7 types of Gemstones and their Characteristics
Looking to buy a gemstone online?
A gemstone is a mineral significantly sought after for its beauty, strength, and rarity. Moreover, a few organic elements, such as pearls, red coral, and amber, are also grouped as gemstones. Without a doubt, jewelry has used a lot of gems for a very long time.
However, color is the most important factor when judging the quality of colored gemstones. Transparency and shine are other factors affecting its value (“fire”).
Therefore, some gemstones also have unique characteristics that include shimmer, glow, constellation, color, pattern, and shine.
Other than that, you can buy some of the best-customized jewelry and even a gemstone online.
Moreover, the availability of choices and the convenience gathered by the digital era allow you to buy gemstones and customize them into gorgeous bespoke pieces without problems or expensive price tags.
With all that said, here are a few trending gemstones that people often choose for customizing their jewelry.
Aquamarine
Firstly, Aquamarine is a gemstone that features the hue of the sea or an iceberg; it is affordable, gorgeous, and wearable and can resist a few knocks without cracking or scratching.
Moreover, this gemstone is a beryl variant that ranges from greenish-blue to bluish-green.
Besides that, it is the perfect color to include in spring as the birthstone for March. It is a popular addition to fashion trends. With all that said, what do they say about this stone?
Without a doubt, Aquamarine represents youth, love, and hope, and also considered a helpful stone for all teachers and speakers.
Subsequently, it brings speakers to a state of awareness in which they fully know their truth, wisdom, and feelings and can express them clearly and convincingly.
They also think it enables you to speak successfully and calmly during tight situations.
Diamond
Firstly, the purity of a diamond is affected by its natural formation, mining, and polishing work.
Unquestionably, no two diamonds are alike, and a diamond’s clear properties work like a fingerprint.
Subsequently, the diamond is one of the most well-known and sought-after gems for jewels. They have used Diamonds as decorative ornaments since ancient times.
In addition, the firm durability and unmistakable aesthetic of diamond — which gives it its special “fire” — make it appealing for jewelry.
Diamonds are such a popular gem that various organizations have sprung up to grade and certify them based on the “four Cs,” or color, cut, clarity, and carat weight.
Other features, such as the presence or absence of fluorescence, influence the desirability and, consequently, the value of a diamond used in jewelry.
Most engagement rings use diamonds, but colored gemstones have gained popularity and are now the preferred choice for many.
Emerald
Emerald is a green to greenish-blue variation of the beryl family gemstone that forms over hundreds of millions of years in igneous, transfigure, and chalky rocks under high heat and pressure.
Beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen are the four elements that make up an emerald. Including chromium, vanadium, or iron in emeralds gives them their green color.
The most valuable emeralds are pure green with rich vibrancy and no noticeable color changes across the stone. The color of Emeralds can range from bluish-green to slightly yellowish-green.
Too much yellow or green that is not saturated enough will not qualify the Beryl as an Emerald. Instead, it is known as the green Beryl.
Due to its high heat and high-pressure environment, Emeralds are nearly always found with eye-visible inclusions. Hence, buying one with high clarity and few inclusions will command a premium.
You’d read many articles citing Emeralds from Columbia as the better ones. But Zambia is equally capable of producing top fine quality Emeralds too.
Be it Columbian Emeralds or Zambian Emeralds, it is essential to view the Emerald in person and see its color, clarity, and glow. Color preference is personal.
Garnet
Gem-quality garnets come in every color, with red garnets being the most frequent and blue garnets extremely rare.
Because it is abundant and affordable, red almandine is the most commonly used red garnet in jewelry. For the same reason, reddish garnets like pyrope and spessartine are common in jewelry.
Other variables include the Demantoid Garnet and the Tsavorite Garnet. Green demantoid garnet has grown fashionable in recent decades. It has a higher dispersion than diamonds, which means it has more “fire” than diamonds.
The hue of green Tsavorite is vivid and rich, similar to emeralds. It acts as a substitute for emeralds very often. These green garnets are becoming increasingly popular but far more expensive than almandine garnets.
Tsavorites have become popular as an alternative to emeralds. Tsavorites are more expensive than other Garnet species. However, a good quality Tsavorite can be a fraction of the price of an Emerald.
It’s simple to see why so many people prefer this option being one of the oldest forming gemstones available.
Its high refractive index and dispersion levels translate to stunning brilliance and are significantly less expensive than specific gemstone options.
While its gorgeous, pure green colors, durability, purity, and rarity draw gem collectors and jewelry enthusiasts alike.
Sapphire
While Sapphires are commonly associated with blue gems, this gem species is available in other colors,,,,,,,,, such as green, white, orange, purple, pink, and yellow sapphires.
The other colors are known as fancy Sapphires. At the same time, a red gem is a ruby.
A sapphire’s worth is mainly determined by its color, with deep, vivid royal blue sapphires being among the most valuable. The color of sapphire can be a vast spectrum.
Some popular colors include twilight blue sapphire, peacock blue sapphire, cornflower blue sapphire, velvet blue sapphire, and royal blue sapphire.
The rarest form of the gem is known as the Padparadscha. They are highly coveted for their unique mix of orange and pink colors, likening them to sunset, lotus flower,s,,, or salmon.
It’s also a royal gemstone, with many believing it represents abundance and clarity. Sapphire is a popular gemstone alternative to diamonds in bridal jewelry because of its brilliance and durability, which are comparable to diamonds.
Tanzanite
Tanzanite is a relatively new gemstone, and only one location on the planet can find this gem. This blue-violet zoisite fragment was named after Tanzania by Tiffany & Co since its discovery in 1967.
Mainly, this option exists in a spectrum of hues from violetish blue to bluish violet based on how much weight is maintained from the rough cut since the crystals reveal varied colors.
Tanzanite has quickly gained popularity among jewelers and gem collectors. The translucent zoisite gets a stable, gorgeous blue-to-violet color with heat treatments while being usually reddish brown.
Tanzanite, along with zircon, turquoise, and blue topaz, is a December birthstone. It is also the gemstone of choice for a 24th wedding anniversary and a popular alternative to Sapphires.
Tourmaline
The magnificent species of Tourmaline, by its wide variety of varieties, shapes, and forms, is distinguished. It usually develops in beautiful long hexagonal ‘pencils’ within the host rock and has an exquisite prismatic crystal habit.
Its name comes from the Sinhalese words “tura mali,” which means mixed-color stone.’ Tourmaline is dichroic, which means it may change color subtly depending on the light source as it shifts from natural to artificial.
Due to its pure beauty and rarity, the Paraiba Tourmaline, the rarest of the derivatives, is a highly sought-after gemstone.
A Paraiba Tourmaline’s ‘swimming-pool-blue’ genuinely shines liveliness, standing out against many other gemstone choices.
Because the exquisite copper-like Tourmaline Crystals from Paraiba’s “noble hill” were practically all fragments since their discovery, Paraiba Tourmalines are almost usually small.
There are so many gemstone options for choice that it might make you spoilt. Either way, customizing gems has quickly become popular in crafting unique and personalized pieces for the perfect occasion.
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Gems Origin is a private bespoke jeweler in Singapore that handcrafts unique customized jewelry with high-quality handpicked gems.
