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Gemological Information Article

So You Want To Collect Loose Gemstones

By Lee MacRae

Why would anyone collect items like loose gemstones, you ask? Well to begin with they've been sought for their beauty for many centuries. And like their more familiar cousin, natural diamonds, they can become extremely valuable over the years. Many hobbyists love to collect and work with each and every one of the 150 varieties available. Follow along as we examine the loose gemstones hobby.

The first thing you need to do is to get yourself some reading material. You want to know everything there is to know about the subject of gemstones. The more you understand about each kind of gemstone the better off you'll be. You'll know exactly what to buy.

The first item to consider should be the color of the gemstone. You want the gemstone to be as close as possible to the pure colors of the spectrum. This means violet, orange, yellow, green, blue, and red. The prices for very pale or very dark gemstones are lower than the vibrant colors.

Gemstone cut is the next factor to consider before a purchase is made. The preciseness of the cut is the factor which determines how much light the stone will reflect. It will fully determine the brilliance of the stone and how much someone will pay for it.

The clarity in a stone is our next factor. Clarity refers to a stones relative freedom from inclusions or blemishes. A perfect gemstone is obviously valued highly. To examine flaws not seen with the naked eye requires a 10X gemstone clarity magnifier or gem microscope. Serious hobbyists will use an inexpensive 10X gemstone or jewelers loup for examining coins, stamps and of course gemstones.

Gemstones are often categorized according to their size since it is more uniform than carat weight. But two different gemstones may be of the same size but have different carat weights that result in different in prices as well. This is due to the nature of gemstone difference of relative density or specific gravity depending upon the materials chemical composition and crystal structure type For example, a one carat round diamond of typical proportions will be approximately 6.5 mm in diameter. A ruby that is the same size will weigh approximately 1.55 carats.

Collecting gemstones as a hobby can be very enjoyable and rewarding in the long run. You don't need to spend a lot of money and yet you can end up with some very beautiful stones. Many people loved to spend weekends to go hunting for raw gemstones. Just in the United States in New Jersey you can find Smoky Quartz, Agate, Pearl and Prehnite. And if you like to travel farther you can find opal in Coober Pedy, Andamooka or Mintabie in South Australia, topaz in Beechworth, Victoria or hunt the quartz regions in Beechworth and Mooralla in Victoria Australia.

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Topaz can be found in streams, rivers and in gravel deposits. It is found mainly
in gem pegmatites where the presence of fluorine can be found. Flourine provides
a rich environment for the stones to grow into very large crystals. In fact,
without the presence of Flourine topaz would not exist. Topaz crystallizes
orthorhombically and develops columns with square and diamond shapes planes with
multisurfaced heads. Topaz can also be found in cracks and cavities where a
combination of Flourine and silica and alumina which was released by very hot
temperatures caused the gems to form. Chromium Oxide is what provides its
beautiful color.
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Other than the oil on emeralds, which can last for years before needing replacement, any quality enhancement is permanent and should not require special care. With emeralds, you should simply be careful not to clean the stone too vigorously or you might remove the layer of wax or oil, changing the appearance of the stone. If this happens, bring it to your jeweler to have the layer reapplied. Bringing your emerald in for a cleaning and re-oiling on a regular basis will help keep it looking its best.
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