Gemstone Jewelry Buying Guide
With our gemstone jewelry buying guide, choose your stones with confidence. Purchasing any type of jewelry can seem intimidating without the right knowledge. Let our helpful gemstone jewelry buying guide put your mind at ease!
When evaluating the overall quality of gemstones, you should consider the same characteristics as a diamond. The matters of cut, clarity, color, and carat are all important regardless of the type of gemstones. If you are buying stones already placed inside a setting, the cut will be less relevant and the carat will already be determined for you. Clarity is how much light can pass through the stone, which again will be harder to determine if you are buying a piece of jewelry with the stones already set. While each factor is impactful in determining the overall quality, the most important for gemstones is color. For a low-quality stone, the color will be more muddled whereas a higher quality stone will have a more transparent color when held up to the light. A stone with a bright color and even tones throughout is a high-quality stone worth adding to your jewelry collection.
With gemstones, there are a few significant differences between real and synthetic that might be of interest to you. Synthetic gems tend to be more affordable making them great for any shopper. Real gemstones offer more sparkle and brilliance. Which stone is right for you will depend greatly on your individual preferences. Keep in mind that synthetics are still a beautiful option and are perfect for those wearers that tend to be rougher on their jewelry. They are also great for when you want a larger stone without the hefty price. If you are looking for a gemstone with a higher value that will retain that value over time, a real gemstone is the best choice.
This term is used to denote stones that are more readily available and does not necessarily denote the individual quality of the stone in question. Semi-precious stones are more readily available than precious stones. However, the value of the stone will still rest on the four C’s previously mentioned more so than the availability of the stone.
