Starting The Hobby Of Gemstone Collecting
By Lee MacRae
Many people, young and old, say collecting loose gemstones or loose diamonds is their favorite hobby. They simply love the beauty and the colors of the wide array of gemstones found worldwide today. This article will discuss a number of things you need to know in starting in this hobby.
To begin with you need to learn all you can on the various gemstones available. This will help you to know what exactly you're looking for and prevent you from wasting your money. Without the proper knowledge you can make costly mistakes.
Color is a very important part in giving value to a gemstone. The closer a color is to its purer spectral value the more valuable it is. Traditional spectral colors are orange, green, yellow, Violet and blue. Colors that tend to be paler or darker tend to be less valued.
Gemstone cut is very important and factors into appraisal of diamonds but along with your gemstones. A precision cut gemstone showcases the pure color of the stone, diminish any inclusions, and exhibits good overall symmetry and proportion. One way of determining the excellence regarding the cut of the gemstone is if it is able to reflect light on a consistent level over the stones complete surface. If the gemstone is cut to shallow most of this light were refracted away instead of reflecting inside. That will make the gem seem washed out and windowed.
Gemstone clarity is the next item to consider. When we talk of clarity it relates to the absence of flaws or blemishes inside the stone. The gemstone without flaws is obviously worth more. To determine the flaws not seen with the unaided eye requires a 10X gemstone loupe or gemstone microscope. Serious hobbyists will buy a jewelers diamond gemstone loupe 10X for viewing stamps, coins, beads as well as gems.
Next up are size and weight. Except for corals and pearls, all gemstones are priced by the carat. One carat equals a 0.2 grams. You should know however that weight and size are not always equal and gemstones. The density and specific gravity can differ in stones. If you have a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats, you will find a similar sized sapphire or ruby would weigh 1.20 carats.
Getting involved in collecting gemstones can be very enjoyable and also rewarding in the long run. You can start small and don't have to spend a lot of money and yet you can build a very exquisite collection. Many people love to take vacations to go looking for gemstones. For example in Hawaii you can find Peridot and Coral. And if you like to travel farther you can find opal in Coober Pedy, Andamooka or Mintabie in South Australia, topaz in Torrington, New South Wales, Australia or hunt the sapphire fields in Anakie, Rubyvale, Sapphire, Glenalva, The Willows, Inverell or Glen Innes in Queensland, Austalia.
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Zircon will have more wear on its facets than diamond. Zircon is imitated by
colorless glass and synthetic spinel. Zircon is found in Australia, Brazil,
Cambodia, France, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Zircon is the
December Traditional Birthstone. Zircon supposedly helps one be more at peace
with oneself. Zircon was believed to provide the wearer with wisdom, honor and
riches. The lost of luster on a Zircon stone is said to warn of danger. The name
Zircon is from Zargun which means "gold color".
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Moonstone can be easily scratched. Moonstone is found in Brazil, European Alps,
India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and USA (Pennsylvania
and Virginia). Sri Lanka has the highest quality moonstones. Moonstone is the
June Modern and Mystical Birthstone
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The sapphire comes in all shades of blue. The most sought after shade is
Cornflower Blue Sapphire, the finest of all the sapphires. It is a gleaming blue
gem with a touch of purple in it. The Royal Blue variety is velvety and the
cobalt in it lets the viewer wonder how deep it really is. Marine Blue sapphires
carry the color and dramatic tones of the oceans. Sapphires come in all
different shades of blue. Titanium and Iron show up more in the rocks where
sapphires are formed, however, they are formed differently all over the world.
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