Colored GemstonesFancy colored gemstones have long held a special place in history, from royal crowns to the engagement rings of old, colored gems and pearls have a great deal of sentiment attached them. Cleopatra was said to be fond of Emeralds, while Rubies and Sapphires were favored by kings and queens. |
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Thousand of pages could be dedicated to the discussion of colored gems in their many forms, so it is best to see a specialist who can best advise you on the right gem for you, and the many ways in which they can be treated and altered by unscrupulous dealers. Gemstones are graded similar to diamonds in that size, or carat weight, effects the price greatly. More so in some varieties of gemstone, as they are readily available in smaller sizes of less than a carat, but become increasingly rare in larger sizes. The cut is also vastly important as poorly cut colored gems can appear glassy and have no life to them. While clarity is important, it is known and accepted that most colored gemstones have natural visible inclusions, and as long as they do not detract from the beauty of the gem, or affect its structural integrity, they can be a good way of assessing if the gem is natural. |
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Perhaps the most important factor is color, which can be divided into three main categories; Hue, Tone and Saturation. Hue refers to the color of the gem as we would normally use the term. In Corundum, the primary hue of Ruby is red, all other colors are called Sapphire. Tone refers to the lightness or darkness of the color, i.e.: Two Rubies can be described as both being an even red, but one will be light red, while the other is dark. Saturation refers to the intensity of the color present. A gem stone with uneven saturation can appear paler in color at one end than the other, especially if it is poorly cut. At Definitive Design Jewellery we keep in stock a range of fancy colored Sapphires, from cornflower blue ceylon Sapphires and the australian royal blue, through to the vivid pinks, yellow, green, apricot and even cinnamon colored. We are also able to source and recommend Sapphires and Rubies in virtually any shade and size. We also have a select range of natural Columbian Emeralds in stock, as well as rare natural Spinels, fancy colored Hessonite and Tsavorite Garnets, and a variety of Tourmaline and Tanzanite. |
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