ORIGINS OF GEMSTONES

Of all the precious gemstones, diamonds have for years, been typically considered to be the most precious and valued of all the precious gemstones. Diamonds usually range in colors from yellow to bluish white and be found from very small to very large. Other precious stone used for jewelry include rubies, emeralds, and sapphires as well as the less expensive stones, chrysoberyl, topaz, and zircon. Among gemstones considered to be semiprecious stones, the most common gemstones used for jewelry include, amethyst, garnet, opal, aquamarine, jade , turquoise, agate, onyx, lapis lazuli, and malachite.

Gemstones that originate from animals or organic instead of mineral, and are considered to be organic stones, include amber, which is a fossil of tree resin, as well as pearls and corals. To be considered a gemstone, the stone must be one of the 2,000 identified naturally occurring minerals that are valued for their rarity, beauty, and durability. Out of these 2,000 identified minerals, only around 100 of them are actually used as gemstones, and a few 16 of them have achieved a notability of importance. These minerals, though one may supply more than one gemstone, include beryl, chrysoberyl, corundum, diamond, feldspar, garnet, jade, lazurite, olivine, opal, quartz, spinel, topaz, tourmaline, turquoise, and zircon. As an example, the mineral Beryl supplies the gemstones emerald and aquamarine, and corundum supplies ruby and sapphire gemstones. Before being used for jewelry, all of these minerals will have to first be cut and polished in order for them to be usable.

Gemstones have been considered a gift of nature for as long as time, and have been used for jewelry for as long as humankind has been on earth. A gemstone must be seen as thing of beauty. The beauty can be seen because of the great color, or the lack there of. A gemstone must also be resilient against the constant handling that can cause wear and tear of the gem. Some gemstones can be treated to alter the color of the stone in order to increase its value. This can be done through heat treatment, staining, or irradiation.

Treating the gems with heat in order to alter the color of the gem is a technique that has been used for many centuries. Some of the changes that can occur in heat treated gemstones include smoky quartz taking on the characteristics of citrine or topaz, some zircon originally brownish or reddish in color can become bright blue or colorless, yellow topaz when heated will become pink, and heat will make some rubies or amethysts colored more evenly.

Though the most popular use of gemstones include their use in creating jewelry or handcrafted jewelry, in many cultures and civilizations gemstones have been known to be miraculous and capable of having mysterious powers. Throughout history the beliefs and legends regarding gemstones have changed as they were passed through generations, similar to how the gemstones and jewelry were passed down themselves. Their beauty and resilience remains one of their most treasured traits, making them desired and valued to all..