Amethyst
Amethyst is one of the most popular gems, and has been considered since antiquity as a valuable gemstone. Its name derives from the Greek “amethystos”, which meant “not drunken”, as Amethyst in antiquity was thought to ward off drunkenness. In ancient times, Amethyst was highly regarded among the precious gemstones like Ruby and Emerald, but findings of vast Amethyst reserves in the last 200 years have made Amethyst fairly inexpensive and obtainable. Amethyst colors range from light to dark purple, and the transparent deep purple colors are the most highly regarded.
Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral Quartz, and is its most famous and valuable gem variety. Quartz also contains other gemstones such as Citrine, Rose Quartz, and Smoky Quartz. Amethyst is often heat-treated to deepen the color, or to transform it into Citrine. Some varieties may also change to a light green color, which is also used as a gemstone and given the trade name Prasiolite, or “Green Amethyst”.
Amethyst, although always purple, comes from many different mining sources of which many produce a unique color or style. For example, Uruguay Amethyst has a distinct color and style, as does Amethyst from Arizona. Amethyst from the ancient sources in Russia, colloquially known as “Siberian Amethyst” is deeply colored Amethyst from deposits that have long since been exhausted and therefore command a higher price. Some dealers may sell deeply colored Amethyst from other locations as “Siberian Amethyst” to command a higher price. African Amethyst is generally more deeply colored than South American Amethyst, and the name “African Amethyst” may also be used to describe a deeper color stone even if it didn’t originate in Africa.
The color distribution of Amethyst is sometimes uneven, and this is often taken to account when cutting a stone. Some Amethyst from certain locations will slightly fade in color upon prolonged exposure to light, and one should always question a dealer about this before purchasing an Amethyst gem. Care should also be taken with Amethyst as it is known to form curve shaped fractures if banged too hard.
Amethyst can come in huge flawless crystals, and gems of all sizes have been cut. Although Amethyst sources are abundant, synthetic gems are also produced using the hydrothermal method. A natural mixture of purple Amethyst and golden Citrine has been coined with name “Ametrine”. (See the Ametrine gemstone page for more details.)
USES
VARIETIES
Brazilian Amethyst – Amethyst from Brazil, but may also refer to any South American Amethyst. Bolivian Amethyst – Amethyst from the South American country of Bolivia. Siberian Amethyst – Originally describing deeply colored Amethyst from Siberia in Russia. Now incorrectly used to describe any deeply colored Amethyst. African Amethyst – Amethyst from the continent of Africa, often signifying deeply colored Amethyst. Green Amethyst – Light green Quartz colored by artificially heat-treating certain types of Amethyst. Also known as “Prasiolite”.
AMETHYST SOURCES
Brazil is the largest producer of Amethyst. Commercial deposits also exist in Uruguay (in Artigas), Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Namibia, Zambia, Madagascar, Russia (Siberia) and the United States (Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia).
SIMILAR GEMSTONES
The color of Amethyst is rather unique, and few gems are confused with it, especially in deeper shades. Purple Sapphire and Purple Spinel may be the same color of Amethyst, but these are both very rare and command extremely high prices. Iolite may also be similar but has a bluer hue. Fluorite can have the same color, but due to its softness is only used as a collectors gem.
compliments of minerals.net
What you need to know about Gold Jewelry
Pure gold is quite soft and will not withstand the stress of everyday wear. It will not tarnish, rust or corrode. By adding a mixture of alloys such as silver, zinc, nickel or copper it adds strength to the gold provides durability and depending on the mixture can change the color of the gold.
Yellow Gold is alloyed with silver and copper. White Gold is alloyed with a large percentage of silver. Rose Gold gets its color from a large portion of copper being added to the gold.
Gold’s purity is measured in karats. Pure gold is 24 karats and too soft for jewelry. 22 karat is 91.7% gold and still soft and not recommended for jewelry. 18 karat is 75% gold and is good for jewelry. 14 karat is 58.3% gold and the most popular for jewelry. 10karat is 41.7% gold and is the legal karat limit considered gold within the United States. Always look for the karatage to be stamped on the piece of jewelry as required by law.
In buying jewelry the karatage, gram weight of the product and the jewelry’s design and intricacy of the construction affects the price. The higher the gold content the higher the cost. The same applies to the gram weight of the product.
The Facts on Diamond Cuts and Shapes
The term cut refers to the facets and their proportions on the surface of the diamond. Diamonds should always be cut for beauty, not weight. Properly cut the diamond reflects more light and brilliance. There are many measurements that go into the cutting of a diamond to maximize the refraction of light. Facets must be cut at exact angles relative to one another; the top and bottom halves of the stone should have the proper depth relative to one another; the flat surface on top must be correct size, relative to the overall size of the stone. And most important, the facets on top and bottom must align correctly with each other. Therefore a stone cut too shallow of too deep loses the ability to maximize its brilliance.
The sketch above shows the proper cut for round diamonds. Other shapes have their own set of guidelines for producing maximum cut and brilliance.
Diamond Shapes
Diamonds come in a variety of shapes. While the round shape is the most popular there are plenty of other shapes to choose from that also produce brilliance and fire.
Round Brilliant – The Round Brilliant is by far the most popular and has the best angles to produce maximum brilliance.
Asscher – often referred to as the square emerald cut. It is step cut and with cropped corners.
Oval – similar to the round in sparkle. Very popular for 3 stone anniversary rings, with two matching diamonds on the side.
Princess – A square cut diamond that has refractive properties almost near round brilliant.
Emerald – A more traditional shape, the Emerald is not as popular as it once was.
Radiant – Popular before the Princess shape was around, the Radiant has more facets than a Princess, but has the corners trimmed like the Emerald shape. This shape is not widely popular.
Heart – some people prefer for sentimental reasons, but it has low demand.
Marquise – an elongated stone with a point on each end. This is probably the fourth most popular shape behind the Round, Princess and Oval.
Pear – combines the brilliance of a round and the elongated elegance of a marquise. It is the fourth most popular after the round, princess and oval cut.
Determining the best shape is what appeals to you and looks good on your hand. There are differences in the various shapes that affect their brilliance, size and value. Quality for quality the round is the better buy over other shapes. It shows the most brilliance and hides any imperfections the best. However, if you want a diamond that looks as big as possible, even if it doesn’t weight much, a fancy shape like a marquise or pear shape, will appear bigger and longer than a round diamond of the same carat weight.
How do I know what Diamond Shape to choose?
Determining the best shape is what appeals to you and looks good on your hand. There are differences in the various shapes that affect their brilliance, size and value. Quality for quality the round is the better buy over other shapes. It shows the most brilliance and hides any imperfections the best. However, if you want a diamond that looks as big as possible, even if it doesn’t weight much, a fancy shape like a marquise or pear shape, will appear bigger and longer than a round diamond of the same carat weight.
Understanding Diamond Clarity
A perfect diamond with perfect clarity is rare. A diamond’s clarity is a key measure of its overall quality. Clarity is determined by the type, size, number, position and contrast of inclusions. Contrast is important because black spots are more visible and distracting than white or gray inclusions. Positioning of the inclusion(s) in the wrong spot can be reflected within the stone and cause it to be less attractive. The best known grading scale is the one used by Gemological Institute of America (GIA). It is as follows:
F Flawless. Shows no inclusions or blemishes under a 10 power loupe.
IF Internally flawless. Have no inclusions under 10 power loupe, but some minor
blemishes.
VVS1 Very, Very slightly included. The diamond includes very small inclusions
VVS2 that are difficult to detect under 10 power loupe.
VS1 Very slightly included. The diamond contains small inclusions such as clouds .
VS2 feathers or small crystals using a 10 power loupe.
SI1 Slightly included. Inclusions can be seen with a 10 power loupe and may or
SI2 may not be visible with naked eye.
I1 Included. Inclusions can be seen with 10 power loupe and are usually visible with naked eye.
I2
I3
Clarity is a very important element when it comes to pricing. If a diamond is moved from one grade to another, and color, cut and carat being equal there can be a significant increase or decrease in the price of the diamond.
All our Diamond Jewelry lists the color and clarity for each item.
Video: Diamond Grading Guide: How to Buy a Diamond
There is no better source for diamond information than the GIA. Established in 1931, the Gemological Institute of America is the world’s foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls.
Here is an informational video about how the Gemological Institute of America grades diamonds and provides consumers with unbiased diamond grading reports. A GIA diamond grading report will make you sure of your diamond’s value and your diamond’s quality.
Please note: That the appearance, position and other aspects of the link or link button may not create the false appearance that any non-GIA entity or any non-GIA product or service is associated with, or endorsed, or sponsored by GIA. We are in no way related to the GIA in anyway.
Is it spelled Diamond Carat or Karat ?
What I was looking up was to put up information about Diamond Carats/Karats – I found myself suddenly confused as to what the correct spelling of this word is – is it CARAT or KARAT ?? Are the two words related ?
So my search began – first lets start with Carat.
- A carat is a unit of weight for diamonds and other gemstones/precious stones. One carat equals 200 milligrams (0.200 grams). CT is the common abbreviation used by the jewelry industry.
So what is a Karat?
- A karat is the pureness of gold. Every piece of jewelry that contains gold needs to have a stamp or mark showing its Karat. A Karat is the unit of measure for the fineness of gold, equal to 1/24 part. Pure gold is 24 Karat; gold that is 75% pure is 18 Karat, gold that is 58.5% pure is 14 Karat and gold that is 41.7% pure is 10 Karat gold.
So this leads me to my next question why when searching for Diamonds did over a million people search for “Diamond Karat” verses nearly half that amount searched for “Diamond Carat”? Who knows? How do you search for Carats ?
And remember the next time you go to search “Carat” is the weight measurement for a diamond. AND “Karat” is the purity measurement of gold.
All our Diamond Jewelry lists the carat, color and clarity for each item.
We offer diamond jewelry at wholesale prices !
What is a Diamond ?
Ok so we all know what a diamond is and what it looks like but do we REALLY know what a diamond is ???
What is a Diamond?
According to Wikipedia: The diamond (from the ancient Greek (adamas) meaning invincible) is one of the best-known and most sought-after gemstones. Diamonds have been known to mankind and used as decorative items since ancient times; some of the earliest references can be traced to the Indians. Diamond’s hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry.Diamond Guide: The Four C’s associated with Diamonds – What you need to know
Most people have heard about the 4 C’s associated with diamonds. Below are details to help you understand the characteristics of diamonds.
Diamond Color
Most diamonds contain some amount of nitrogen that affects their color. These small variations in color influence the rarity and the value of the diamond. Color grades range from “D” being colorless to “Z” being quite yellow. Diamonds graded D, E, or F command the highest prices. We have a whole section of the specifics of this coming as part of our weekly Education on Diamonds.- Diamond Clarity
A perfect diamond with perfect clarity is rare. A diamond’s clarity is a key measure of its overall quality. Clarity is determined by the type, size, number, position and contrast of inclusions. Contrast is important because black spots are more visible and distracting than white or gray inclusions. We have a whole section of the specifics of this coming as part of our weekly Education on Diamonds. - Diamond Carat
A diamond’s weight is measured in carats. There are 100 points to a carat. Carat is not a measure of a diamond’s size since the cutting can affect the weight. The weight of a diamond is only partially important thing when appraising the value. We have a whole section of the specifics of this coming as part of our weekly Education on Diamonds. - Diamond Cut
The term cut refers to the facets and their proportions on the surface of the diamond. Diamonds should always be cut for beauty, not weight. Properly cut the diamond reflects more light and brilliance. We have a whole section of the specifics of this coming as part of our weekly Education on Diamonds.
Your Diamond Guide
Most people know that diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to mankind. They are prized by every woman and have a certain mystery about them. Their brilliance and fire have made diamonds the symbol of timeless and enduring love. Most people have heard about the 4 C’s associated with diamonds. We are going to share with the all the insider secrets on how to find the perfect diamond for that special person in your life !
Check back weekly for our “Education on Diamonds” series
All our Diamond Jewelry lists the carat, color and clarity for each item.We offer diamond jewelry at wholesale prices !
