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Starting To Collect Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Gemology is the art, profession and science of evaluating and identifying rocks known as natural diamonds or loose gemstones. Many people take up gemology as a hobby. They become interested in collecting and evaluating loose gemstones or loose diamonds. A number of these hobbyists start to visit various locations close by to hunt for raw or rough gemstones. Some hobbyists will learn to cut or tumble the gemstones they find. If this hobby interest you then read along as we show you the various aspects of gemstone collecting.

Right at the beginning, what you need is to get some books from the library or bookstore. You want to learn everything there is to know about your new hobby. The more you understand about gemstones the better off you'll be. You need to be as informed as possible.

Color is a subjective idea but a very important part in evaluating a gemstone. The closer the color comes to its purer spectral value the more valuable it is. Traditional spectral colors include violent, blue, green,, orange and red. Colors that are darker or paler tend to be less valued.

The cut of the stone is extremely important and factors into appraisal of diamonds but gemstones as well. An excellent cut will highlight the natural color of the gemstone, diminish any inclusions, and highlight the proportions and symmetry of the stone. One excellent method to determine the precision in gemstone cut is to consider how well and consistent it reflects light throughout the surface of the stone. If the stone is cut on the shallow side most of this light were refracted away rather than reflecting internally. Gemstone color will be washed out.

The clarity of a gemstone is an important consideration. Gemstone clarity relates to the absence of flaws or blemishes inside the stone. Generally speaking, a clearer stone is more valuable. To see flaws beyond with the eye can see you need a 10X gemstone loupe (gemstone clarity magnifier) or gem microscope. Serious hobbyists will use an inexpensive 10X gemstone or jewelers loup for viewing their coins, beads, stamps or in our case gemstones.

Next up are weight and size. Save for pearls and corals, all gemstones are priced by the unit, carat. A carat is equal to 0.2 grams. You should know however that weight and size are not the same in gemstones. Density or specific gravity can very. Take a diamond that is 1.00 carats in weight and you will find that a similar sized ruby or sapphire is 1.20 carats.

Taking up the collecting of loose gemstones can create an enjoyable hobby and pastime. And there is such a variety when it comes to gemstones. You could try collecting Garnet, Sapphire or Turquoise and then try others. The opportunities are seemingly endless. And if you like a hands on hobby you can go hunting for raw gemstones. Take the example of the United States. In New York you can find Beryl, Brown Tourmaline, Rose Quartz as well as Fresh Water Pearl.

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Hints On loose gemstones

A semiprecious stone is defined as: "Any gemstones other than a precious stone, or any gemstone of lower commercial value than a precious stone; specifically, a mineral that is less than 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness. A gemstone may also be regarded as semiprecious because of its comparative abundance, inferior brilliance, or unfamiliarity to the public, or owing to the whims of fashion. This arbitrary classification is misleading, as it does not recognize, for example, that a ruby of poor quality may be far less costly than a fine specimen of jadeite."
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Peridot belongs to the forsterite-fayalite mineral series, which is part of the olivine group. It is one of the "idiochromatic" gems, meaning its color comes from the basic chemical composition of the mineral itself, not from minor impurities, and therefore will only be found in shades of green. As a matter of fact peridot is one of the few gemstones found in only one color.
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Jewelry Television Invites Viewers to The Vault - PR Newswire

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:01:00 GMT
Jewelry Television(TM) (JTV) has announced the launch of The Vault (www.jtv.com/vault), an unparalleled shopping destination for high quality, luxury gemstones and fine jewelry.

Treasure hunter finds £25000 gold cross with metal detector - Telegraph.co.uk

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:38:12 GMT

Treasure hunter finds £25000 gold cross with metal detector Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Aug 6, 2008 The Anglo Saxon artefact is set with red gemstones and might have originally held a relic such as bone from a Disciple or fragment of the Cross. ...

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