How to Choose a Colored Gemstone

Diamonds are a girls best friend, so it is said.  But they are as ubiquitous as blades of grass.  Choosing a colored gemstone offers a huge range of options, making it a rather daunting task!  Recently, more and more colored gemstones are mined and faceted, offering a larger array of choices than ever before in history.

Let's help narrow the focus a bit with these helpful tips.

22-carat Four Peaks Amethyst, by master faceter Bill Booze

Alone or with neck ring

Pendant only $1,000.00 USD Pendant with neck ring $1,100.00 USD

The same Four Cs apply to gemstones as they do for diamonds:  Color, Clarity, Cut, Carat.

Color is almost always the first consideration when choosing a gem for yourself.  We each have favorite colors.  These colors show up in our wardrobe, in our decorating, in our car color, and of course, in our jewelry.

In a gem, the intensity, tone, and evenness all affect the price.  Take the 22-carat amethyst shown above.  Nature doesn't make very many amethysts in that size, that are of such an even hue.  Amethyst grows with rock crystal, and often has clear or white elements, making it difficult to find large specimens where all the right elements come together.

Different parts of the world produce different hues of the same gemstones as well.  Let's take that 22-carat Four Peaks amethyst again.  It is the only mind in the world that produces amethyst of this particular hue.  It is an especially bright purple, with flashes of magenta, red and fuschia as the light bounces off the facets.  Brazil is known for very deep, dark purples.  Other mines produce pale-hued amethyst.

Left: darker, more blue Brazilian amethyst.  Right: pale amethyst

This is true of nearly all gemstones.  Check out this array of color choices!

Just about any color you can imagine can be found.  Isn't it glorious?  So think of your favorite color, and go on a hunt to find a beautiful gemstone in that color.

Clarity is important here, but with some caveats.  In some cases, inclusions are a valued part of a stone, such as rutilated quartz in which golden hairs are captured inside a clear crystal.  In other cases, a rougher version of a stone can have its own raw beauty because of the inclusions.  It becomes a matter of personal taste in this case.  In fact, in the case of a star ruby, for example, it casts a ray of light because of tiny inclusions that bounce light back to the eye.

Example of a star ruby

However, when searching for a colored gemstone without inclusions, take a look at the stone in various kinds of light to make imperfections more visible.  A crack near the surface can affect the durability or brilliance of a stone, while inconspicuous inclusions may have no affect.  In some cases, like emerald or red tourmaline, the lack of inclusions is very rare, and of course, it will be reflected in a higher price.

Cut, when it's good, gives a gem some real charisma! A bad cut makes a gem appear dull or washed out.  Look at the overall balance of a gem's shape, surface condition, and brilliance.  A well-faceted gemstone reflects light back evenly across its surface when held face up.  If the stone is too deep and narrow, areas of the gem will appear dark.  If it is too shallow and wide, it will seem washed out and lifeless.  Do some investigating on your own, and you'll begin to notice the variations easily.

We are so lucky to showcase a large selection of colored gemstones by master faceter Bill Booze.  Faceting of gemstones is almost a lost art in this country.  Most is now done in China and India.  Bill's 30-plus years of mastering this skill are evident in his collection.  You must stop by to enjoy them sometime!  Plus, it will help you learn how to recognize all the things we're talking about here.

Chrome Tourmaline by master faceter Bill Booze.  14k gold prongs, sterling band.
The stone is .84 carats in weight.  The ring is a size 7.

 Carat weight doesn't necessarily have to be a top priority, unless size really matters.  In addition, some stones are heavier than others, which can be confusing when you see two 3-carat stones who appear different in actual physical dimensions.  Again, it comes down to a matter of personal taste and what you feel comfortable wearing.  Do you want to wear it every day?  You might choose something a bit smaller.  Want a real show-stopper for fun?  Then a large gem is definitely called for.

As mentioned above, in certain stones, finding a large one with enough clarity to cut is rare.  Others are more common in larger sizes.  Naturally, this will be reflected in the price.  In the chrome tourmaline stone set in a ring above, such stones are not often found very large, and the particular shade of green (called "chrome" tourmaline because it is the mineral chrome in the earth that gives it that particular hue) is also much more rare than other shades of tourmaline.

Trio of red garnets by master faceter Bill Booze, in unusual cuts with superb clarity.
Even though set with bezels instead of prongs, there is a lot of life and play in the stones.
Set in 14-karat gold bezels with a sterling band that is size 7.

Of course, Compromise is the 5th "c", and will help you select the best gem for yourself.  Budget dictates the range of qualities you can afford.  Try to get the best gem you can get.  And remember, there's often more than one option within a color family.  If ruby is too expensive, then spinel or garnet are excellent, and much less expensive, choices in the red family.

We hope these tips are helpful.  It's a fun adventure to embark upon, and you'll learn so much in the process!  Of course, we invite you to stop by and start your learning adventure at MaJe Gallery, and enjoy our large selection that covers just about every price point, too, with earrings starting at $28!

Your Beauty Ambassadors,

Jeff and Manya
 
www.MaJeGallery.com