- Gemstones -

Gemstones are any precious or semi-precious stones, whether as minded, cut or polished. For centuries, they are symbols of prestige, social status. They were also once thought to possess mystical powers throughout different civilization.

In general, with certain exceptions, most gemstones are graded similar to the way how diamonds are evaluated.

Color: The industry recognized the highest quality gemstones by purity of their hue, the depth of tone, and the color saturation. The best value is in colors that include "slight" traces of other colors, are not too light or dark, and have a lot of saturated color.

Clarity: Almost all gemstones contain tiny fractures called inclusion. Flawless gemstones are very rare and valuable, and they will demand a very high premium.

Cut: Unlike diamonds, there is not a universally agreed "ideal cut". But a high quality gemstone cut is one that presents the most even color, exposes the fewest inclusions, and displays the majority of the gemstone weight when set in jewelry.

Carat weight: The carat weight of a gemstone is not necessarily an accurate gauge for gemstone size.

Treatment: Nearly all colored gemstones available have been enhanced. Gemstones that have not been enhanced but exhibit desirable color and clarity are very recognizable by the extravagant price they command. Certain enhancements, such as heating, are part of finishing or polishing process.