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Starting To Collect Loose Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Why collect loose gemstones you ask? For many people it's because gemstones are extremely beautiful. And like their higher counterpart, natural diamonds they can appreciate in value over time. Many hobbyists love to find, collect and finish each and every one of the 150 varieties available. This article will examine the loose gemstones hobby.

To begin with you need to read up on the various gemstones available. This will help you to know what you're buying and prevent you from wasting your money. Get the answer to questions like how, where and what to buy.

Of paramount importance is the color of the gemstone. Gemstones at the top of the ladder have colors that are close in pureness to the spectral colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue or violet. Gemstone colors that are muted or are too dark can lower the value.

Cut is one of the all-important 4Cs and factors into appraisal of diamonds but gemstones as well. An excellent cut will showcase the natural color of the gemstone, lessen any inclusions and show off its symmetry and proportions. One way to determine the precision in its cut is to check how consistently it reflects the light over the stones complete surface. If the stone is cut on the shallow side much of the light will refract out of the gem instead of reflecting inside the gemstone. Gemstone color will be washed out.

A third consideration is the clarity of the stone. This refers to the gemstones purity or the absence of internal inclusions, spots, or particles within the crystal structure. Obviously, stones with a lack of flaws will make a gemstone very valuable.

Next comes weight and size. All gemstones [except for pearls and corals] are valued by the unit called the carat. One carat is the equivalent of 0.2 grams You should know however that size and weight and gemstones are not the same. Density or specific gravity can very. Take a diamond that is 1.00 carats in weight and you will find that a similar sized ruby or sapphire is 1.20 carats.

Though you may find gemstones used a lot in jewelry, they are a great hobby and pastime as well. Actually there are many interesting and attractive gems that are just too big or fragile to be used for jewelry. Take each gemstone and consider it as a piece of art and value it for its beautiful colors and the finish you apply to it. And unlike many hobbies where you have to buy everthing you can use vacation time to actually hunt for raw gemstones in stead of buying. In the United States in Maryland you can search for Beryl and Clam Pearl. And if you travel to Canada you will find opal in the Okanagan, British Columbia or blue spinel from Daillebout, Quebec as well as the unique deep blue beryl in Canada's Yukon Territory. Take up gemstone collecting and you won't regret it.

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Gemstone sizes are usually given in carat weight (ct) or described in millimeters (mm). Some typical gemstone shapes and approximate weights for various sizes and shapes are shown on the opposite page although the exact size varies with the type of gemstone. In addition to weight and/or size, the prices of finer gemstones typically vary depending on the shape, cut, degree of clarity and tone or color of each gemstone.
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"Indeed there is no stone, the colour of which is more delightful to the eye;
for whereas the sight fixes itself with avidity upon the green grass and the
foliage of the trees, we have all the more pleasure in looking upon the
smaragdus, there being no green in existence of a more intense colour than this.
And then, besides, of all the precious stones, this is the only one that feeds
the sight without satiating it. Even when the vision has been fatigued with
intently viewing other objects, it is refreshed by being turned upon this stone;
and lapidaries know of nothing that is more gratefully soothing to the eyes, its
soft green tints being wonderfully adapted for assuaging lassitude, when felt in
those organs" The Natural History, Book XXXVII. The Natural History of Precious
Stones, Chapter 16. Pliny the Elder (23-79)
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Zambia has rich reserves of gemstones, including the second largest deposits of
emeralds in the world, the largest deposits of amethyst and aquamarine in Africa
and modest deposits of tourmaline. The quality of deposits, especially of
emeralds, is judged to be among the best in the world.
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loose black diamonds News From Around The World

Diamond heist in Red Deer - Edmonton Sun

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:51:36 GMT

Calgary CTV

Diamond heist in Red Deer Edmonton Sun, Canada - Aug 11, 2008 On Friday at 5:25 pm, two men walked into Polar Jewellers in Red Deer where one asked to be shown loose diamonds while the other stood near the entrance. ... Diamonds stolen from Red Deer jeweller Calgary Herald all 4 news articles

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