Featured Gemstone Article
How To Start Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Why would anyone collect items like loose gemstones, you ask? For many people it's because they are very beautiful items. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds their value increases over time. Many hobbyists love to collect and show case each and every one of the 150 varieties available. Read long as we look at the hobby of collecting loose gemstones.
The very first step in beginning this hobby the wise way is by acquiring knowledge about them. By taking a quick trip to the library or local bookstore you can find books on the subject that will let you make wise purchases from the beginning.
Of paramount importance Is gemstone color. Top grade gemstones have pure colors there as close as possible in pureness to the spectral colors of orange, green, yellow, Violet or blue. Gemstone colors that are muted or on the dark side can lower the value.
How a stone has been cut is the second most important factor to consider before buying. The precision of the cut determines the amount of light the stone will reflect. The cut will determine the brilliance of the stone and how much someone will pay for it.
The next factor to consider is the gemstone's clarity. This refers to the stones purity or the lack of internal inclusions, 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. Other than the corals and pearls gemstones are priced by 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, loose gemstones are great for collecting. In fact, there are many attractive and interesting gemstones that are too fragile or too large to be used 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 Maine you can find Tourmaline, Beryl, Rose Quartz, Pearl, Topaz, Amazonite, Clear & Smoky Quartz and Aquamarine. And in Canada you can find nephrite jade in Cry Lake, British Columbia or amazonite (microcline) near Lac St-Jean, Quebec as well as black spinel in Burgess and bathhurst Townships in Ontario. Take up gemstone collecting and you won't regret it.
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Gemstones For Sale
More Information On loose diamonds to buy
The moonstone is a variety of feldspar that exhibits a type of shimmer or �adularescence�. This is the floating, billowy effect you see when the stone is rotated. It ranks 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. The moonstone is the shared birthstone with the pearl and alexandrite for the month of June. It comes from Sri Lanka, Australia, Africa, Brazil and India.
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emstones are also found in jewelry in the form of beads. Beads come in all
shapes and sizes and have a hole in the middle that allows them to be strung.
Gemstone beads are similar to cabochons in that they use stones that are not
clear enough to be faceted, and generally are less valuable. There are always
exceptions however: one of them is pearls. Pearls are as valuable as beads as
they are simply set.
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Think twice before putting gems in an ultrasonic cleaner. Diamonds, rubies and
sapphires will be fine but many other gems may not be: when in doubt, leave it
out. Diamonds, rubies and sapphires, and other single-crystal gems can be
cleaned with a touch of ammonia in water to remove all films and add extra
sparkle. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner or ammonia for cleaning such opaque
gemstones like lapis, turquoise, malachite or onyx. They should be wiped clean
gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb
chemicals, even soap, which may build up inside the stone and discolor it. The
reason why these materials need more care than transparent gemstones is that
these materials are essentially rocks, not crystals of a single mineral. Think
about it: when you put a rock in water, it absorbs the water and is moist all
the way through. A single crystal gem like sapphire will not absorb water: all
the molecules are lined up so tightly in the crystal that there is no room for
water to enter.
at Loose Diamonds Galore!
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