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.
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