Simpler and cheaper

Buying a loose gemstone is simpler and more hassle-free than buying a ring or pair of earrings. You get to choose your cut, shape, color, clarity, etc. Your focus is on the stone, nothing else. And in most cases, loose stones are cheaper than pre-set gemstones.

You can see its true value

When a gemstone is already set, its inclusions may be hidden and sometimes the color is changed due to the material used in setting the stone. It is for this reason that gemologists grade loose stones, not set stones. it makes their job easier.

Whereas if you buy loose stones, you can see their entirety—inclusions and imperfections and color—the real quality of the stone.

Freedom

Buying loose stones is an exercise of freedom of choice. Most high-end stores do not make unique jewelry but dozens or hundreds of the same jewelry items. By buying loose gemstones and having them set by an independent jeweler, you have control over their design and features. You will be wearing something unique.

Now that it’s dispensed with, let’s get to the topic of…

What are Gemstones

Gemstones are minerals, rocks, or organic (or inorganic) materials that, because of their beauty, durability, and rarity, are cut and faceted to make jewelry or other adornments. Most gemstones are formed as minerals under various conditions in the rocks of the Earth’s crust, while a few form deep in the Earth’s mantle.

The crust is made up of three kinds of rocks—igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. All gemstones are mined in the crust (except, perhaps diamonds). After mining, they undergo a process to transform these “rocks” into rough gemstones.

At the evolutionary stage, gemstones are classified according to:

Species and varieties

Gemstones have varying groups or species based on their crystal structure and chemical composition. For example, some essential gemstone species have beryl, corundum, garnet, quartz, and tourmaline (like the one in this Perle de Lune review) contents. Further, some species may have special coloring or features like some varieties of ruby and sapphire. Still, some gemstones don’t belong to any group or variety like peridot, zircon, topaz, and spinel.

Some gemstones are more common than others. And supply varies in proportion to demand. For example, if you are wondering “what is the rarest gemstone on Earth 2022?” the hands-down winner is the blue diamond. Currently, it fetches at $ 3.93 million/carat.

Colors

Gemstones come in a variety of stunning beauty and shades of color. Some may not look appealing in their rough state; they may look like ordinary rocks. But when cut and polished by a skilled craftsman, they display their full colors and luster. Generally, gemstones with clear, medium tone, intense, and saturated primary colors are the most preferred.

Clarity

Gemstones are formed below the Earth’s surface under the most violent and tumultuous of conditions. As such, it is unavoidable that they show some traces of other minerals, called inclusions—small spots or imperfections within the stone that become more obvious after the polishing stage. When viewed under a microscope or an eye loupe, they can give information about the geological environment in which the mineral was formed.

Inclusions can often identify a gemstone’s origin, or prove whether the stone is natural or synthetic. They are also a major factor in determining a gemstone’s price and value.

Gemstone Classification

In the jewelry world “gemstone” is a generic term used to describe a stone or material used in jewelry. Therefore, it can mean:

Mineral or non-mineral gemstone

• Mineral gemstones occur naturally in the Earth’s crust. They are inorganic substances with characteristic chemical compositions and crystalline structures.

• Non-mineral or organic gemstones come from living organisms like animals and animals that, through natural processes, have become beautiful gemstones such as pearls (like the one in this Perle De Lune review), corals, ambers, and ivory.

Precious or semi-precious gemstone

One of the major properties of a gemstone makes it fall under the category of being precious or semi-precious.

Precious gemstones have beauty, durability, and rarity. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires (such as the one in this JARED review) fall under this category.

All other gemstones with only one of two of the above qualities are non-precious gemstones. However, at the end of the day, they are all marketing terms designed to make specific stones seem rarer or more important than others.

Natural or synthetic gemstone

Natural gemstones are, of course, those found in nature. They are those mined from deep within the Earth. They are sometimes enhanced to increase their beauty and luster. Enhancing often involves heat or delicate chemical processes. Depending on the type and extent of enhancement, the value of the stone may be affected.

Synthetic gemstones are those grown in laboratories or lab-grown. They are made by human hands using the most sophisticated and advanced equipment and technologies. For all intents and purposes, they look exactly the same as their natural counterparts, even having the same chemical composition. But since they don’t have the “rarity” factor, they are always less valuable.

Nowadays, nearly all natural gemstone has a synthetic counterpart.

Simulant Gemstones

These can be anything that resembles or looks like a natural gemstone but does not have the same physical characteristics or chemical composition.  They are fake gemstones and are often made of glass or plastic that an experienced jeweler can easily detect.

How to Buy Gemstones

More and more people are buying loose gemstones for a variety of reasons. One is freedom of choice. People often shop for jewelry based on gemstones, not on settings. So by buying a loose gemstone, you open up unlimited options for the setting, i.e, type of metal, design, color, and so forth.

Another reason is price. Loose stones are generally cheaper than mounted ones. And a possible third is that you are starting a jewelry-making hobby.

Whatever your reason is, always remember these things when you do:

• Carat is the gemstone weight. It is also one of the bases for determining a gem’s price – the higher the carat weight, the more expensive the stone is.

• Cut describes how the stone is “cut” into different facets. It is often mistaken for “shape,”—the geometrical shape of a gem, i.e. square, round, pear, marquise, etc.

• Clarity is the degree of inclusions present within the stone or its surface imperfections, in short, its “flaws.” It is next to impossible to find a gem that is perfectly clear. So settle for an “eye-clean” level of clarity.

• Color is something you might find confounding. Gemstones come in more color and color combinations than the rainbow. And each species has its own unique color and hues. Further, some gemstones are heat treated to enhance their natural colors.

Except for carat weight, all the above are judgmental. And unless you have deep knowledge of these things, choosing the best gemstone will entirely be dependent on your personal choices.

Is It Safe to Buy Gemstones Online?

Online shopping for gemstones, or any other commodity for that matter, has become a trend these days. It has become the new normal. But you must tread it with caution. Online scams have become a major crime in the 21st century. Should you want to go into this, remember this one thing: never buy from an online store without a “Return” policy. Other than that, here are a few more tricks to remember so you won’t get scammed:

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