What is precious gemstone？

Sapphire is an old gemstone and one of the most beloved of the rare colored gems. This stone is the next hardest stone to diamond, ranking 9 on the Mohs scale for hardness. So you know that a sapphire gemstone will look sparkling decades from now, just as it did on the day you acquired it.

Centuries ago, aristocrats and royals fought over large sapphires for their crown jewels. Today, it’s almost the same thing, but feuding takes place on the bidding floor at great auction houses.

If a stone is called a sapphire, it means the rich, saturated blue variety. But there is also another type of sapphire called a ‘fancy color sapphire’. These may be yellow, pink, green, black, orange, or violet. Fancy color sapphires are highly collectible and stunning.

Sapphires are a popular precious stone for rings. Princess Diana’s engagement ring was a sapphire. Sapphires also make stunning pendant necklaces and are perfectly suited for placement on tiaras.

The color red is associated with power and vitality (like blood!) and, of course, passion. That’s why ruby gems have been adored for centuries.

Rubies are from the mineral corundum, the same species as sapphire. In the case of ruby, its vibrant hue is due to trace amounts of chromium. And like sapphire, it’s a hard, precious stone, ranking 9 on the Mohs scale.

Fine rubies can be much rarer than diamonds and often more costly than diamonds of a similar grade and size. The finest rubies come from Burma, which is today called Myanmar. The best of these stones are the so-called “Pigeon Blood” red, a rich scarlet with blue undertones. 

Because of their durability, rubies can be used for rings, earrings, and many other popular jewelry types.

There’s something refreshing about the crisp fresh emerald gemstone. This popular green stone has ancient roots, harkening back to early Egypt and other civilizations.

We have the elements chromium, vanadium, and iron to thank for the emerald’s lively green hue. 

Often, emerald crystals are embedded in hard, difficult-to-extract host rocks. So, concussive equipment is needed to extract the green sparkly bits. In doing so, the emerald stones incur cracks in the crystals. So, every emerald that is ‘clean’ and free from such inclusions is a rare, priceless treasure.

Just because emeralds had a rough start, that doesn’t mean they can’t receive the royal treatment in beautifying them later on for jewelry. It is a trade-accepted procedure for emeralds to be treated with oils and green resin fillers in inclusions so they look their best. This is disclosed, of course, and it’s a traditional practice when needed.

Some precious stones are valued not only for their beauty and rarity but also for their difficulty in accessing them. Tanzanite is one such stone. Gem-quality blue-violet translucent tanzanite is found only in a small radius around the Manyara region of Tanzania.

The transparent to translucent Tanzanite has a Mohs hardness ranking of 6-7, making it suitable for all jewelry types. Today, larger carat sizes are becoming more difficult to acquire since they have been mined for several years. Tanzanite is a relatively new discovery—having been found in the mid-20th century. It came to public attention in the late 1960s and thrilled jewelry fans with its unique color and exotic story of discovery.

 While some people call Tanzanite a generational gemstone owing to its limited sourcing, others think it may be around for a while. Collectors are avidly gathering Tanzanite jewelry in all its forms so they can wear an entire collection. Rings are a popular jewelry type with Tanzanite, but the precious gemstone is equally suited for stud earrings, bracelets, and neckpieces.

Those who flock to the cool light blue of aquamarine probably also appreciate the seas. After all, the name aquamarine means sea water. The many pastel blue shades of aquamarine look like the waters of the Caribbean and elsewhere in the tropics, where clear blue lagoons are found.

This stone is a variety of beryl minerals. One of the unique features of aquamarine is its ability to change color when heat treated. Many aquamarines naturally display a prominent green tint. Since jewelry lovers often prefer the pale blue variety, this can be achieved through heat treatment. Some gemstone insiders say we should leave the crystals as nature intended and allow consumers to appreciate the many shades of this beautiful gemstone.

Aquamarine is a popular gemstone. There’s something universally appealing about this pale blue precious stone, which is even popular in bridal jewelry these days. Other uses are bracelets and earrings, among the other jewelry types available.