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Starting The Hobby Of Loose Gemstone Collecting

By Lee MacRae

Why collect loose gemstones you ask? Well for one thing they've been sought for their beauty for many centuries. And like their more familiar cousin, natural diamonds, their value increases over time. Many in this hobby love to find, collect and finish each and every one of the 150 varieties available. Read long as we examine the loose gemstones hobby.

To start off right you'll need the knowledge on the wide variety of stones available. You'll find it very helpful to know what exactly you're looking for so you buy the right items. Without the proper knowledge you can make costly mistakes.

One of the first things you look at Is gemstone color. Top grade gemstones have pure colors there as close as possible to the purest spectral colors of orange, green, yellow, Violet or blue. Muted gemstone colors or on the dark side can lower the value quite easily.

Gemstone cut is one of the most important traits when you consider a gemstone's value. The cut has to be done correctly to reflect light properly. A stone that has a poor cut will not reflect the light consistently. The hue, tone and color saturation will never be consistent.

The next factor to look at is the clarity of the stone under consideration. This refers to the purity of the gemstone with no internal conclusions, internal particles or spots within the crystal structure. Needless to say, stones with no flaws are hard to find and make your stones very valuable.

Gemstones are often listed according to their size aspect because of being more uniform than carat weight. But two different gemstones may have the same size but different carat weights and consequently, different pricing structures. This factor comes from the difference in specific gravity depending upon the chemical composition and crystal structure type Normally a one carat brilliant round diamond of typical proportions will be approximately 6.5 mm in diameter. A ruby that is the same size will weigh in at 1.55 carats instead.

Although gemstones are normally used for jewelry, they are perfectly good collectibles in their own right. Actually there are many interesting and attractive gems that are too fragile or too large to be used in jewelry. Look at each stone and consider it as a piece of art and value it for its beautiful colors and the finish you apply to it. And in this hobby you don't have to always lay out cash because you can find your raw materials through field trips In the United States in Wyoming you can find Agate (including Moss Agate), Jade, Ruby, Jasper, Bloodstone as well as Star Sapphire. And if you travel to Canada you will find nephrite jade in the Frances Lake area in the Yukon Territory or amazonite (microcline) near Lac St-Jean, Quebec as well as ammolite from Lethbridge, Alberta. Take up gemstone collecting and you won't regret it.

Buy Moss Agates loose gemstones or yellow loose diamonds as well as suare princess cut natural diamonds today in our store!

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More Info On natural blue diamond

The weight of a diamond is measured in carats (ct.). Each carat is divided into
100 points. For example: 1ct.= 100 points, 1/2 ct. = 50 points. Points in a
fraction are measured within acceptable ranges. For example: a 1/2 ct diamond
pendant may have a range of + or - .06 points. In other words, the total diamond
weight may vary from .44 to .56 points and still be considered a 1/2 carat.
at Loose Diamonds Galore!

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.
at Loose Diamonds Galore!

The Latest natural blue diamond News

Fifty Years Ago Today-Hope Diamond Officially Presented to ... - Media Newswire (press release)

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:15:32 GMT

Fifty Years Ago Today-Hope Diamond Officially Presented to ... Media Newswire (press release), NY - Nov 12, 2008 The 45.52-carat blue Hope Diamond is the centerpiece of the National Gem Collection on display at the National Museum of Natural History, and it attracts ...

Hope Diamond 'is Sun King's legendary gem' - The Australian

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:33:22 GMT

Hope Diamond 'is Sun King's legendary gem' The Australian, Australia - Nov 19, 2008 Mr Farges's team said last year they found a lead model of the Blue Diamond in the archives of the French National Museum of Natural History. ...

loose cut gemstones | loose semi precious gemstones | loose aquamarine gemstones

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Our Featured Gemstone Writer

Starting The Hobby Of Gemstone Collecting

By Lee MacRae

The term gemology refers to the art, profession and science of evaluating and identifying gemstones from natural diamonds to loose gemstones. A number of people taken up this profession more as a hobby. They collect and evaluate loose diamonds or loose gemstones. Some people even begin to travel to different areas close by or even taking a trip to other countries to look for rough gemstones. Some even tumble or learn to cut their own gemstones. If you have an interest in this hobby read along as this article discusses the in and outs of gemstone collecting.

The first thing you need to do in beginning this hobby the right way is through the power of knowledge. By taking a quick trip to the library or local bookstore you can find books on the subject that will let you make wise purchases from the beginning.

First on your list to look at will be the color of the stone. You'll want the stone to be as close as possible to the pure colors of the spectrum. We are talking about orange, red, violet, green, yellow, and blue. The prices of very dark are very pale stones are lower than the vibrant colors.

The cut of a stone is the second most important value determination to consider before a purchase. The precision of the cut will determine how much light the gemstone stone will reflect. It will ultimately ultimately determine the stones brilliance and how much it will be valued.

Next up is the clarity of the gemstone. Clarity refers to the the internal conclusions or flaws of a stone being considered. Normally large flaws can easily be seen with the unaided eye with others requiring a 10X magnification.

Gemstones are often listed according to their size criteria because it is more uniform than carat weight. But different gemstones may be of the same size but different carat weights and consequently, different prices as well. This is due to the nature of gemstone difference in specific gravity or relative density and depends on the materials chemical composition and crystal structure type Normally a one carat brilliant round diamond with normal proportions is approximately 6.5 mm around. A comparable a brilliant ruby of the same proportions in size will weigh in at 1.55 carats instead.

Although gemstones are normally used for jewelry, they are a great hobby and pastime as well. Actually there are many interesting and attractive gemstones who that are too fragile or too large to be used in jewelry. Here's a suggestion -- don't think of a gem as a component of jewelry; consider it as a piece of art and value it for its beautiful colors and the finish you apply to it. And in this hobby you don't have to always lay out cash because you can find your raw materials through field trips In the United States in Missouri you can hunt for Pearl, Fluorite, Pyrite and Calcite. And if you travel to Canada you will find nephrite jade in Mount Ogden, British Columbia or blue spinel from Daillebout, Quebec and even iolite from Manitouwadge, Ontario. Think of gemstone collecting for the great hobby it is.

Buy loose gemstones along with round loose diamonds and a natural diamond today in our store!

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Tips On loose natural gemstones

The Cullinan VII diamond is nearly 9 carats and is mounted in a pendant on a
small all-diamond brooch. In the centre of this brooch is the 6.80 carat
Cullinan VIII.
Buy loose diamonds today!

There are many other common types of treatment to enhance the beauty of colored gemstones. Emeralds are often oiled and waxed to protect them and to hide fine lines that naturally occur in the stone. Some sapphires have their blue color enhanced using diffusion, a chemical process. Certain stones are treated with radiation, again mimicking the processes of nature. All these practices are standard in the jewelry industry; in fact, enhancement is so common that good quality unenhanced stones often come with a certificate stating that fact.
Buy loose Garnet gemstones today!

The diamond is the only gemstone to rank 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. It is the birthstone for the month of April.
Buy blue Agate loose gemstones today!

loose natural gemstones News From Around The World

Baby Coin Necklace/gg (n-mbc0-gg)

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:07:45 -0800
Brushed vermeil baby coin necklace, measuring approximately 1/4''. 16'' 14kt gold-fill chain and toggle clasp. Brushed metal necklaces available in a variety of shapes: tear, coin, pear, square, nugget etc.

Studded Round Pearl Earrings: Green/ss (e-p115-green-ss)

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:07:45 -0800
Green round pearl earrings, studded with sterling silver accents, measuring 3/8''. Sterling silver earwires. Also available in gold. Please select pearl color: green, navy, white, brown, purple.