Gemstones
The most important aspect of any gemstone is it's color. When judging color examine the stone's Hue, Tone and Saturation.
Hue - The specific color classification given to an object based on the seven colors found in the spectrum; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, or violet. For example, garnets are found in a variety of shades of red from pink to plum, but all of these shades fall under the "hue" of "red". The more internally consistent a stone's hue is, the more valuable the stone is considered to be. The most valuable gemstones are those that exhibit a pure color and only "slight" hues of other colors in addition to their primary color.
Tone - A term used to describe the lightness or darkness of the body color of a color gem. Tone describes how light or dark a stone appears.
Saturation - A measure of the intensity of color inherent in a gemstone. Stones that are well saturated with color are more valuable. In color theory, saturation refers to the intensity of a specific hue. It is based on the color's purity; a highly saturated hue has a vivid, intense color, while a less saturated hue appears more muted and gray. With no saturation at all, the hue becomes a shade of gray.
Gemstone Care
Do not expose your gemstones to chlorine, extreme temperature changes, solvents, or harsh physical contact. Some gemstones are more susceptible to damage than others. Emerald, opal, peridot, and garnet do not handle sudden thermal changes well. Certain solvents, including alcohol and acetone (nail polish remover) will fade dyed gemstones such as jade and lapis lazuli. Sharp knocks can cleave (split at certain angles) tanzanite, topaz, iolite and moonstone. The best way to protect your gems is to treat them very delicately. They should not be worn to the pool, or while doing household chores. Jewelry should be stored in individual pouches or wrapped in soft material when not in use. If you allow your gemstone jewelry to lie in a heap in your jewelry box you may unwittingly damage your jewelry. Most gemstones are harder than the metals they are set in and if the touch other pieces can scratch the metal. A harder gemstone that bumps a softer gemstone may break the softer stone. An example might be dropping your Ruby ring on top of your opal pendant.
- Clean your gemstones with water, a soft toothbrush, and a mild soap.
- Do not wear your gemstones while exercising, swimming, gardening or while working where your hands could impact hard materials.
- Do not sleep in your gemstone jewelry.
- Have your gemstone jewelry checked every 6 months.
- We will gladly check and clean your gemstone jewelry at no charge.