What You Need To Know About Precious Gems

Precious gems have changed throughout history. In ancient times, the term applied to whatever was important to a particular culture or region. For example, the Egyptians considered Lapis Lazuli, Coral and Turquoise to be highly valuable. The Bible lists Jasper, Chalcedony, Sardonyx and Topaz among the stones contained in the heavenly wall of Jerusalem. Yet most of these stones aren’t considered especially valuablein today's market.

The point is that it’s all a matter of perspective. As you probably know, there are just about as many perspectives in the world as there are people. The terms semi-precious and precious, in this day and age, are pretty much just a matter of opinion.

There are, however, some stones that seem to make it to everyone’s list. They are the big four: Diamond, Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire. Though these are probably the hardest and most durable precious gems , many would argue that they’re not necessarily the most rare or beautiful. For example, minerals like Morganite and Kyanite are far rarer than any of the big four. However, you are likely to find that a ring containing either of the two will cost a lot less than that diamond ring you’ve been eyeing.

The fact is that the market value of a particular gemstone is based on a lot more than its rarity. In large part, the price of precious gems has to do with marketing, supply and demand and the public’s perceived value of that particular stone.

The exception to this is the price of diamonds. Many people believe that diamonds are expensive because they’re rare, but it isn’t true. They’re expensive because they are controlled . A company named De Beers controls about 80% of the world’s production of diamonds. Because of this, they are able to fix the prices so that they don’t fluctuate like other minerals or precious metals. Therefore diamonds are not affected by supply as much as other precious gems, and, due to great marketing, the demand stays high at all times.

Prices of Gemstones Can be All Over the Map!

If you’ve been shopping for anything other than diamonds lately, you’ve probably noticed that prices vary greatly from vendor to vendor. This may be due to supply and demand or it could be because a designer name is attached to it. It may seem as if you're at the mercy of the retailer and you just need to fork over the cash! Well, take heart. If you arm yourself with the facts about gems found on this website you should do just fine! Know your facts before you go shopping. Then you can decide for yourself if that designer name is really worth your hard earned money. If it is, go ahead and make the purchase. If not, keep looking. As a smart shopper, you’ll know when you’re getting a good deal.

Sometimes, one of the “big four” just isn’t in the budget. If this is the case for you, check out this list of precious gems and simulants that can be great alternatives!

Diamond Alternatives

Cubic Zirconia -The most commonly used diamond simulant. Lots of flash for little cash!

Moissanite -So similar in appearance to that of diamonds that it took until the late 1990’s before trade professionals learned to cope with identifying it.

White Sapphire -A natural gemstone that is extremely durable.

10KT 1.00CTW WHITE SAPPHIRE EARRING JACKETS 10kt yellow gold 1.00ctw round and baguette white sapphire earring jackets. These jackets have a drop measuring 7/16 inch. $99.99

White Zircon -Despite its name, Zircon is natural and not related in any way to Cubic Zirconia. White Zircon is quite similar to diamond in its sparkle and shine.

Emerald Alternatives

Green Tourmaline -Typically free of inclusions and offers better value than an Emerald of similar quality.

Tsavorite -The green form of garnet. Tsavorite is a recent gemstone discovery in the last 30 years.

10KT WG .70CTW TSAVORITE GARNET RING 10kt white gold .70ctw round tsavorite garnet ring. The knuckle to knuckle measures 3/16 inch. The tsavorites are set in black rhodium. $129.99

Sapphire Alternatives

Spinel -Colors include all of those found in natural Sapphire.

Iolite -Hues of Iolite can approach those of fine Tanzanite and Sapphire at a fraction of the cost.

10KT 1.50CTW IOLITE AND DIAMOND ACCENT RING 10kt yellow gold 1.50ctw round iolite and .02ctw round diamond accent ring. The center iolite is approximately 6mm. This ring measures 3/16 inch from knuckle to knuckle. $79.99

Ruby Alternatives

Red Spinel -Until the late 19th century, there was no distinction between the Red Spinel and the Ruby.

Rubellite -A type of Tourmaline that offers great value for the money.

14KT 1.10CT RUBELLITE TOURMALINE AND .71CTW CHOCOLATE DIAMOND RING 14kt yellow gold 1.10ct oval rubellite tourmaline and .71ctw round chocolate diamond ring. The rubellite is approximately 8x6mm. This ring measures 7/16 inch from knuckle to knuckle. The chocolate diamonds are set in black rhodium. $349.99

Garnet -Like Spinels, many old “rubies” have turned out to actually be garnet.

Still need to know more about precious gems? Find out all kinds of interesting information about diamonds on the following page!