Colored Stones- Yesterday Today Forever These gems have life in them: their colors speak, say, what words fail to. ~George Eliot

Since early times colored stones have been used for personal adornment and as astrological symbols. Colored stones are also often worn as good luck charms or one’s birthstone.

In the past, the term ‘precious stones’ referred to Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires, while ‘semi-precious stones’ meant all other gemstones. Then, precious and semiprecious stones indicated relative value – the former being more valuable due to factors like rarity, market demand and aesthetic value. Today, these descriptions have little meaning in terms of value, since all colored stones come in a variety of qualities. For example, a low quality Ruby may sell for as little as US$1 per carat, while a good quality Demantoid Garnet may fetch US$1,000 per carat.

Therefore, due to aspects like price, durability, investment value and astrological significance, a customer planning to buy a stone needs to familiarize himself with colored stones in order to make an informed decision.

So where should we start this exciting journey to learn more about colored stones?

Let us start with defining what a colored stone actually is: A colored stone is any gem other than a Diamond which, after being cut and polished, is sufficiently attractive and durable to be used for personal adornment. Ideally a colored stone should possess the following key characteristics: beauty, durability and rarity.

When we talk about the beauty of colored stones, we are basically relating to the color, transparency, luster, clarity and cut of the stone. When these attributes are combined properly it enhances a colored stone’s visual appeal. These aspects of the stone, individually and in combination, play a large role in determining the price, as a fine color and quality Ruby would normally be more expensive than a low quality Diamond of the same size.

Colored stones at times exhibit various interesting and unusual effects like “changing colors” and “displaying a star” under different lighting conditions. A few varieties also display colors resembling a rainbow. The presence of these phenomena can command a premium price and are sometimes highly valued as collectors’ items.

In order to retain their beauty over time, colored stones should be durable. Durability includes hardness and toughness. Resistance to scratching is referred to as hardness. Some colored stones are ‘soft’ and can be easily scratched, thereby diminishing their attractiveness. Ideally a colored stone should be harder than dust particles, which may be fine particles of Quartz found in the air. Any colored stone that can be scratched with one’s nail or a pen knife is less hard than Quartz. Colored stones with hardness greater than Quartz include Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, Tourmaline, Spinel and Garnet. These are the most valuable, in descending order of value. Resistance to breakage is referred to as toughness, and this depends on a colored stone’s crystalline structure. Extremely tough gems are usually aggregates such as Jadeite and Nephrite.

Colored stones are sometimes treated using various processes to enhance their beauty and durability. These enhancements have existed for hundreds of years. The truth is there are not enough top quality colored stones being mined to meet demand. Enhancement increases supply, ensuring a constant flow of colored stones which consumers can afford and enjoy. However these enhanced stones are lower in value than their natural counterparts, therefore the disclosure of their treatment is paramount. If in doubt about a colored stone, always consult a reputed, internationally recognized gem testing laboratory.

IGI has spent decades researching colored stones and diamonds in order to safeguard the end consumer. Every stone submitted to an IGI laboratory worldwide gets rigorously tested for enhancements, synthetics, simulants and the issued certificate contains a full disclosure of any treatments. The origin of the colored stone is also mentioned when it is characteristic of a particular location.

IGI understands the investment and emotional value associated with your colored stone jewellery and suggests certain tips to maintain them carefully:

• Apply lotion, cosmetics, hairspray and perfume before wearing your jewellery.
• After removal, clean each piece with a soft cloth to remove oils and perspiration and store individually in a fabric lined box to avoid scratches.
• Never wear jewellery when doing physical work like housekeeping, gardening and exercise
  
• Never expose jewellery to cleaning products like bleach and chlorine
  
• Clean jewellery with a soft brush dipped in warm water to remove dirt or particles.
  
• Do not expose your colored stone jewellery to extreme temperature changes
  
• Get antique and family heirloom colored stones certified from a professional laboratory in order to determine their value.

The International Gemological Institute, the world’s largest independent laboratory for testing and evaluating gemstones and fine jewelry, was established in 1975 in Antwerp and is located in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Hong Kong, Mumbai, the Seepz Zone, Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Bangkok, Tokyo, Shanghai, Ahmedabad, Thrissur and Surat. IGI is an ISO accredited worldwide organization. Over 5 million gems & jewels bearing the IGI report have been traded in more than 120 countries. For additional information, please visit www.igiworldwide.com.