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Gemstone Buying Guide
Are you a jewelry lover? Are you considering buying a gem, either as a gift or for your personal own use? Either the case, gemstones are very popular additions to a fine jewelry piece. A pure gold or silver jewelry is not as attractive as the one that has precious stones set in it. Diamonds are the most precious of them all, but there are other gemstones that look quite as good, but cost not as much.
To serve as your guide in buying pieces of jewelry, here are the different kinds of gemstones, individually described and featured, so as to help you decide in your next purchase.
1. Amethyst. This gemstone is a variety of quartz. It is purple in color and the birthstone of people born in February. This is a highly accessible gem and can come in a crystal-like form. The features of this gemstone can vary greatly. Actually, every amethyst coming from one source has a distinct quality of its own. Currently, there are 14 different places where amethysts are abundant.
2. Aquamarine. Aquamarine is a bluish gemstone, similar to the shade of the sky and the deep blue sea. This is currently the favorite stone of most modern jewelry designers, mainly because of its color. Its shade easily matches the eyes or even the blue clothes of any person. This gem is rich in Brazil, specifically in Santa Maria. Aquamarine also comes from the beryl family of gemstones.
3. Bloodstone. Bloodstone is March's birthstone. It is actually green jasper containing vivid red spots within in. Those spots are iron oxide deposits. This gemstone is highly treasured in the olden times. It is on this type of stone that images are carved, including that of the crucifixion of Christian martyrs of long ago. It is also used to carve the seal of a German emperor that is currently exhibited in Paris' Louvre museum.
4. Emerald. Emerald is the stone of life and love. It is the birthstone of May and is one of the most popular gemstones of all times. These are referred to as one of the most fascinating stones. The highest quality emeralds can even fair better than diamonds in terms of value and exquisiteness. It comes in the shade of deep green.
5. Opal. This is one opulent gemstone. You can say that these are multicolored stones that somehow resemble fire, lightning and a splash of the rainbow's colors. This tiny sphere originated from the continent country of Australia, particularly in its deep deserts. That being the case, opals have formed a long list of tales and legends that can be traced back to the reign of Australian aborigines.
5. Ruby. This fine red stone is easily associated with passion, power, and love. Red is a very strong color, that's why this gemstone is highly regarded as well. Ruby is also considered as the King of all gemstones, as a lot of emperors of before use this stone. Rubies are rather rare, especially its finest kinds. It is believed that India is the main source of these gems. Rubies are the stones most preferred, next to diamonds for engagement and wedding rings.
6. Sapphire. Sapphire is considered a fancy stone, and that's because it can come in various colors. But its main shade and the most favorite one at that, is blue. Sapphire is a magnificent stone soaring in beauty. It belongs to the corundum group of gemstones and can be very hard. In fact, it sits second to diamond when it comes to hardness. High quality sapphires can be very rare, although there are several countries that can be a source of regular sapphire stones.
7. Topaz. Topaz is the gem that symbolizes the setting of the sun. It is very elegant as it has a rich golden glow. It goes best with gold, because their colors match perfectly, although some topaz variants can come green, pink, or red. Topaz is the birthstone for November. This gemstone is rather hard but it can be broken in pieces with a heavy blow. So proper care should be practiced while wearing it.
These are just some of the most common gemstones available in almost all jewelry shops. So the next time you think of buying jewelries with gemstones, you now know more about their history and composition, which can help you decide whether the jewelry being offered to you is a good deal or not.
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