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Fine Gemstone Jewelry: The Buying Tips

By Olive Pate


When we talk of jewelry, we are more often talking of special stones or minerals. Gold, silver, copper, and diamond are among the most sought after stones and minerals used for jewelry. However, this does not mean that they are the only used minerals. The stones such as diamonds belong to a unique category of stones commonly referred to as gemstones. In this category, diamonds tends to be the most expensive ones, however, those who cannot afford the diamond or simply don't want them, then the fine gemstone jewelry collection is quite wide, and the buyers need tips in buying these jewelry.

The main consideration is the color characteristics of the stone. There are three aspects of gemstone color; the hue, saturation and the tone. The hue describes the stone's primary color and can be described as a tint or a shade of blue, red or any other color.

The most commonly used tips for customers are the 4Cs; color, clarity, cut and carat. This is applicable mostly for diamonds, but is also used for most other colored gemstones. These are the characteristics that the jewelers used when selecting the gems and one will hardly fail through these criteria. However, it must still be known that grading is not usually uniform.

It is a term that describes the presence or absence of flaws on the gem surface or inside. It is not easy to find a flawless stone and is therefore very expensive. Other than diamond, the value of other gemstones is not much affected by these flaws except when the inclusions and minerals can affect its durability. The flaws can be seen from through a magnifying glass or microscope.

The cut is also another important factor to pay attention to. The cut simply refers to the proportions and symmetry and it affects its overall beauty. Polishing the gem is part of the art, why a larger stone fetch more; the balance must be reached to get a well-polished stone without wasting much of the weight. It goes without saying that the client should go for an ideal cut that has the shape that appeals to the buyer.

In addition to this, the carat weight also means a lot. The weight is measured in carat and 1 carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams. Generally, the higher the stone weight, the more it costs. Generally, the weight is determined by your budget and the clients are always advised to consider the good colored gems that have a nice cut and clarity instead of spending more in buying larger gems that have less appealing colors, cut and clarity.

The other important tip is the treatment or enhancement used. The enhancement is done improve the appearance in terms of its color and clarity and may also enhance durability. It may be done by oiling, dying, heating, waxing, bleaching or irradiating among other methods. As such, determine if it is natural or treated and if treated then determine the method used. Determine if special care is required and if the treatment affects its durability.

The last tip is to always ask for the certificate particularly if buying a costly gemstone. It may mean that you have to spend more but it provides the necessary peace of mind. In the certificate, there are details that can help you in comparing different options before the actual purchase.




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