This article will forever change your opinion about precious and semi-precious stones. If you consider them ordinary pieces of glass, then learn to appreciate jewelry. If these stones already impress you, you will understand why they are loved all over the world.
So. Why is one stone sold by the whole carload, while auctions are held for a gram of another? Why are even expensive minerals divided into precious and semi-precious and cost differently? In the material you will find answers to these and other questions.
What is a gemstone
First, we will define the word “stone” itself. Stone refers to rocks and minerals that were formed naturally, that is, without human intervention.
To be called precious, a stone must meet three criteria: to be rare, durable and beautiful. Let's look at each of these characteristics.
Rarity of the stone
The rarity of a stone is determined by the difficulty of its occurrence in nature. This complexity has numerical indicators, which we will illustrate using the example of diamond mining - future diamonds.
Diamond mine. Source: ALROSA
Miners dig diamond ore out of the ground, from which other specialists then extract diamond crystals. For mining to be profitable, 1 ton of ore must contain at least 0.5 diamond carats. Now imagine the following.
That's not all. Only 20% of all diamonds are suitable for jewelry. The rest goes to technical needs. It turns out that out of 1 carat mined, only 0.20 carats will end up in the jewelry. And this is only 0.040 grams.
From 1 ton of ore, 4/100 of a gram of diamond is obtained. This mass is not enough to insert even into one ring.
Imagine how much work needs to be done, how much land needs to be dug, so that every woman is happy on her engagement day!
Durability of the stone
No corporation will develop a complex deposit of stones and minerals that quickly become unusable. No person will buy products with fragile inserts. Therefore, durability is a determining factor for a stone that claims to be precious.
The durability of a gemstone is measured in hundreds and thousands of years.
The same gemstone can be hard and brittle at the same time. For example, diamond is so strong that it is used to test the hardness of other minerals. At the same time, if dropped, this crystal can crack and even break.
The beauty of stone
Beauty in precious stones is also a quantifiable concept. For example, the cost is affected by color saturation, the degree of refraction of a sun ray, the color absorption spectrum and other characteristics that professional gemologists check with special devices.
It is unlikely that a person will appreciate all these qualities at one glance. However, when you see a piece of jewelry with a precious stone on your interlocutor or in a showroom, just imagine the characteristics of the mineral, be impressed by the product and appreciate it. Think about how the stone was searched for, how it was evaluated according to all possible criteria, and how it was shaped.
Scientists have learned to synthesize rare stones, but their price is not even close to the prices of natural diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones. Only a mineral found in the depths of the earth can be considered a real gemstone.
AQUAMARINE works with precious stones that have documents confirming their authenticity. And each diamond in our products also has an evaluation certificate from a gemological laboratory.
Diamond Grading Certificate from the GIA Gemological Laboratory
A Brief History of Diamonds
It was the Hindus who first began to impart precious properties to stones. Several thousand years BC, Indian rajahs adorned themselves with diamonds found throughout the country. In those days, people did not yet know how to change the original shape of crystals.
According to popular belief, diamonds were brought to Europe by the soldiers of Alexander the Great from the campaigns. Local residents did not appreciate the beauty of uncut stones, and after several decades, kings across the continent began to decorate weapons and armor with cut diamonds. In the 15th century AD, court women and men began to wear diamonds.
Since then, thanks to deposits around the world, diamonds have become valued in every corner of the Earth.
Mining in mines, quarries and placers
The main methods of mining gemstones currently are:
- Washing in placers. Stones that have fallen to the surface of the earth under the influence of water currents are found by manually washing the soil or slag.
- Organization of an open pit. Involves excavation work, often with the use of explosions, the use of drilling rigs, heavy machinery, and special equipment. Direct methods for finding stones vary depending on the rock and size of the minerals.
- Mining. The most expensive and risky mining method, which is resorted to only if there is confidence in the presence of precious stones in the veins being mined.
To organize the extraction of minerals, mining enterprises are created, equipped with modern equipment and qualified personnel: copies, mines, mines. Although, private manual mining also takes place in a number of countries around the world.
What is a semi-precious stone
Manufacturers, sellers and buyers give different names to stones that are slightly cheaper than precious stones. Two equivalent terms are popular: semi-precious and jewelry stones.
Some consider the term "semi-precious stone" to be outdated. Because of the prefix, the half-value of the mineral becomes discredited. The buyer may perceive the stone as inferior and not buy a product with it. Therefore, the term “jewelry stone” came into use. Professionals will understand you if you use any of these terms.
Jewelry (or semi-precious) stones are less beautiful, rare and durable than precious stones. At the same time, they have wonderful properties to decorate your product.
Aquamarine
The translucent blue stone is a variety of beryl. Aquamarine has the ability to change its color when the weather changes - it acquires a green tint before rain.
Read also: Wedding surprises for newlyweds
Aquamarine jewelry helps its owner expand his social circle, find good friends, partners, and love. This stone also sharpens the mind, helps in intellectual activities, and awakens creative inspiration.
Healers recommend wearing aquamarine around the neck for throat diseases, colds, and problems with the thyroid gland. They recommend aquamarine jewelry to people prone to overstimulation of the nervous system, who are often overcome by fears, worries, and phobias. The energy of the stone is optimal for Libra, Cancer, Pisces, and Aquarius.
Summarize
- The weight of gemstones is measured in carats.
- 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams.
- Gemstones have three evaluation criteria: beauty, rarity and durability.
- From 1 ton of diamond ore you can get no more than 4/100 of a gram of diamond.
- Leading jewelry manufacturers only use stones with certificates of authenticity.
- Jewelry and semi-precious stones are equivalent concepts.
Now you have clear knowledge about precious and semi-precious stones, their characteristics, differences and, we hope, appreciate them.
Stay tuned for our next article. In it we will tell you how precious stones are held in jewelry.
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Ruby
Ruby is the most beautiful of precious stones, a type of corundum. The color varies from deep pink to fiery crimson and deep red with a purple tint. This shade appears with a chromium content of up to 2%. Ruby is a first class gemstone and one of the most expensive stones in the world. Its chemical formula is Al2O3.
Ruby is associated with the sun, passion, fire and love. In Europe, from time immemorial, it has been a symbol of strength, beauty, devotion to faith, dignity and courage. In the East, it represents love, health, strength and vitality. In India, ruby is considered the stone of the Sun.
Amber
Amber is a petrified fossil resin, the hardened resin of the oldest coniferous trees of the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. Along with pearls, jet and coral, amber is an organic stone, that is, of organic origin. The color of amber varies from almost white to red-brown and almost black. Experts distinguish more than 350 shades of amber.
Amber is called the magic resin of the ancient forest. It is believed that with its golden hues, amber clarifies thoughts and helps in achieving plans. This is the sunniest, most positive stone in people's perception. Even the ancient sages noticed that amber jewelry heals and inspires a person. It gives strength and confidence, drives away evil and eliminates powerful negative energy. Amber is a stone of financial well-being, creativity, beauty, a stone of love and family harmony. It brings success to those who wear it. Amber does not age. And the more it comes into contact with human skin, the stronger it becomes. Therefore, in ancient times, people tried to wear amber constantly.
Today, amber mined on the shores of the Baltic is the most highly valued. This is due to the fact that the natural conditions in this geographical area allowed the formation of amber of stunning color and quality compared to, for example, Burma. Burmese amber is opaque and harder than Baltic amber. In “Altyn” you will find jewelry with Baltic amber for every taste. The widest range of rings, earrings, beads and bracelets made of amber will pleasantly please the most demanding buyer!
Topaz
Topaz is an aluminum fluorosilicate. Its chemical formula is one of the most complex among precious stones: Al2 [SiO4] (F, OH)2, and the shade depends on the impurities of iron, titanium, chromium or vanadium. The color range of topaz is varied: from brown and wine-yellow to blue, pink, golden, orange and even reddish. There are polychrome topazes, when sections of one crystal have different colors (usually blue/wine yellow).
Topaz is a hard mineral: 8.0 on the Mohs scale. It is difficult to process, but after cutting the stone acquires a bright shine. In Rus', topaz was called the Siberian diamond, and, according to legend, it received its modern name from the name of the island in the Red Sea - Topazios (now Zeberget), where it was first discovered.
For centuries, blue topaz has been considered a stone that gives women beauty and men wealth and fame; it was used to decorate the crowns of rulers and the outfits of legendary beauties of the past. This gemstone is endowed with powerful energy.
