Precious Stone Jewelry

It's no surprise why so many people love precious stone jewelry. Only three gemstones are considered precious; emeralds, rubies and sapphires. These exquisite gemstones offer beautiful color, and add a distinct personality to any piece they appear in.

Precious gemstones of high quality are exceedingly rare, making un-enhanced gemstones worth a fortune. In fact, a precious stone of this caliber can be compared to that of a diamond of the same quality.

For that reason, many jewelers find ways to enhance the colors and appearance of precious gemstones by heating them, which is merely an extension of the natural process where gemstones are given their color via the heat and pressure from the earth.

Before you invest in a piece of precious stone jewelry, learn the basics about each type of gemstone to choose the one you prefer.

Emeralds

Considered one of the most valuable precious gemstones, emeralds are revered for their brilliant green color. They make excellent stones for fine jewelry, and are a good investment for those who love precious stones.

Because a flawless emerald is very rare, the majority of emeralds on the market have inclusions and impurities. The less impurities there are, the more expensive the emerald will be.

Additionally, emeralds can be quite brittle, so it's quite important to protect your emeralds from coming in contact with hard surfaces.

Rubies

The distinctive bright red color of a ruby offers a beautiful focal point for a piece of jewelry such as rings or a necklace. True red rubies are quite expensive; rubies that are darker red and clearer are much more common.

The mineral component that makes up rubies (corundum) is the second-hardest material next to a diamond (chromium give rubies their color.) For that reason, they are very durable as jewelry.

When purchasing rubies, look for gemstones that have as few inclusions as possible.

Sapphires

A beautiful blue gemstone, sapphires are prized for their durability and rich color when worn in jewelry. Like rubies, they are also made of corundum, which gives the gemstone incredible wearing power.

Sapphires will have some inclusions, but look for stones that still have excellent clarity. Keep in mind that the majority of sapphires are heat treated in order to enhance their color.

Precious gemstones can be quite costly, but jewelry wearers should consider these stones an investment. They are prized for their brilliant colors and durability, and are extremely popular to wear yourself or to give to that special someone.