Understanding Gemstone Quality

With many precious and semi-precious stones on the market, both real and synthetic, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with choices. There are many dazzling stones in various colours, so it’s important to think about what goes into producing a quality gemstone.

Determining the quality of the gemstone you wish to purchase will ensure you feel satisfied with your piece. Here are some things to consider when it comes to gemstones.

Colour

Colour is very important. Gemstones are graded on the quality and brilliance of their primary colour. After all, people purchase gemstones not only for their value, but primarily for their beautiful colours. A jeweller can help you understand the colour grade of the gemstone you are purchasing, as these can range from poor to excellent in quality.

Similarly, tone refers to the brightness of the jewel.

Depth and finish

Other important information relates to the depth and finish of the jewel. Stones like emeralds can be more difficult to cut than diamonds precisely because they are not as hard as diamonds are. This makes the cut very important to the overall quality of your piece.

Depth refers to how deeply into the original piece the jewel was cut. Most gemstones are cut for weight retention, otherwise referred to as carats.

The finish of a gemstone refers to the polish. This gives it that fabulous reflective quality – the sparkle factor. Knowing this terminology will help you sift through a variety of choices and make a more informed decision as to the best gemstone investment you could make.