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Within
each gemstone variety, quality dramatically
affects price: a gem can sell for $100 or
$2,000,000. When buying a gemstone - buy the
best quality, most experts recommend. Choose
a smaller stone of higher quality over a larger
stone of lower quality, or buy a higher quality
gem from an unusual variety if your budget
is too small.
Well-known gemstones like rubies, emeralds
and sapphires - which have been known for
centuries - are more valuable than more recently
discovered gemstones which are also beautiful
and rare. You may be surprised how beautiful
and affordable garnets, tourmalines, tanzanites,
and other exotic gemstones can be.
Value
factors: Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight
Gemstone quality and value are evaluated according
to the "four Cs": color, clarity,
cut, and carat weight.
Color
is the key factor. A common misperception
in judging gems is people assume that the
darker the color, the better the stone.
That isn't true: color can be too dark,
like some sapphires that look more black
than blue. If a gem's color is too dark,
it is subdued and lifeless. A much better
rule of thumb is the brighter and more rich
and vivid the color the better. In general,
within each gemstone variety, a clear, medium-tone,
very intense and saturated primary color
is the most preferred. Muted colors or colors
between hues, which you might find very
attractive, are usually less expensive.
Look at the color in different kinds of
light.
The next most important factor affecting
value is clarity, with clear transparent
gemstones with no visible flaws being the
most valued. Some gemstone varieties, notably
emerald and red tourmaline, are very rare
without inclusions of some kind so the price
structure takes this into account.
Some gemstones are valued for their inclusions!
Phenomenal gemstones owe their stars and
eyes to inclusions. Tiny inclusions reflecting
back light put the eye in cat's-eye chrysoberyl
and the star in star sapphire. Inclusions
can also be a birthmark, telling us where
a particular gemstone was mined.
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. If the stone is too deep and
narrow, areas will be dark. If it is too
shallow and wide, parts of the stone will
be washed out and lifeless.
Gemstones are generally sold by weight,
and not by size. The price will be per carat,
which is one-fifth of a gram. Some gems
are heavier than others so the same weight
stone may be a different size! The carat
weight also affects the price: large gemstones
are more rare, so the price per carat is
higher.
In general, gemstone pricing within each
variety follows common sense: the more beautiful
the gemstone, with the final visual effect
of all the quality factors, the more valuable
it is. Don't be afraid to choose what looks
best to you!
