Gemstones

There have been different types of materials used to make jewelry from the very beginning. Some of these have had the good fortune of being labeled gemstones or precious stones while some other have been left behind as just mere stones of little value. Over the centuries, the term gemstone has become known as a naturally occurring mineral coveted for its beauty and rarity.

Gems are known for their beauty because of many different inherent qualities that they possess. While diamonds have a fiery brilliance, pearls are known to have a soft iridescence. Although gemstones occur in a stunning variety of colors, the source of the gemstone’s beauty is light. The interactions between the minerals in the gemstone and light cause the intense colors of some stones and the amazing play of colors in others.

Most gemstones in their natural state look like ordinary pebbles. Only once it has been polished and cut skillfully that its true luster, shine and color is seen. The best example for this is a diamond.

By virtue of a stone being rare leads it to be desired even more. The rarity of a stone gives it a sense of exclusivity and worth. Rarity determines the price placed on gems and famous jewelry the world over. A gem may be labeled rare not because it is hard to find, but because of its distinct color or clarity as well as its rare chemical component.

The reasons that gems manage to endure the passage of time is because they are resistant to chemical alteration, hard enough to retain a good polish and do not chip or break easily. Hardness is the measure of a gemstone’s resistance to abrasion. Despite being harder than quartz, emerald is brittle and chips easily. Diamond and topaz break along planes of weak atomic bonding if dropped or knocked against hard objects.