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Awesome Gems
A gemstone, gem or also called precious or semi-precious stone is a highly attractive and valuable piece of mineral, which -- when cut and polished -- is used in jewelry or other adornments. However certain rocks, (such as lapis-lazuli) and organic materials (such as amber or jet) are strictly speaking not minerals, but are still applied in jewelry and adornments, and are therefore often considered a gemstone as well. Some minerals that are too soft to be generally applied in jewelry may still be considered a gemstone because of their remarkable color, luster or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone.
Gemstone value:
Jewelry made with gem amber, valuable (colored) gemstone is prized especially for its great beauty, rarity or aesthetics. Although color plays a very important role in determining the value of a gemstone, many other factors influence its price as well: market supply, rarity, popularity of a stone, market mechanisms etc.
Traditionally, common gemstones were classified into precious stones (cardinal gems) and semi-precious stones. The former category was largely determined by a history of ecclesiastical, devotional or ceremonial use and rarity. Only five types of gemstones were considered precious: diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, and amethyst. After the discoveries of bulk Amethyst in Brazil in the 19th century, Amethyst lost its place amongst the list of precious stones.
Nowadays such an approach is outdated amongst the present generation of jewelry designers, gemologists and gem dealers. Many gemstones are used in even the most expensive jewelry, depending on the brand name of the designer, fashion trends, market supply, treatments etc. Nevertheless, Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires and Emeralds still have a reputation that exceeds those of other gemstones.
Gemstone color:
Color is the most obvious and attractive feature of gemstones. The color of any material is due to the nature of light itself. Daylight, often called white light, is actually a mixture of different colors of light. When light passes through a material, some of the light may be absorbed, while the rest passes through. The part that isn't absorbed reaches our eye as white light minus the absorbed colors. A ruby appears red because it absorbs all the other colors of white light - blue, yellow, green, etc. - except red.
Nine gems:
1. Ruby
2. Natural Pearl
3. Red Coral
4. Emerald
5. Yellow Sapphire
6. Diamond
7. Blue Sapphire (Neelam)
8. Hessonite (Gomedh)
9. Cat's Eye Chrysoberyl (Lahasunya)
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