Classic Jewlery Collection

Gem stone -Chalcedony

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Chalcedony

A crypto-crystalline sub-species of quartz. It is generally of a milky brown colour, but there are also rarer blue (blue chalcedony), green (chrysoprase) and orange-red (cornelian) varieties. Very occasionally it may be transparent.

Agate is frequently stained to resemble types of chalcedony; so particular care should be taken when buying chalcedony that you are not, in fact, about to be sold an imitation.

The mineral is found in Madagascar, Brazil, India, China and the USA.

Gem and Stone - Beryl

2011-02-03T23:17:00.000-08:00

Beryl

This stone is a beryllium-aluminium-silicates. In the pure form, beryl is colorless, but the stored foreign substances gives it different colors. The involvment of manganese turns beryl to a special feminine pink, a morganite, best known representative of the group after emerald and aquamarine. Formerly, the name, 'pink beryl' was very popular.

Iron colors the stone in the most beautiful sea-blue hues, making it aquamarine, the best known and most popular gem. It shines in all the colors of water, from fine blue shades that complements almost any skin or eye color to a slight green shimmer. Aquamarine is the stone for creative designers who distinguishes it by a whole series of good qualities.

Skilled gemstone cutters turn beryl into a multitude of many-faceted shapes. The fact goes that this stone is best suited in a rectangular or square step cuts. The reason, it takes a clear design and brings out the transparent beauty of the color filled gemstone family to the full.

'beryl' is derived from the Sanskrit word in India, 'veruliyam.' It is an old term for chrysoberyl gemstone, from which the word 'beryllos' from Greek later developed. The hardness of the stone is 7 to 8 making it admirably suitable for the use of jewelery.

Gem and Stones - Azurite

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Azurite

Azurite is a blue carbonate mineral, chemically composed of copper carbonate hydroxide. It is found associated with green mineral malachite as an aftermath of weathering and oxidation of copper sulfide minerals. The name of the stone is derived from the Arabic word for blue.

Azurite is also commonly called 'Blue Bice' and 'Blue Verditer.' Formerly it was known as Azurro Della Magna, taken from Italian words. The stone turns slightly green when mixed with oil and green-grey, when mixed with egg yolk.

Azurite in beautiful crystals form are found in the United States in the Arizona and New Mexico. In France it is found at Chessy and is sometimes called chessylite. It is used for ornamental purposes, as a dye for paints and fabrics for eons.

The stone is a powerful healing stone which invokes spiritual guidance and opens psychic eye. It is also good for dreams and improving psychic ability. The magnificent color is considered to be unique in the mineral world.

Gem Stone Aventurine Quartz

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Aventurine Quartz

A variety of quartz spangled with inclusions giving a schiller, an unusual and attractive lustre characteristic of certain minerals. It may be green, blue, red or yellow in colour.

In the Far East it is used for elaborately decorated statuettes in the West for small items of jewelry, necklaces and bracelets.

It is widely found in India, Russia, South Africa and China.

Care should be taken not to confuse blue aventurine with lapis lazuli and green aventurine with jade

Gem Stone Aquamarine

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Aquamarine

Being a variety of beryl it belongs to the same family as emerald. Its colour varies from an almost white pale blue to a slightly darker sky blue, this latter being the most prized of all. There are also some greenish blue specimens which potential buyers would be wise to avoid. When investing in aquamarine, choose a stone that is pure, brilliant and as dark as possible. Be careful not to confuse it with blue topaz, a far less valuable mineral.

Generally, aquamarine is faceted, except for the translucent or milky specimens which are better cut en cabochon. This cut is popular today with jewelers for the creation of reasonably-priced parures.

Gem stones Specifications- Apatite

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Apatite

Apatite is a naturally occurring gemstone. It is basically known for its asparagus green color but it is found in wide range of colors, from colorless to pink, yellow, blue to violet. The best apatite is neon greenish blue with a clean clarity. The cost of the stone increases with the intensity of the color.

Apatite's property is fairly soft and is rarely used for rings, but is very popular as earrings and pendants because of its unusual intense green color. The hardness of the stone is 5 to 6.5 on Moh's scale. It has a vitreous luster and is sensitive to acids.

The name, 'apatite' has been taken from a Greek word 'apate,' which mean to deceive. It is so named because one can be easily get confused with variety of other stones like tourmaline, peridot and beryl.

Apatite is found in Burma, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the United States.

Apatite is found in all igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. It can also be cut as gems but the softness of apatite prevents its acceptance as a gemstone.

Andalusite

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Andalusite

A hard silicate of alumina in rhombic crystals of a colour varying from pink to violet. More rarely, it may be red or green. Its main quality is its exceptional fire.

If you are thinking of buying andalusite, you should choose a specimen in its original shape, flawless and of as deep a hue as possible. The price of this stone rises steadily, but never in leaps and bounds.

It is found in Brazil, Ceylon and Madagascar and is mostly used for the creation of exclusive jewelry for a clientele of connoisseurs.

Ametrine

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Ametrine

Partially it occurs to be purple and partially orange-yellow. It is typically given a rectangular shape with a 50-50 pairing of amethyst and citrine. So, with ametrine one can have the color of two gems for the price of only one.

Ametrine is very popular among the artistic cutters and carvers. They play with its colors, creating landscapes in the stone. Sometimes, the artists give a checkerboard pattern to the top, which increases the light reflection.

Ametrine is durable and is suited for a variety of jewelry uses. The sizes and shapes are also available in abundance and the color contrast is mainly pronounced in sizes over seven carats. Taking into account of its availability from a single mine, it is not so expensive.

Ametrine helps in achieving a balance between the spiritual and the material world. It is also used to enhance the cooperation with others. It gives higher mental opening for meditation and inspiration.

Amethyst Colour Stone

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Amethyst

It is of a pale lilac, mauve or bluish violet colour. Very popular in the past, its current value is stable as new mines have recently been discovered. Moreover, its worth has been further undermined over recent years by the flood of tasteless objects made in Brazil.

The best investment is an amethyst of average size weighing between 4 and 8 carats, as dark as possible, but not so much so that the light is prevented from reflecting, and with a deep lustre.

Gem Stone Amber

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Amber

It is found in many colours and may be both translucent or opaque. The rarest specimens are those enclosing insects of extinct species and leaves trapped in the sticky exudations of the tree.

Amber occurs practically everywhere in the world, but not in large quantities. It is most abundant, however, in the Baltic regions of Northern Europe.

Unlike most other stones, its impurities actually increase its value, but be suspicious of so-called "pressed" or "compressed" amber.

It is generally cut en cabochon or left in its original shape and simply polished. Ever since ancient times, it has been used for making beads for necklaces and bracelets.

Gem .Amazonite Description

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Amazonite

a light, aqua-green stone with white mottled flecks. The name, Amazonite, has been taken from the Amazon River, where formerly certain green stones were obtained, but it is found in Brazil. The origin of the stone is the New England States and Colorado. The composition is basically of potassium feldspar, and it is a green variety of microline.

Amazonite is a mineral, but because of its lively green color, it is cut and polished as a gemstone. The green color of the stone has been attributed to the presence of copper. It can also be due to some organic pigment, probably an organic salt of iron, as it is removed by heat from the source

Amazonite is believed to be a sacred stone of high value. It was extensively used by the ancient Egyptians. It gives a cooling and soothing effect to the mental state. It is used for healing and spiritual growth. It is applied to align the heart and solar plexus chakras and also the etheric and mental bodies. The body energy currents are strengthened by the use of amazonite.

Gem Stone Alexandrite

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Alexandrite

Its natural colour ranges from dark to pale green, but in the light may appear anything from red to yellow, to orange, to mauve even, depending on how the rays strike it.

It is a very attractive stone, but rare and therefore very costly, and only the top quality is worth buying. It is, however, an excellent investment because it is much prized by jewelers and collectors.

Pure alexandrite is always faceted, or cut en cabochon if flaws are present (in this case be careful not to confuse it with other "chameleon" chrysoberyls or labradorite). Its value is on a par with the four precious stones and when well set is a match for even the finest diamond.

Alabaster Description

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Alabaster

sulphate of lime or gypsum of a white or delicately tinted colour. It is one of the softest minerals known to nature and is therefore used as an ornamental stone in sculpture, though only for internal work as it weathers easily. It is especially popular in Italy, its country of origin (Volterra, Tuscany).

It is very porous and easy to colour, but too fragile to be a worth- while investment.

Agate stone

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Agate

The colours are arraigned in strips or bands or blended in clouds and classified accordingly as moss, ribbon, dendrite, etc. The stone, widely distributed but not very popular, is generally brown. When used for ornamental purposes it has usually been dyed artificially as the porous nature of this mineral allows it to absorb material from solution. Brownish- orange agate is known as cornelian, the green variety chrysoprase, the blue variety chalcedony and the brownish-red variety carnelian. Black agate is onyx.

Agate is used for inexpensive jewelry, ornaments and even ash- trays and precision instruments.

It is found mainly in India, Brazil, Madagascar, China, Russia and Australia.

Chemically agate is the same as tigers eye, petrified wood, and jasper, and physically the same as quartz. Petrified wood is actually agate that has replaced some of the organic matter in the tree, slowly and over a long period of time. The structure of the tree will remain but the tree inside is a fossil.

Agate is a talisman for vulnerable feelings.

All agates are grounding gemstones.

Agate was used in 'eye amulets' to ward of the 'evil eye'.

Agate can help with emotions; will not completely change but agate is used to help you know the feelings will pass, and help you to move on.

Agate can give you the strength you need to carry on.

Carry agate if you have any important decisions.

Agate has been used as a protection gemstone over many years in history, it is one of the oldest gemstones in recoded history.

Agate can help make the person wearing it more agreeable.

Agate absorbs negative radiation; making it ideal for in the office or study

gate can help quench thirst.

Agate can help make the person wearing it more agreeable.

Agate can help protect from fevers.

Agate can help cure bouts of insomnia.

Agate can help skin diseases.

Agate can help with stomach upsets; place the stone on your solar plexus.

Agate absorbs negative radiation; making it ideal for in the office or study.

Agate is a powerful healer.

Agate is good for helping the digestion, lymphatic and circulatory systems.

Ruby and sapphire, Description

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Ruby and sapphire,

so different in colour, actually belong to the same mineral family: corundum, the mineral form of alumina which crystallizes in the hexagonal system. The red colour of ruby results from a small admixture of chromic oxide. The most prized tint is blood red or crimson known in the trade as "pigeon's blood" red. The colour of this corundum varies, however, according to the geographical locality of the mine. Siamese rubies, for instance, are of a deeper garnet red than those found at Mogok in Burma, while Ceylon ruby is of a pinkish dull red. Corundum is extremely hard, 9 on the Mohs scale. It is, therefore, not quite as hard as diamond but much harder than other minerals, including emerald. Transparent ruby, when cut en cabochon, may reflect light so as to produce star-like bands, a phenomenon rated highly by the experts. If viewed from a certain direction, bands of light are reflected onto the surface of the crystal forming a six-ray star shape. This optical effect is due to the presence of fine canaliculi or inclusions of rutile. The colour of these "starstones" varies from pale rose red, to deep crimson, to purple. Generally speaking, the darker the crystal, the less evident is the star, and vice versa. It is a rare gem indeed in which the colour and the star are of equal beauty.

Identification of Gem stone step 6 and 7

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Identifying Gem Stones – Step 6:

Color:

While this may seem the first test to use when classifying a gem stone, using color to identify a stone is not as reliable as you might think.

Most people view the sapphire as blue, but this cousin to the ruby can be found in various shades including pink, green, yellow and almost transparent. The classic diamond, with its colorless crystal, looks so much like the less rare cubic zirconium or cubic zirconia, that they almost indistinguishable without a close examination.

Identifying Gem Stones – Step 7:

Chemical and Physical tests:

These methods of identification of gems most often used by experts because they usually require special equipments. The tests include:

Specific gravity.

Refractive Index.

Light Dispersion.

Color changes.

Once you have your list of measurements, and a reliable set of tables for comparison, you are well on your way to identification of your gem stone.

Identification of Gem stone step 4 and 5

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Streak:

This is a method of gem stone identification that involves using the subject gem stone to make a mark on a hard, ceramic plate. Many (but not all) gem stones will leave a streak. By comparing the appearance of this streak to various charts, you have another clue to use in gem stone identification.

Identifying Gem Stones – Step 5:

Crystal morphology, or shape.

Most gem stones are made up of crystals, each with a unique shape based on their atomic and molecular structure. A simple example of crystal shape can be seen by examining sugar crystals and salt crystals under a powerful glass. While they may look the same in a bowl, up close their crystal shapes are very different and unique.

Gem stone identification Cleavage Step 3

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Identifying Gem Stones – Step 3:

Cleavage:

This refers to the tendency of crystals to break along fixed planes in their structure. By striking the crystalline gem stone, you can examine the break and compare it to various cleavage charts.

Many gem stones, including quartz and mica, are easily identified by this way. If you suspect that your gem stone is extremely valuable, like a diamond, you may want to skip this step.

Gem Stone Identifications step

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Identifying Gem Stones – Step 2:

Hardness:

In the identification of gem stones, hardness is one of the most important of all tests. While not usually a definitive way to identify a gem stone, it does at least put you into the correct group of possibilities.

To help you use hardness to identify a gem stone, there are a variety of hardness scales that you can use. The most common is the 'Mohs' Scale' which ranks mineral hardness on a scale of one (talc) to ten (diamond).

To measure the hardness of the gem stone you wish to identify, you will use a hardness kit. This contains a set of substances of varying hardness keyed to one of the hardness scales.

If your test substance can scratch the subject gem stone, then the test substance is harder than the subject gem stone. By trying several test substances on your subject gem stone, you will be able to approximate the hardness of the subject.

Since diamond is often too expensive for most kits, glass is sometimes used in its place.

Gem Stone Identifications step

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Identifying Gem Stones – Step 1:

First, try to make sure that, the gemstone that you have, is a gem stone. Some times what you think may be a gem stone is just a pretty rock or a piece of metallic ore.

Since the term gem stone is largely arbitrary, this can be hard. Some basic guidelines include:

If it's rough and sandy, it should not be identified as a gem stone, no matter how pretty it may be.

If it's malleable, that is easily able to be shaped by hammering, crushing or bending; it is probably a metallic ore. Gem stones are primarily identified by a crystalline structure, which can be shaped, but not easily shaped and then only by cutting, fracturing or abrasion.

A pearl, though used in jewelry, is not considered a gem stone. (Though if you want to identify it as a gem stone, go ahead. I won't tell anyone.)

It is tempting to identify fossilized wood as a gem stone because of its shiny, lustrous surface and its attractive lines and colors, but it is not considered a gem

sizes of diamonds chart defined

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sizes key points

Carat is specifically a measure of a diamond's weight, and by itself may not accurately reflect a diamond's size.

We tend to evaluate diamond size by viewing it from the top because that is how diamonds are presented to us when set into a ring.

To understand diamond size, carat weight should be considered in conjunction with two other criteria:

A diamond's cut grade should also be considered because, as we noted in the cut grade section, when a diamond is cut with the proper proportions, the maximum amount of light (or sparkle) is returned out of the top of the diamond. Thus, when a diamond is well cut, the light reflected out of the top makes it appear larger. In addition, much of the weight of a poorly cut diamond, for example, may be "hidden" in the base of the diamond, making the diamond appear smaller than its carat weight would imply.

It is therefore possible to have a diamond of a lower carat weight, but higher cut grade, that appears larger than a diamond with a larger carat weight, but poor cut.

Diamond sizes

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Diamond sizes are often difficult to find. Many diamonds size charts are not always as accurate as they can be, and to be fair, diamonds sizes can vary depending on how the diamond is cut. The size of the diamond is often referred to as the spread of the stone. A good spread on a diamond often means it is a large size in comparison to the weight.

Diamond size is not to be confused with diamond weight. Diamond size refers to the mm size of the stone. Typically on certificates, the stone is measured along the length, width and depth of the diamond. Here, we will offer a basic guide, with the main measurement being listed. This will at least offer you an idea of the size of the stone. Some diamonds weigh heavier due to the style of cut. Emerald cut diamonds for example are fairly thick step cut diamonds and tend to have a lot of weight in the back of the stone. Other stones such as trilliants can be fairly shallow and the size of the stone can often be larger than you would expect for the weight.

Clean diamond

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Cleaning diamond steps

Take a small bowl and mix a small amount of mild dish detergent with warm water until sudsy.
Dip the item to be cleaned into the solution
Dip a soft toothbrush into the cleaning solution, and gently brush the item.
Rise in warm running water

Pat dry with a soft line free cloth

clean now with light hand rub

Gold Karat

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Gold Quality measures: Gold's purity is measured in karats. The term "karat" harks back to the ancient bazaars where "carob" beans were used to weigh precious metals. 24 karat is pure gold, but its purity means it is more expensive and less durable than gold that is alloyed with other metals. Different alloys are used in jewelry for greater strength, durability and color range. The karatage of the jewelry will tell you what percentage of gold it contains: 24 karat is 100 percent, 18 karat is 75 percent, and 14 karat is 58 percent gold.

These information help you to know about gold metal

Gem Stones Diamond Clearity

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Tools Required to Test Gemstones

There is an absolute and definite need to test gemstones, especially if they are expensive. Competition, economics, availability and demand have all worked towards the explosion of the gem market. The markets are flooded with gemstones of various hues, brand and breed. Therefore the need to test the authenticity of gemstones is imperative. Insurance too has a hand. They need the gem to be certified.

In the past, it was pretty easy for a trained gemologist to distinguish a flawless gem from a flawed one. There were no synthetic gems during those days. Today however, one has to determine whether a gem is real or not. Trained eyes cannot always avoid error, particularly, if the gem has been manufactured in the laboratory. It becomes a challenging task. Earlier on a magnifying glass was good enough. Presently however, a host of instruments are used, especially if one wants to be absolutely certain of the gem, its history and pedigree.

It is tricky to test a gemstone. Some stones are soft, some are mounted while some can be coated, treated or easily scratched. One has to be very careful so as not to damage the stone in any way. With technology advancing rapidly, the tools used for testing are made to suit ones needs and pockets. Aiding the tools is a wide range of database, which lists the particular characteristics of gems. This is valuable because the markets are deluged with zircons or the synthetic Moissanite, which are look alike diamonds and very difficult to differentiate from a real diamond.

Tools required for testing gemstones

Loupe

Loupe is actually a sophisticated magnifying glass. It magnifies the gemstone in detail. The internal flaws, surface blemishes, cracks and any other cover ups are easily seen. It is a powerful convex lens that produces a magnified image of the gemstone. The standard loupe that used is 10X, which magnifies the gem ten times its size. This standard is mandatory for testing gemstones in the USA.

Color Filter

Color Filter is also called a 'Chelsea Filter' or 'Emerald filter'. This instrument helps in separating natural, synthetic and imitation gem material. It helps in establishing whether similar looking stones exhibiting the same colors are natural or not. It comes handy while dealing with some green, red or blue stones, like blue Spinel and blue Topaz. It detects dyes in gemstones also.

Spectroscope

Spectroscope is also used to separate natural gems from synthetic gemstones. This is used in specialized gem testing laboratories. The differences in the chemical composition are revealed by the absorption spectrum of the light transmitted through the gemstone that is being tested. The instrument breaks up the light that is being transmitted from a gemstone into its spectral colors. This helps in testing the various wavelengths that are being taken in i.e. being absorbed by the gemstone. This indicates the type of elements that are present in the stone, which are absorbing the wavelengths. It allows the gemologist to see which color of light is being absorbed and thus identify the gemstone.

Specific gravity Liquids

Specific gravity Liquids - this is important for identifying a number of gemstones. A carat scale also called hydrostatic balance is used.

X-Rays

X-Rays are sometimes conducted to separate natural pearls from cultured pearls.

Diamond Tester

Diamond Tester is used for testing diamonds. The unit is switched on and the diamond that is to be tested is touched by a pointed tip. A light will come on to indicate if the stone is a genuine diamond or not. It uses thermal conductivity to differentiate diamond from its many stimulants. When the tip is touched to the diamond, the meter will show green if it is a real diamond if not then it will remain in the red zone. This instrument can be used to test the minutest diamond, as small as 0.02 carats. It can also separate colored stones from one another. By merely touching the thermo electric probe to the gemstone, the relative heat conductivity of the material is exhibited on the dial.

These are the basic instruments. There are improved and sophisticated versions of these instruments available in the markets.