Welcome to Gemstone Shopping 101. Just when you thought it was going to be simple, I'm here to make it more complex. But rest assured, knowledge is power. It's important to be aware of the basic 4 C's to start, cut, color, clarity, and carat. (let's not forget about cost too). All of these things play an important role when shopping for the perfect gemstone. Now, let's begin!
Cut- This is the outline shape and pattern in which a gemstone is faceted. When looking for the best of the best, focus on symmetry, how even the girdle is, and how brilliant the gemstone is in different lighting, polish, and dimensions. All of these factors will make the designing process and the making of your jewelry easier if you are mindful. if you have found a stone that calls to you that is long and pointy, make sure it has a girdle that is a reasonable thickness (within 0.3-0.9 mm) to limit the possibility of it breaking while setting it in jewelry. Polish is something that is frequently neglected when it comes to gems cut overseas. When using a loupe, try to inspect a single facet like the table facet in the light and try to see if the surface looks like it has streaks or waves, rather than a perfectly flat polish. While polishing lines is not the end all be all, They can still be noticeable at times, and that is up to you to decide if that is something that bothers you or not when shopping for stones.
Color- Arguably, color is a matter of taste and I stand by that. However, the color must be what you expect it to be. Stones can tend to look different in different lighting. It's important to look at stones in daylight, LED light, and incandescent light. Some gemstones tend to look different depending on what lighting you look at them in.
Clarity- Now this is a fun one. There are different kinds of inclusions to
consider when deciding on a gemstone. Some inclusions can be interesting within a stone like silk, rutile, and crystal inclusions. These sorts of inclusions are stable and most likely will not jeopardize the structural integrity of a gemstone. Other inclusions, on the other hand, can put a gemstone at risk for cracking, chipping, and simply falling apart. Like fractures, or feathers. Some gemstones are known for being more included than others such as emeralds, whereas a sapphire should be less included more likely than not.
Carat- The measurement system we use for our precious gemstones. Carat weight tends to correlate with cost. The larger the gem, the rarer, making the price increase on a somewhat exponential scale. Because each gemstone has a different gravity, the carat weight for a 6mm round diamond will be different from that of a 6mm round sapphire. So, while carat weight can be important, sometimes focusing on the dimensions of the stone can work to your advantage if the spread of a stone is what you're looking for vs the actual carat weight.
Great insight! Learned something new about polishing