Gemstone are originally categorized into two types, the semi-precious and the precious stones. There are four stones that are classed as precious they are diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald, all other gemstones are classed as semi-precious.
For a time, amethyst was categorized as a precious stone until the discovery it massive volume were unearthed in Brazil by 19th century. For some, pearl is also considered as a precious stone although it is not really a gemstone.
At present most gemstones are used to adorn every fashion styles and jewelries although the four precious stones always exceed their class.
The hardest substance is actually the diamonds, discovered some 6000 years ago and have been known since as a precious stone, from 19th century onwards,diamonds became more and more popular as new techniques of processing are introduced, and more supply are coming up.
Several people also adore ruby as one of their favorite gemstones. This gemstone appear in various colors and shades of red but those with pigeon blood color are mostly favored. Interestingly, rubies naturally have minute imperfections which have been used by many as basis for knowing the real ones over synthetics. Several rubies are actually treated while those that are not treated are normally priced at higher value.
Another highly priced gemstone is sapphire, a gem that is blue in color. Sapphires comes in various shades of blue but the most valued ones are those with deep blue color. Other sapphires come in yellow,clear, ink, and even black color but these are labeled as the fancy type of sapphires. Additionally, yellow sapphire was referred to as oriental topaz before the 19thcentury and only the blue ones were called sapphire.
Rubies and sapphires are classed as (corundum) where as emeralds are something completely different, emeralds are classed as (beryl). Flawless emerald with great color is highly valued among its beryl class. Oiling emeralds to enhance its quality is highly acceptable. If you are considering purchasing an expensive emerald it is well advised to insist upon a report from a reputable gemological laboratory.
At present, each of these gemstones actually have a synthetic replicas that were made in laboratories. Additionally, people fancy most of these replicas because they exemplify the perfection that one cannot find in genuine gemstones. It is no wonder that people actually consider their value almost the same as they do with the real ones.
The hardness of these gemstones are such: diamonds with 10 mohs scale,ruby and sapphire at 9 on mohs scale, and emerald at 7.5 mohs scale. This implies that they can withstand the test of time and harshness of the environment. The best way to clean diamonds, ruby, and sapphire is in a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, but when it comes to emeralds I do not recommend that you use a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, it may remove the oils that emeralds are treated with to hide the natural inclusions, a little detergent in some warm water and a soft toothbrush will be a little gentler and will not damage the stone.
So the next time you are looking to invest in a piece of jewelry for a love one or for yourself, have a think about precious gemstones, whether it be a nice diamond ring or a brooch with a mixture of all four stones. If looked after properly it will last a life time, and then become a family heirloom for generations to come.
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