How To Start Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Why collect loose gemstones you ask? Well for one thing gemstones are extremely beautiful. And like their more familiar cousin, natural diamonds, they can become extremely valuable over the years. Many in this hobby love to find, collect and finish each and every one of the 150 varieties available. Follow along as we look at the hobby of collecting loose gemstones.
The first step in becoming a gemstone collector the smart way is through the power of knowledge. By taking a look in your local bookstore you can find everything you need to know that will make you an informed buyer.
Number one to look at is the color of the gemstone. Gemstones at the top of the ladder exhibit colors similar in pureness to the spectral colors of yellow, blue, Violet, green, orange or red. Muted gemstone colors or are too dark are diminished in value.
Gemstone cut is very important and factors into appraisal of diamonds but gemstones as well. An excellent cut will highlight the gemstone's color, diminish any inclusions, and highlight the proportions and symmetry of the stone. One excellent way to determine the excellence of the cut is to consider how consistent and well, it reflects the light throughout its surface. But if a gem is cut too shallow, most of this light were refracted away instead of reflecting inside. Gemstone color will be washed out.
The clarity of a gemstone is an important consideration. Clarity refers to a stones relative freedom from inclusions or blemishes. A flawless gemstone is more valuable. To see flaws beyond with the eye can see you need a gem microscope or gemstone clarity magnifier. Serious hobbyists will get a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for viewing their coins, beads, stamps or in our case gemstones.
Next comes size and weight. Save for pearls and corals, all gemstones are priced by the carat. One carat is the equivalent of 0.2 grams However you should know weight and size are not always equal and gemstones. Density or specific gravity can vary in gemstones. Take a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats and you will see that a similar sized ruby or sapphire weighs 1.20 carats.
Taking up the hobby of gemstones can become an enjoyable pastime and could be rewarding as well over time. It doesn't have to be very expensive and yet you can end up with some very beautiful stones. Many people love to take vacations to go looking for gemstones. For example in Maryland you can search for Beryl and Clam Pearl. And if you like to travel farther you can find opal in Coober Pedy, Andamooka or Mintabie in South Australia, topaz in Beechworth, Victoria or check out the quartz regions in Cloncurry in Queensland, Australia.
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Learn More About loose blue diamonds
The common opal is quite a departure from the precious opal. There are several
different types of common opals: the milk opal, opals with blue and green tints,
resin opal, and a wood opal. There are also opals that can be found around hot
springs and geysers. They are a clear glass opal made up of geyserite. There are
other varieties of opals most notably the fire opal and Peruvian opal. Mexico
and Mesoamerica is the chief source of the fire opal. They come from the Mexican
high country where they can be found in rock surrounding extinct volcanoes. It
is extracted from open-pit mines in the canyons and valleys there. It should be
noted that more durable fire opals are found in drier region. The drier the
region the more durable the opal will be. While Mexico produces the most fire
opals they can be found in Honduras, Ethiopia, United States, Australia, Canada,
Turkey and areas in former Russian states.
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Proportion refers to the angles and relative measurements of a polished diamond.
More than any other feature, proportions determine a diamond's optical
properties. Studies have shown that table size, crown angle, and pavilion depth
have a dramatic effect on a diamond's appearance. Symmetry is a grading term for
the exactness of shape and placement of facets. Variations in symmetry include
off-center culets and tables, poor facet alignment, misshapen facets, out-of-
round girdles, and wavy girdles.
You will find used loose diamonds
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