Jewelry: Part 1 of 3 - Precious Gemstones
I absolutely love jewelry and gemstones. A few years ago I actually designed a line of fine jewelry. It was one of the most satisfying periods of my career and I learned a lot. Now I’m going to share some of that with you.
This week I’m going to do the Big Five - the precious gemstones. In order of price and desirability they are:
Diamonds
Rubies
Sapphires
Emeralds
Natural Pearls
I’m going to begin with diamonds and take a little extra time with them. I’m also going to get a bit more technical because the average woman is more likely to own a diamond than any other precious gemstone. That being the case, this is information that may help you at some point in your life.
Diamonds (Pure Carbon, #10 on the Mohs 10 point scale of hardness)
Diamonds are very beautiful and they’re very strong but they are not particularly rare compared to other precious gemstones. The market for diamonds has been manipulated by the diamond consortium DeBeers for well over a century.
This is not to say that diamonds would not be desirable without this market interference. But estimates of their value in an un-manipulated market run from 50 to 60% of the current price of non-exotic diamonds.
Now for the technical (reference) stuff:
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created charts for grading diamond quality. These gradings have come into global use and are often referred to in diamond purchases.
First: Clarity:
These Clarity Grades are used for all colors of diamonds. Inclusions are the flaws in diamonds. They include tiny cracks, trapped gasses [bubbles] “feathers”, carbon specks and others.
The grades are:
IF (internally Flawless)
VVSI (Very, Very Slightly Included)
VVSI-2 (Very, Very Slightly Included - Grade 2)
VSI (Very Slightly Included)
VSI-2 (Very Slightly Included - Grade 2)
Si-1 (Slightly Included-Grade 1)
Si-2 (Slightly Included-Grade 2)
I-1,2,3, (Included-Grades 1,2 & 3)
Next, Color:
White gem-grade diamonds are given a designation of —
D, E, or F for Colorless,
G, H, I, or J for Near Colorless
K, L, or M for Faint Yellow
Finally, Cut:
Clarity and Color are important, but cut is arguably the most important factor. No matter how good the Clarity and Color, the diamond will appear dull and lifeless if it has a bad cut.
The cut grades are: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor.
You don’t have to buy an IF, D, Excellent to get a good diamond. These would be considered “Investment Grade.”
For jewelry, a VVSI-2 to VSI-2 Clarity, F or G Color, Excellent or Very Good Cut will be a breathtaking diamond.
Always ask for the GIA report that comes with all diamonds from reputable sources. This is also the best way to avoid Illicit or Synthetic Diamonds.
Colored Diamonds (Fancies)
I’m sure you know that diamonds come in colors. You’ve probably seen pictures of or read references to Blue, Pink, Yellow, Champagne, Chocolate and Black Diamonds (in order of rarity and price).
But they also come in Orange, Green, Red and Violet. These, however are the exotics and are seldom seen. For example, the number of red diamonds in the world, over 1 carat, can be counted on one hand. Quarter carat red diamonds sell for millions to wealthy collectors.
I’m speaking here of natural colored diamonds. There are diamonds on the market that have been color manipulated by one of several processes. They are generally poor color-grade diamonds and aren’t inherently worth very much.
Clarity and cut designations are the same for colored diamonds as for white diamonds.
The Color Gradations are: Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Dark, Fancy Deep and Fancy Vivid.
So, now, when you’re drooling over a picture of a $25,000,000 Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond, you’ll know what the people who wrote the description are talking about.
Rubies (Corundum, 9 on the Mohs Scale)
Rubies have traditionally been called the “Queen of Gemstones” and for very good reasons.
There are a lot of crummy, simulated and fake rubies out there. Your local jewelry store is unlikely to carry a truly fine ruby, they are that rare and that expensive.
If you’ve never seen a really good ruby, go to a museum and find one to just look at. You’ll be mesmerized by its beauty.
Historically, the finest rubies have come from Burma (Myanmar). Lesser, but still beautiful, rubies also come from Thailand, Cambodia, India and Africa.
The most desirable rubies are true “ruby red”. They should have a dark pinkish or plum undertone, not the orange undertone frequently found in African rubies or the brown or muddy purple undertone of many Indian rubies.
Rubies are not supposed to be brilliant, they should glow. This glow is caused by the presence of microscopic intersecting needles of the mineral rutile that creates what is known as “Silk.”
Inferior rubies are often heat-treated to enhance their color. Such rubies appear brighter than untreated rubies because the heating process burns out the silk. “Cooked” rubies may be pretty but they lack the defining glow that makes rubies so fascinating.
Rubies are actually red Sapphires. They are one of only two colors of sapphire that have their own name. The other is Padparadscha, a pinky-peach sapphire that is unfamiliar to most people in the West. That’s because the gem collectors of the East are so obsessed with them that, until recent years, they were never exported to the West.
And that brings us to -
Sapphires (Corundum, 9 on the Mohs Scale)
All of the properties I described about rubies are present in sapphires. That’s because, as I mentioned above, rubies are sapphires.
Most people think of sapphires as intense blue but, next to tourmalines, sapphires come in with the broadest range of colors in any family of gemstones.
But, since you probably expect your sapphires to be blue, I’ll stick with that color. Otherwise we’ll be here through next week. Like rubies, the finest blue sapphires traditionally came from the area of Burma, Cambodia and Thailand. These days most quality sapphires come from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). They are also mined in India and Africa, but the finest and most expensive still come from the nearly played-out mines of Burma, Cambodia & Thailand.
Pink, golden (yellow) purple and green sapphires are some of the other popular colors of sapphire. White and black sapphires, which are usually “cooked” to make them brighter, are popular diamond substitutes for those who prefer natural stones to CZ’s and other synthetics.
Next, Emeralds (Beryl, 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs Scale)
Emeralds, along with rubies, are the grand legendary gemstones. Think of King Solomon’s emerald mines from antiquity. They were probably located in Egypt. By comparison, diamonds are relative new-comers, since ancient gem-cutters hadn’t yet developed techniques for cutting them.
Emeralds of varying quality are mined all over the world, but the finest emeralds come from Columbia in South America and Zambia in Africa.
Columbian emeralds are currently considered the global standard. Emerald connoisseurs actually use the names of some of Columbia’s great mines, such as the Muzo and Chivor to refer to certain emeralds.
For example they might call a bright, grassy-green emerald “Muzo Green” even though it might not have come from the Muzo mine. Similarly, a deep, rich green emerald might be called “Chivor Green”.
Of course, a dealer might also proudly proclaim “This is a Muzo Emerald.” Or a “Chivor” to impress a customer. So, even though the customer might not know what the dealer is talking about, it sounds impressive.
I personally like the Zambian emeralds I’ve seen. They tend to be closer to the classic green with blue undertone that I prefer. Needless to say, I wouldn’t throw a grassy-green emerald out of bed. They’re lovely.
Emerald color is the most significant factor in determining the value of an emerald, although clarity and cut are important. An emerald should be a true, vibrant green with blue undertones that produce the classic “emerald green” or yellow undertones that produce the bright grassy green of the Muzo emerald.
All emeralds have inclusions. Clarity in most gemstones is determined by what can be seen under magnification (usually a 10 or 14 mag. loupe). Emeralds are judged by the naked eye. Emeralds are so “included” that the inclusions are called the “Jardin,” (French for garden).
Even so, clarity is prized in emeralds and to that end, virtually all emeralds are “oiled”. In this process the stone is oiled under heat to conceal all but the most conspicuous inclusions.
Finally, Natural Pearls (Calcium Carbonate, 2 - 2.5 on the Mohs Scale)
By now, most women know quite a lot about pearls, but did you know that natural pearls are probably the oldest gem? It makes sense if you think about it.
Pre-historic people ate just about anything they could get their hands on - including all kinds of mollusks. So, they found the pearls, they were beautiful and people created personal ornaments with them. Jewelry was born!
At one time, natural saltwater pearls were the costliest of all gems. Pearl diving was among the most dangerous of occupations and a fine pearl was incredibly rare.
The story goes that in 1910, Maisey Plant, the young wife of railroad tycoon Morton Plant, fell in love with a million dollar pearl necklace (about $35 - $40 million today) owned by Cartier. Morton agreed to trade his 5th Avenue mansion to Louis Cartier for the strand of pearls.
It looked like a good deal for Morton and Maisey until, a year or so later, when cultured pearls appeared on the market and the price of pearls plummeted. Cartier still occupies the 5th Avenue mansion as their American flagship store.
Thereafter, natural pearls stabilized at about 15% of their pre-cultured pearl price, where it remains today.
Pearl diving for natural saltwater pearls has virtually disappeared, but oysters aren’t the only mollusks that produce pearls. Almost all of them produce pearls and some are incredibly beautiful.
River pearls are hunted all over the world, including the United States. The pearls of river mollusks tend to be free-form with a wonderful iridescent luster.
Other exotic pearls like Conch Pearls (luscious pink) and Melo Melo Pearls (shades of orange) are rare, expensive and much sought after. Check Pinterest for pictures of these beautiful pearls.
Natural South Sea and Tahitian pearls were the largest of all jewelry-grade pearls and always the most prized. But they, too, are now all cultured and I haven’t even heard of Natural South Sea or Tahitian Pearls on the market in recent years.
I hope you find this information useful whether you are thinking of buying a precious gemstone or you just want to know more about them.
Next week I’ll tell you a little bit about Semi-Precious Gemstones. Hint: They’re beautiful and you can afford them!
- Gabrielle