While most people believe that gemstones minerals, is in fact, they are not. Gemstones, by definition, are substances such as rocks (eg, lapis lazuli or onyx), petrified substances such as amber (fossilized tree is SAP), minerals (diamonds or emeralds) and organic-grown substances (pearls or coral), which is the collection (as it has or acquires value) or used in jewelry.
Gemstones have traditionally been divided into precious (or "cardinal gems") stones, classified as such by a combination of rarity, historical significance, or religious or ceremonial use, or semi-precious stones. Usually, only five stones are called "precious" - diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and amethysts. In current usage, however, gemologists classify all the jewels, although - as George Orwell once put it, "some things are more equal than others "- some gems (particularly sapphires, emeralds, rubies and diamonds), are considered more valuable than others.
Gemstones of Cut and polish
Of the more than 2,000 identified natural minerals, fewer than 100 are classified as precious stones, such as and of these, only 16 have won no matter - and almost none of these are used in their natural state. All must be cut and polished to enhance their beauty and characteristics.
The two major classifications are stones cut as cabochons, which are dome-like should be smooth stones (usually done to opaque stones such as opals, turquoise or onyx), and facets (applied to "transparent", stones, especially the five commonly classified as precious stones), where Windows Small "are cut into the rock of the planned angles at regular intervals, showing optical properties of rock with the best advantage. Reflected light is maximized, as seen by the viewer as sparkle which "separates" cardinal gems from all others. Faceting method applies to "transparent", such as precious stones diamonds emeralds and rubies.
This is part of why transparent gems like diamonds, rubies emeralds and sapphires are so expensive and valuable - great care and planning go into cutting and polishing stone faces. If the angles are too shallow or too steep - or placed at intervals by mistake - passing light through the stone will not be reflected back to the viewer, and stone quality and value are denied.
Treatments Applied to Gemstones
Gemstones are often subject to different "treatments" designed to improve the quality of color and clarity. Among treatments standard used are:
- Heating stones, most Aquamarine, sapphires and rubies, in order to improve their color and clarity. Aquamarine, for example, is heat treated in order to remove yellow, in order to make a purer blue.
- Radiation was also applied Blue at Topaz, especially lighter and darker shades to change the color white to blue even. Some colorless diamond turned green, rose quartz amethyst turns brown and discolored turned back to their original purpose rich. The downside to this treatment is that some changes color is not permanent - the stone may become radioactive.
- "Waxing", emeralds and turquoise is a long-standing practice, designed to mask the natural cracks that many of these rocks. Wax or oil is often used in color so that the stone's clarity
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