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How To Start Gemstone Collecting

By Lee MacRae

The term gemology refers to the art, profession and science of evaluating and identifying gemstones from loose gemstones to natural diamonds. A number of people taken up this profession more as a hobby. They collect and evaluate loose diamonds or loose gemstones. A number of these hobbyists start to travel to different areas close by or to other countries to look for rough gemstones. Some even tumble or learn to cut their own gemstones. If this sounds like a hobby you would like to get involved in follow along as we discuss the in and outs of gemstone collecting.

The very first step in starting the hobby of collecting gemstones the wise way is through the power of knowledge. By taking a quick trip to the library or local bookstore you can find everything you need to know that will make you an informed buyer.

Of paramount importance is the color of the gemstone. Top grade gemstones have pure colors there as close as possible to the purest spectral colors of orange, green, yellow, Violet or blue. Gemstone colors that are somewhat muted or on the dark side are diminished in value.

Gemstone cut is easily one of the most important aspects when you consider a gemstone's value. The cut has to be done correctly to reflect light properly. A poor cut will not reflect the light consistently. The color hue, color tone and saturation will always look inconsistent.

Gemstone clarity is the next item to consider. Gemstone clarity relates to the amount of inclusions (trace elements or large particles of other elements or minerals) that a gem has. A perfect gemstone is obviously valued highly. To determine the flaws not seen with the unaided eye you need a gem microscope or 10X gemstone clarity magnifier. Serious hobbyists will get a 10X jewelers were gemstone loup for examining coins, stamps and of course gemstones.

Next item to look at is the duo of size and weight. Because gemstones can vary greatly in density and specific gravity. Weight and size are not equal for each and every stone. Take the example of a diamond that weighs 1.00 carats and a sapphire of equal size would weigh 1.20 carats. An Emerald of equal size would be approximately 0.95 carats while an Alexandrite gemstone would be about 1.23 carats.

Taking up the collecting of loose gemstones can create an enjoyable hobby and pastime. And there is a wide range and variety when it comes to gemstones. You can collect gemstones like Chrysocolla, Agate or Onyx for instance. The varieties are nearly endless. And if you like to save money but love vacations you can go hunting for raw gemstones. Just in the United States in Michigan you can find Agate, Chlorastrolite and Hematite.

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Gemstones For Sale

Learn More About where to buy loose diamonds

Poor Grade diamond: Diamonds in this category have very poor proportions and
show very little brilliance or scintillation. Expect to see "nail heads", where
the diamond is black in the center and "fish eyes" where the brilliance washes
out in the middle.
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Hunderds of minerals have been cut as gems. Of these, some are considerably
rarer than the popular gems. A good example is California�s state gem, benitoite
. This is one of the better known of the rare gems, both because it is the state
�s gem and because the notoriety the Gemological Society of America has given it
. They use it as an example in their classes of a beautiful and durable gem that
will never have a significant impact on the market because of it�s limited
availability.
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