It was more than 2800 years ago that the first diamonds were mined in India. In actuality, diamonds are much older than one would think. Most diamonds we find today are at least 900 million years old. Experts believe that the oldest known diamond is around 3.2 billion years old. Each mined diamond is completely unique. To the trained eye, one can find that there are no two diamonds that are precisely the same.

When learning how to purchase a diamond, there are many things to consider. Until you know more and have done your research, you should never rush into buying a diamond. It’s especially important to learn how diamonds are priced.

The “4 C’s”

You will have many factors to consider when buying a diamond. Throughout the world, there is an established method that jewelers use as a way of describing the value of a diamond. The method is known as the “4 C’s”. If you are interested in understanding how to buy a diamond, it would help to know exactly what the 4 C’s are and how each aspect of the diamond contributes to its value.

The 4 C’s represent Cut, Clarity, Carats and Color

Buying a Diamond based on Cut: The cut of a diamond is a description of how the diamond maker angles the gemstone in such a way as to best reflect light through the diamond, resulting in the diamond’s sparkle. A high quality cut enhances the innate beauty of a diamond and increases its value. A poorly cut diamond isn’t as brilliant or shiny and, therefore, will be less valuable.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Clarity: The clarity of a diamond involves looking at how clear the diamond is when you look through it. Most diamonds have inclusions and flaws and it is rare to find a perfect diamond. Flaws, however, cannot usually be seen without magnification. When purchasing a diamond for clarity, look for the presence of dark spots inside the diamond.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Carats: Carat defines the size of the diamond. Larger diamonds (those of a higher carat) will cost more than a cluster of smaller diamonds, even if the total carats of the diamond cluster are the same. This means that a single one-carat diamond will cost you more than three diamonds set in a ring that add up to one carat. The reason behind this is that larger diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds. Unfortunately, this is impacted by the fact that, when diamonds are cut, they lose about half their size.

How to Buy a Diamond based on Color: The color of diamond you choose is entirely based upon your personal preference. Diamonds that are colorless, however, are the rarest and therefore cost more than other diamonds. Colorless diamonds are known as white diamonds. Diamonds also come in a variety of different hues, including yellow, green, blue and pink. There are even diamonds known as “black diamonds”.

Certificates and Appraisals

While understanding the 4 C’s in determining how to buy a diamond, you should also learn how to read diamond certificates. These certificates describe in detail the facts about the diamond in its unmounted state. Perhaps you have a specific diamond you want to have professionally appraised by an independent organization. This is probably not best done by the jeweler you are buying the diamond from because they are often biased and may appraise the diamond at a slightly higher value than what it’s actually worth in order to receive more income from the sale of the diamond.

Some semi-precious stones are also birthstones, which correspond to people’s birth months. Some people believe that wearing stones that correspond with one’s birth month increases one’s inner strength. This special trait makes jewelry made of certain semi-precious birthstones especially useful as gifts. Examples of such birthstones are garnet (January) and aquamarine (March).
Another popular belief is that certain stones have their own unique “powers.” For example, wearing garnet is said to help ease the pain of a bad breakup, or cause jealousy between lovers. Amethyst is said to protect its wearer against the ill effects of alcohol, slow down intoxication and prevent hangovers. Turquoise is said to give emotional strength. Jade has always had enormous importance in Asian civilization; it is said to have the mystical power to protect its wearer against nightmares and other psychic attacks.

Quartz is said to be among the most important of the semi-precious stones, because it calls upon the power of love — especially the rare rose quartz. Wearing rose quartz is said to increase one’s chances of finding or maintaining a good romantic relationship.
Some pieces of bead jewelry are also made of semi-precious stones. The stones are threaded together with cords, making fine webs and accentuating intricate designs. Jewelry made of semi-precious stones is always popular, partly because of the beliefs associated with the stones — but mostly because they’re so pretty and can go well with anything one wears.

Most importantly, store each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don’t scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is set in. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.
Rings in particular tend to collect dust and soap behind the gem, particularly if you wear them all the time. You need to clean them regularly to let the light in so your gems can shine. To clean transparent crystalline gemstones, simply soak them in water with a touch of gentle dish soap. Use a bowl of water rather than the sink to eliminate the risk of anything going down the drain. If necessary, use a soft toothbrush to scrub behind the stone. Rinse the soap off and pat dry with a lint-free cloth (you want to make sure threads won’t catch on the prongs) For diamond, ruby or sapphire, a touch of ammonia in the rinse water won’t hurt a bit and can add extra sparkle (for platinum and gold only, not silver!). Think twice before putting gems in an ultrasonic cleaner. Diamonds and rubies and sapphires will be fine but many other gems many not be, in particular emerald, opal, pearls, peridot: when in doubt, leave it out.

Organic gems like pearls, coral, and amber should only be wiped clean with moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous. Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, damage pearls in particular. Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic, never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light. opaque gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, require special care because they are rocks, not crystals of a single mineral like transparent gems. There gem materials should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside the stone and discolor it. Never use and ultrasonic cleaner and never use ammonia or any chemical solution.
A little care and common sense can add life, luster and longevity to your precious jewelry and gems. Protect your investment by following the above guidelines.

Citrin, also called citrin quartz, is an amber colored gem stone.

Aventurine is commonly a green gem stone, but can be orange, brown, yellow or grey. The rarest is red and highly prized as a gem stone.

Cordierite is a magnesium, iron and aluminum cyclosilicate, the transparent variety of which is iolite, which is used as a gem stone. The name, iolite, is derived from the Greek word for violet.

Lapis lazuli is a stone which has been classified as a gem stone. This deep blue gem stone dates back to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt.

Jade is an interesting gem stone. The name is applied to two different silicate materials. It is a very tough material and was first used for axe heads, knives and weapons. It was only when other materials were found that could be used for these purposes that jade become a prized gem stone. Nephrite is either green or creamy in color, while jadeite comes in a variety of colors. In New Zealand, where nephrite jade is known as greenstone and not gem stone, the Maoris consider it a treasure. In traditional Maori designs, this gem stone is still widely used to make jewelry. Jade is the official gem stone of British Columbia. Many minerals are sold as jade. These can certainly be used as gem stones, but are not the real thing.

Turquoise is another gem and ornamental stone. The name is a very old word , probably derived from the French meaning Turkish stone, although turquoise was not found in Turkey, but was traded there. Iran and the Sinai Peninsula were sources of very fine turquoise. In the United States, the deposits were mined by pre-Columbian Native Americans. Nowadays there is some imitation turquoise, which is so good, that only an expert could tell the difference between the real stone and the fake!

It’s possible that rings and bracelets and necklaces made with these semi-precious gemstones may not be as valuable as say, gold or diamonds, but they can be exquisite and highly prized. Of course, if the diamond is flawed, it may be impressive to the friends and acquaintances of a newly engaged damsel, but is not of great value.

The best compendium of gemstone lore is undoubtedly that found in George Frederick Kunz’s book The Curious Lore of Precious Stones published in 1913. But Kunz was no mystic crystal-gazer. Rather he was the leading gemologist of his time and, in his role as the resident gem expert at Tiffany & Co. in New York, helped create the modern market for colored stones. He was also instrumental in putting together some of the greatest collections of rare gemstones, including the famous J.P. Morgan-Tiffany collection, now in the American Museum of Natural History.
Kunz believed that we can learn a great deal by studying the ways in which gemstones were used by different cultures and the beliefs that people at different times formed about rare gems. But for Kunz this study wasn’t just sociological curiosity, it was a way of learning about gemstones themselves. As he wrote, “Many of these ideas may seem strange enough to us now, and yet when we analyze them we find that they have their roots either in some intrinsic quality of the stones or else in an instinctive appreciation of their symbolical significance.”

Author : Ron Nash