How to Buy Colored Gemstones
Prized for centuries for their beauty, and often used as currency, gemstones hold ageless appeal. Modern treating techniques enhance their look and improve their durability. Whatever your favorites--rubies, sapphires, emeralds or others--find a good jeweler to buy from.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately challenging
Instructions
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1
Work with a jeweler whose character you trust. Since virtually all gemstones are treated, the opportunity for deception is great-- you want to be dealing with someone you can depend on. If something about the experience is off-putting, leave.
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2
Learn about lab-created and treated stones. Ask jewelers if a naturally mined stone has been treated--heated, bleached, coated or dyed to improve the look or durability. Some treatments can weaken a stone and lower its price.
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3
Keep your eyes open for imitations, generally made of glass or plastic. Jewelers will tell you what's what.
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4
Apply the four Cs to buying gemstones just as you would to purchasing diamonds (see How to Buy a Diamond). Gemstones, however, don't carry letter grades for guidance; a trustworthy jeweler will show you how to be discerning.
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5
Shop around. Numerous companies operate in the field of colored gems, so prices fluctuate far more widely than those of diamonds, and it pays to watch them over time. A one-carat ruby, for instance, can vary enormously in cost--and may be just as expensive as a diamond. And gems over three carats in size leap up in price because they are rare. Color--shade and saturation (whether the color is dull or intense)--also greatly affects price. Clarity is also important (the gem should have few flaws or inclusions), as is a perfect, light-reflecting faceted cut.
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6
Check the store's return and refund policy before finalizing your purchase.
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7
Make sure your receipt details all the stone's specifications including its weight and size. Ask for a grading report, and check that the receipt specifies whether the stone is a natural gem, lab-created or treated stone.
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Tips & Warnings
The Federal Trade Commission requires jewelers to inform customers if a gemstone has been labcreated or treated. Find out if the treatments is permanent or the stone requires special care.
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Comments
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JasneJ
Apr 04, 2008
MISLEADING INFORMATION: Step 4: Re:"Apply the four Cs to buying gemstones just as you would to purchasing diamonds (see How to Buy a Diamond). Gemstones, however, don't carry letter grades for guidance; a trustworthy jeweler will show you how to be discerning" Colored Gemstones DO CARRY HAVE COLOR GRADES. Sapphires, Eneralds, and Rubies have numerical values for grading all jewelers recognize. AND, COLOR always trumps cut and clarity when evaluating a colored gemstone. Take a look at the GIA website for FACTUAL colored gemstone information. -
Dec 28, 2005
I have been purchasing colored gemstones for a number of years. I have discovered a number of interesting ideas that I can share: 1) Sometimes it pays to go off the beaten track. As for green gemstones, tsavorite (a fairly recent gemstone, and a variety of green garnet) can sometimes compare very favorably to emeralds both in appearance and durability, though the price is much lower. And red spinels are often better buys than rubies (it is a little known fact that the timor ruby is a huge red spinel). 2) Before buying lesser known gemstones, do your research. Consider the following attributes before deciding on having custom jewelry made with the stone: a) Hardness. The higher the hardness, the more scratch-resistant the stone is. Soft stones, like sunstone, will wear down faster than hard stones, like sapphire or diamond. b) Toughness. The more tough a stone is, the more fracture resistant it is. Hard, tough stones, such as jade, agate, carnelian, or chrysoprase can be far more exposed than more fragile stones such as kunzite (which is both soft and fragile). Also: take into account that different stones have different optical properties. So for example, diamonds have a very high refractive index, and zircons have a very high dispersal (meaning color separation), so although diamonds glitter more, zircons show more color when they do. Finally beware of sound alike names. Cubic zirconia and zircon are very different. The latter is a natural stone once among the most valuable gems, while the former is an inexpensive artificial diamond substitute. Once you have your gemstones, study them using a bright point light source. Do not use the sun as high clouds or changing seasons can create different effects. Use this to continue to study your gems. Do not trust the light in jewelry stores, even if you trust the jeweler. Keep a record of your gems and grade the cut yourself based on your evaluation in light that you control.
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Dec 28, 2005
I have been purchasing colored gemstones for a number of years. I have discovered a number of interesting ideas that I can share: 1) Sometimes it pays to go off the beaten track. As for green gemstones, tsavorite (a fairly recent gemstone, and a variety of green garnet) can sometimes compare very favorably to emeralds both in appearance and durability, though the price is much lower. And red spinels are often better buys than rubies (it is a little known fact that the timor ruby is a huge red spinel). 2) Before buying lesser known gemstones, do your research. Consider the following attributes before deciding on having custom jewelry made with the stone: a) Hardness. The higher the hardness, the more scratch-resistant the stone is. Soft stones, like sunstone, will wear down faster than hard stones, like sapphire or diamond. b) Toughness. The more tough a stone is, the more fracture resistant it is. Hard, tough stones, such as jade, agate, carnelian, or chrysoprase can be far more exposed than more fragile stones such as kunzite (which is both soft and fragile). Also: take into account that different stones have different optical properties. So for example, diamonds have a very high refractive index, and zircons have a very high dispersal (meaning color separation), so although diamonds glitter more, zircons show more color when they do. Finally beware of sound alike names. Cubic zirconia and zircon are very different. The latter is a natural stone once among the most valuable gems, while the former is an inexpensive artificial diamond substitute. Once you have your gemstones, study them using a bright point light source. Do not use the sun as high clouds or changing seasons can create different effects. Use this to continue to study your gems. Do not trust the light in jewelry stores, even if you trust the jeweler. Keep a record of your gems and grade the cut yourself based on your evaluation in light that you control.
