Gemstone Jewelry Buying Guide.

Incorporating many beautiful gemstones found from across the world, gemstone jewelry is among the most popular forms of jewelry. Providing a myriad of color and style combinations, gemstone jewelry is a favorite of men and women that combine this personal decoration with fashion to create unique and interesting looks. While often seen primarily as attractive, jewelry like gemstone earrings, necklaces and bracelets can be much more; many people feel that gemstones offer therapeutic, healing effects and almost everyone will agree that this special form of jewelry often carries meaning beyond mere looks. To navigate the gemstone jewelry purchase process, let's consider a brief history of the gemstone's use in jewelry, develop an understanding of the valuation of gemstones, look as some of alternative benefits of gemstones and conclude with some gemstone jewelry buying tips.

Gemstone Jewelry Buying Tips

Armed with some background information on gemstone jewelry including history, valuation and alternative uses, you're already well positioned to make a wise purchase but let's look at some useful tips to ensure that your purchase of gemstone jewelry will be an easy and enjoyable experience. Here are several tips that you should find helpful:

Look for Quality Gemstones

Identifying the quality level of the stones used within gemstone jewelry is important and will ensure that any gemstone rings, necklaces or other pieces you purchase will retain their value. Since gemstones have no grading system, their evaluation can be more complicated than diamonds. However like diamonds, starting with the Four Cs can be helpful:

• Color – The color of gemstones used for jewelry is important. Generally clear, medium-tone, intense and saturated primary colors are the most preferred. Avoid stones with color that is too dark or color that is muddled. The brighter and more vivid the color, the better.
• Clarity – After color, gemstone clarity is the next most important factor in valuation. Clear, transparent gemstones with no visible flaws are the most valued. With no standardized grading system, clarity can be difficult to judge, but if flaws aren't visible in the face up position, then they rarely matter. Some gemstone varieties, like emerald and red tourmaline, are rarely seen without inclusions, so gemstone jewelry that uses high quality stones from these varieties will be more expensive.
• Carat - Gemstones are sold by weight, not by size and prices are calculated per carat. It's important to recognize that some gems are denser than others, so similarly sized stones of different varieties may differ greatly in cost. In addition, larger stones of some varieties can be quite rare and much more expensive like ruby, emerald, sapphire and tourmaline.
• Cut – Although not the most important factor in evaluating the quality of gemstones, cut is very important in how the stone is used in gemstone jewelry. A good cut is something that may not cost more but can add or subtract a lot of beauty. A well-cut faceted gemstone reflects light back evenly across its surface area when held face up. The best way to judge cut is to look at similar gemstones next to each other.

Think Ahead

When searching for the perfect piece of gemstone jewelry, buyers often place too much concentration on the item itself without considering how the jewelry will be worn. Properly pairing jewelry with clothing for a particular use or occasion is critical to ensure that the jewelry will be worn and enjoyed. For example, an ornate gemstone necklace may not be the appropriate for a more formal business environment where a more subtle bracelet or ring may be best suited. So when selecting among the various types of jewelry items, it's wise to consider how the wearer may use the item and think ahead.

Ask Questions

While there is a great deal of information about gemstone jewelry available in books and online, ask questions of your jeweler. Regardless of the amount of information gathered during the purchase process, there always seems to be additional points that may have been misunderstood or overlooked. Whether the subject is valuation, style or some other topic, asking questions will help you find a piece of gemstone jewelry that will be appreciated for years to come.