Loose Stones

Some people purchase loose gemstones for jewelry-making, while others do so for investment purposes. Still others are looking for the perfect stone to have made into a piece of jewelry by a custom jeweler. Whatever the reason, if you’re in the market for loose gemstones, here are some tips to help you find just what you’re looking for.

Most gemstones are minerals, but some rocks (such as lapis lazuli) and organic materials (like pearls or amber) are also considered as such. Today, four stones are recognized as “precious gems”: diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Everything else falls under the category of “semi-precious stones.”

When you purchase loose gems, obviously you should only deal with a reputable jeweler that you trust, online or in person. Always get a certificate from the seller, and be sure you know exactly what it is you’re purchasing. Jeweler.com can point you in the right direction for high quality loose gemstones.

Grading Gemstones

Diamonds are the only gems that have a universally accepted grading system based on the concept of “the four C’s”: color, cut, carat, and clarity. Clarity is determined by placing the diamond under 10X magnification. However, cut is most important for the value of a clear diamond, because without the proper cut, the diamond will not sparkle as it should. Clarity and color are next in importance. All other gemstones are graded based on 20/20 vision with the naked eye.

The quality of all colored gemstones, together with colored diamonds, is based on the clarity and brilliance of the stone’s color, which is further divided into three parts: *hue*, *saturation*, and *tone*. Hue refers to the stone’s color, which can be produced in the following spectral hues: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, purple and pink. Purple and pink are essentially modified spectral hues, as purple lies halfway between red and blue, and pink is really a lighter shade of red. Natural stones seldom have pure hues, so these are further divided into primary, secondary, and sometimes tertiary hues.

Saturation refers to the clarity of color, or the stone’s freedom from brown or grey hues. Those stones with fewer amounts of grey or brown are typically known to have “vivid” or “strong” saturation.

Tone indicates the depth of color, which can range from clear to black, and is described as “light,” “medium-light,” “medium,” “medium-dark,” and “dark.”

Aren’t Natural and Genuine the Same Thing?

Natural gemstones are presented in the exact condition they were in when they were pulled from the ground, other than being cut for setting. Genuine gemstones were pulled from the ground, but have been treated to improve their appearance. Any treatments performed on a gemstone can affect the value of the stone. Many collectors stay away from treated gems. But natural stones of good quality can be way out of the financial reach of the average person. Some of the treatments typically used on colored gemstones and their results are listed below:

• *Heat* - Improves color or clarity of the stone.
• *Radiation* - Changes and/or improves the color of gemstones.
• *Oiling or Waxing* - Used on emeralds and turquoise to improve color and clarity and to camouflage fissures.

Natural gemstones that have been exposed to any kind of “treatment” may no longer be called “natural,” but still qualify as “genuine.”

Another option for you may be synthetic gemstones. This is not the same thing as “imitation” gemstones. Imitations, like cubic zirconia, *look* like the real thing, but do not have the same chemical or physical characteristics as those of the real stone. Synthetic (also called “created”) gemstones are grown in a laboratory, under controlled conditions. They have the very same physical and chemical properties of natural gems, but because no contaminants are present in the lab, created stones have better color and clarity. Since natural stones are more rare, however, they continue to be regarded as more valuable. But if your goal is to have a beautiful stone to be set in a piece of jewelry, a synthetic gem may be the right choice for you.