. Precious gemstones with good color and large size are very hard to come by. Because of their rarity, it is common to use stones with inclusions and blemishes in jewelry
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