Gemstones
About Gemstones Gemstones are natural occurring crystalline, a form of a mineral. Gemstones have the most intense color, which occurs naturally, than any other material on this planet. Gemstones span in color over the entire rainbow, and have become famous by the use of their names i.e. "Ruby Red" and "Emerald Green". Gemstones are known for their beauty, value, and their durability, which allows for people to pass them on from generation to generation. Through out time, gemstones have charmed and dazzled people from all over the world. Colored gemstones are highly prized, and are used and cherished in many ways. For instance, the many gemstones in the "Crown Jewels" represent power, strength, and wealth for the Royal family. Time honored, a tradition that has been passed along is the "Birthstone". Birthstones are the gems, which represent the month that you were born. These birthstones are given as gifts to cherish the person’s life, and are a great reflection of the person and their personality. All gemstones are different and represent people and their personalities. Many people have preferences on stones they like, which may display their uniqueness and personality.
Precious & Semi-Precious There are two classifications of gemstones, Precious and Semi-Precious. Precious stones are Sapphires, Rubies, and Emeralds. These three gems are the only stones that are called precious. Semi-Precious stones are Amethyst, Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet, Onyx, Opal, Peridot, Tanzanite, and Topaz. All gems precious or semi-precious are valuable. Value depends are many elements, including color, size, quality, and rarity.
Enhancements Because of the rarity of excellent sized and quality stones, some gemstones are enhanced. Jewelers have developed ways to enhance the appearance of many stones. It has been a common practice for many, many years to heat gemstones to bring out their brilliant color. Heating stones is the most common way of enhancing stones. There are other types of treatment to enhance the brilliance of colored gemstones. Oiling and waxing is one form, which helps protect the stone and eliminates visible flaws like lines and marks that are a natural occurrence in the stone. This is done mostly with emeralds, because of their common natural flaws. Sapphires may have their color enhanced by diffusion, which is a chemical treatment. Another way to enhance the color is with radiation treatment, which is another natural process that occurs while the stone is formed and is used to bring out the color that nature did not finish. These processes are all very common and are a standard practice among the jewelry industry. These practices are used on natural occurring stones and should not be confused as "Lab Created" stones.
Special Care for Colored Gemstones The best way to clean your gemstones is to take them to any Fred Meyer Jewelers or Littman Jewelers on a regular basis (every six months) for a free cleaning and inspection. This will insure that your gemstones are cleaned properly and checked for any damage or detect any problems. In between that time, cleaning your gemstones is as easy as 1,2,3! All you need is a cup or bowl of warm, soapy water (mild soap i.e. liquid dishwashing soap) and a soft brush. Let your gems soak for about 20 – 30 minutes, gently brush them with the soft brush to take off excessive dirt, then rinse off and your done. This is the easiest way to clean your gemstones and will not harm your stones. Because some gemstones are treated, cleaning them in harsh chemicals or brushing them to hard or too much may cause damage. In emeralds, natural cracks and flaws can worsen with improper care. Along with emeralds, pearls and opals require special care. These items should be cleaned and inspected by a professional.
*Always clean away from sink and when rinsing, plug your drain, jewelry can be slippery when wet!
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