Gemstone Guide
Buying a gemstone is often a very different experience than buying a diamond. Gemstones are bought based on favourite colours, wardrobe matches, personality, and fashion trends. While gemstones are judged using the 4Cs, just as diamonds do, each is judged separately. For example, a sapphire is compared to another sapphire, but wouldn't be compared to an emerald or aquamarine. Choose your gemstone jewellery based on your personal preferences.
Colour
Gemstone colour is different from judging the colour of a diamond. Every gemstone has a range of colour that runs from light to dark and more vivid to less vivid, with a small range of colour considered preferable. All of the families of colour are represented by gems of different types.
Red
Ruby, Mozambique Garnet
Pink
Pink Sapphire, Rhodolite Garnet
Yellow
Yellow Sapphire, Citrine
Green
Emerald, Bloodstone, Jade, Peridot
Blue
Blue Sapphire, Aquamarine, Blue Chalcedony, Blue Spinel, Blue Zircon, Lapis
Purple
Amethyst, Tanzanite
White
Akoya Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Mabe Pearl, South Sea Pearl, White Spinel, White Topaz, Moissanite, Opal
Brown
Smoky Quartz
Black/Gray
Tahitian Pearl, Onyx
Shape
We sell a number of different shaped gemstone jewellery. Some of our most popular shapes include round, marquise, oval, pear, princess, and baguette.
Cut
Gems are cut in a variety of different ways. Transparent stones will often be cut with facets. Unlike diamonds, the facets are planned to maximize the color. Other stones like jade, opal, and onyx will be cut into a smooth domed shape known as a cabochon. While still other stones like cameos are intricately carved.
Clarity
Gems also have internal characteristics called inclusions. Some gemstones are known for having many inclusions like emerald or for having few inclusions like citrine. Each gemstone will be graded for clarity differently.
Like diamonds, gemstones are measured using carats. A carat is equivalent to .2 grams or .007 of an ounce. Unlike diamonds, each gemstone has a different density, which determines its weight versus its measured size. A one carat citrine won’t measure the same as a one carat sapphire.
Diamond & Gemstone Size Ranges
We take pride in offering great value and quality. In order for us to offer this value, it is necessary to buy and sell diamonds in weight ranges. To help assist you in understanding these ranges, we have provided the following chart of size tolerances.
Gemstone Enhancement Codes
Published by the American Gem Trade Association.
Enhancement: Any treatment process other than cutting and polishing that improves the appearance (color/clarity/phenomena), durability, or availability of a gemstone.
N: The "N" symbol appears on the chart only for natural stones which are not currently known to be enhanced; however, the "N" symbol can also be used for other natural gemstones in the event that a gemstone has received no enhancement and the seller will provide a guarantee that there has been none.
E: The "E" symbol indicates that a gemstone has undergone its traditional enhancement process.
B Bleaching
The use of heat, light and/or other agents to lighten or remove a gemstone's colour.
C Coating
The use of such surface enhancements as lacquering, enameling, inking, foiling, or sputtering of films to improve appearance, provide color, or add other special effects.
D Dyeing
The introduction of colouring matter into a gemstone to give it new colour, intensify present colour or improve colour uniformity.
F Filling
The filling of surface-breaking cavities or fissures with colourless glass, plastic, solidified borax or similar substances. This process may improve durability, appearance, and/or add weight.
H Heating
The use of heat to effect desired alteration of colour, clarity, and/or phenomena (if residue of foreign substances in open fractures is visible under properly illuminated 10X magnification HF should be used.
HP Heat & Pressure
The use of heat and pressure combined to effect desired alterations of colour clarity and/or phemonena.
I Impregantion
The impregnation of a porous gemstone with a colourless agent (usually plastic) to improve durability and appearance.
L Lasering
The use of a laser and chemicals to reach and alter inclusions in diamonds.
O Oiling/Resin Infusion
The filling of surface-breaking fissures with colourless oil, wax, resin, or other colourless substances, except glass or plastic, to improve the gemstones appearance.
R Irradiation
The use of neutrons, gamma rays or beta particles (high energy electrons) to alter a gemstones colour. The irradiation may be followed by a heating process.
U Diffusion
The use of chemicals in conjunction with high temperatures to produce artificial colour and/or asterism-producing inclusions.
W Waxing/Oiling
The impregnation of a colourless wax, paraffin, and oil in porous opaque or translucent gemstones to improve appearance.