A Guide to Gemstones

One of the most popular types of jewelry of all is gemstones. Most people have heard of gemstones before, and when we speak of gemstones, we usually are speaking of minerals that have been cut and polished. Not all minerals are suitable here however, and as well as beauty, a mineral must possess a certain hardness and stability, and occur in crystals or masses that are large enough for cutting.

Physical Properties

When it comes to the physical properties and value of gemstones, a valuable gemstone is prized especially for its beauty or rarity. The rarer a gemstone is the more valuable and costly it is going to be. The diamond, for instance, is considered as being a valuable gemstone, since it is the hardest naturally occurring substance known and is able to reflect light with fire and sparkle when faceted.

Color is the most obvious characteristic of gemstones, and the most common cause of color in a gemstone is due to the presence of a small amount of a transition metal ion, which has an incomplete set of 3d electrons.

Changes that take place in the energy of these electrons correspond accordingly to the energy of visible light, when available, and when white light passes through a gemstone, some of the energy of the visible light is absorbed, which results in causing 3d electrons in the transition metal ion to undergo an energy change.

Gemstone Treatments

There are various different treatments that are used to enhance the overall color and brilliance of gemstones. For instance heat and radiation is often used to change or enhance the gemstone colors, diffusion is typically used to deepen a gem’s color, oil and waxes work to enhance gemstone colors by filling in line surface cracks and blending them away temporarily, and laser drilling works by removing inclusions and improving the clarity of the gem.

One of the most essential qualities of any gemstone is its durability. A gemstone must wear well enough to retain its beauty for a reasonable amount of time, and the durability of each separate gemstone is different. One of the best features about this type of jewelry is that you have so much variety, as you can basically find whatever size, shape and color gemstone you want. However you do want to be careful when you are purchasing them, because it can often be hard to tell whether they are authentic or not, and you do not want to get scammed.

How To Compare Diamond Prices

There are many things that you should know when you are buying diamonds. This is a very important moment in your life, because a lot of people buy diamonds and diamonds are jewelry that most people save forever. Therefore, when you are buying diamonds you should be sure that you are getting a good deal. All of this is going to center around you having a good knowledge of diamond prices before you begin, and making sure that you stick with the information that you know. When it comes to diamond prices there is a lot of information that you should be aware of, and there is a lot that you need to know before you begin.

Look Around

The first thing that you have to know about diamond prices is that they are going to vary based on the quality of the diamonds and where you buy them. This means that if you want a certain style or size, you are going to be looking at the same price range but you are going to be look at different price ranges depending on what other features you want your diamond to have. In reality, diamond prices are pretty solid because diamonds are graded pretty well and therefore most of the stores are going to have their diamond prices be roughly the same thing. You are going to be able to tell whether or not you are getting a good deal if you are able to take a look at the diamond prices at your store and if you are going to have something to compare them to. This means that the first step in finding diamond prices that work for you is to do your research.

If you are looking for good diamond prices the most important thing that you can do is research what type of diamond you want and how you are going to get it. You also need to research what types of diamonds typically cost what amount of money, and then you can deal with how much your diamonds are going to cost. However, if you go into the situation without knowing how much your diamonds are supposed to cost, you might find yourself getting into more and more trouble as time goes on. You want to be sure that you are finding diamond prices that work for you. Also, you want to be sure that you are getting a good deal and you aren’t getting ripped off, and the best way to do this is to make sure that you know what you are getting into.

The History of Diamond Jewelry

In order to trace the history of diamond jewelry, one must also look at the history of jewelry itself. While diamond jewelry may be a commonly thought of type of jewelry in the modern day, jewelry can actually be made of many materials. In the history of what jewelry has gone through since it first began, to what it is today, crosses the course of thousands of years.

Early Forms of Jewelry

While most jewelry in modern countries today is made of metals, jewelry in the earliest times was actually made of natural materials that were usually easier to work with. For example, stone, wood, bone, and animal teeth were used to make jewelry in ancient times.

Evidence points to the fact that jewelry has mainly always been used for the same purpose it is used for today. That purpose of course is to demonstrate wealth and adorn one's body for cosmetic reasons. Throughout history jewelry has been used to show social status, in many cases people are actually buried with their jewelry still on. Although that is less common today, it was very common in the past. One extravagant example of this practice is seen with the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Jewelry’s Uses

In the past jewelry has also been used as a way to store wealth. In ancient times, especially, banks and similar institutions were not available or not readily available to everyone. Jewelry provided a convenient way to store wealth, while taking up less space than other methods. Conveniently, this method of storing wealth provided a great way for individuals to showcase their wealth as well.

Jewelry Materials

As mentioned previously, in ancient times materials such as stone, wood, bone, and animal teeth were used to create jewelry. Other materials that have been used through the centuries to create jewelry include metals such as gold, iron, bronze, silver, platinum, and titanium. Diamonds and other gemstones are also commonly used in the creation of jewelry, and have been for centuries.

Diamond jewelry, can trace its roots back centuries. However, it is only been commonly used in jewelry since the 19th century. This is when a large diamond trader named De Beers Group started extensive marketing campaigns to promote diamond jewelry. This diamond jewelry campaign conducted by De Beers group was very successful. One of the most well-known marketing slogans of all time can be traced to this campaign. The slogan is, of course “a diamond is forever”.

The Rare And Beautiful Blue Diamond

It is a very good chance that you have never known anyone in your lifetime that owns a natural blue diamond. Colored diamonds are extremely rare and finding a natural blue diamond is a very difficult task. To offer their customers blue colored diamonds many jewelers offer a colored blue diamond that was created by a diamond manufacturer. A standard diamond is transparent. These are called white diamonds. In nearly all white diamonds there is a slight brown hue to them that is caused by their natural creation process. To find a white diamond that is pure white is very rare. Finding a blue diamond is also very rare and true blue diamonds are among the most expensive in the world.

Colored diamonds are actually created due to imperfections or impurities in the creation process. So in a world where everyone is looking for the perfect diamond it is very strange the most desirable gems are those that are brilliant with imperfections. Naturally colored red diamonds are the most rare of them all. One of the most valuable, and rare, diamond collections in the world is the Aurora Diamond Collection. The Aurora collection consists of 297 diamonds with a collective diamond weight of over 260 carats! The Aurora Diamond Collection has a natural diamond of every color that has ever been found and that makes for one very valuable set of gems!

Stealing The Ice

One of the single most famous blue diamonds ever is the Hope Diamond. The Hope Diamond is a natural blue diamond that weighs 45 carats and is estimated to be worth over $200 million American dollars! King Louis XIV of France had the gem mounted as a ceremonial pendant to be worn around his neck in 1668. Because of its time spent in the French monarchy the Hope Diamond became known as the Blue Diamond of the Crown until it disappeared for a time. It resurfaced in the collection of Henry Philip Hope in 1824 and that is where it gets its current name of the Hope Diamond. The diamond went from family to family for years until a gem collector named Harry Winston bought it in 1949. In 1958 Winston donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution.

It is said that there is a curse on the Hope Diamond as many of the previous owners had met suspicious deaths. The curse traces back to Jean-Baptiste Tavernier who was the man who sold the gem to the monarchy of France. It is said that Tavernier stole the diamond from the eye of a statue of a Hindu goddess and that the priests of the temple it was stolen from put a curse on the diamond. Harry Winston died of natural causes in 1978 so maybe he was able to break the curse of the Hope Diamond.