Gemstones need no introduction. Throughout history, gemstones with their sheer presence have made it much more colorful and beautiful. Without them any piece of jewelry remains incomplete. A piece of jewelry without them is like life without colors. Since ages man has used gems as a universal language of expression. Their shimmering beauty, their hue, their luster create a subtle magic. Elizabeth Taylor had once said “I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can’t possess radiance, you can only admire it.”
Gemstones are precious and that is why any material that is used in jewelry making is not considered as a gemstone. Though, there are some common traits that set them apart from each other but still each of them possesses. These traits or characteristics that each gemstone has – are beauty, rarity and durability.
Beauty
Beauty is one word that has become literally a synonym to gemstone. The deep green color of an emerald, the rich blue hue of a sapphire, the fiery red of ruby, their colors are the most enticing and usually the first thing that one notices about a gemstone. However, as much as beauty is what appears on the surface, it is also a combination of color, symmetry (that is their atomic structure) and surface appearance.
Rarity
Most gemstones are in the middle of the rarity scale. Some gems are rarer than others, and hence more valuable than others. A bigger gemstone or one with more clarity is quite rare and hence more valuable. Though it is not rarity alone that makes a stone more or less valuable. Usually it is the demand and the rarity of the gemstone that together determine value of a gemstone.
Durability
One often relates hardness to durability, but it is only one of the facets. The other two being toughness and stability. Hardness is the resistance to scratches and abrasions. Diamond is the hardest of all the gemstones. Toughness is the ability of the stone to resist breaking, chipping and cracking. And stability is the ability to resist the effects of heat, light and chemicals.
All these are the defining characteristics of gemstones. Understanding these, definitely help one to better understand their gems and hence make a better buy.
Sapphire Rings and Ruby Rings at Angara.com
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