Diamonds are easy and very uncomplicated when compared to the world of colored gemstones.

Some facts about colored gemstones, there are over 2000 minerals in the world, and of the 2000 approximately 90 are classified as gem material, and only 20 or so, are used in the jewelry trade.   To be classified, as a gem the material will have certain characteristics, these characteristics also help establish value.   BEAUTY would certainly be one factor DURABILITY, RARITY, DEMAND, TRADITION, and PORTABILITY are other factors.

BEAUTY, no one wants to own an ugly gemstone, a gem should have color, luster, acceptable quality and perfection of cut.  We should note that all gems are not of the transparent variety there are gems that are semi-transparent or opaque in their nature such as jade, opal, or lapis etc. these materials possess the character to be classified as gem.  As a matter of note gem quality jade, will command big bucks.

DURABILITY has always played a part in the gem world, for with out a certain amount of durability in a gemstone it would not be wearable as a jewelry item.   That does not mean that a gem must be indestructible but it must possess a certain amount of hardness or toughness to retain its luster and beauty.  An example of the two ends of the scale, and both are used in jewelry, would be diamond and opal.    In the last few years we have noticed that gemstones that were considered to soft to use in jewelry are finding there way into the market.  Mostly in designer jewelry in the form of earrings and pendants, two jewelry items that can handle softer gemstones, such as apatite, and diopside.

RARITY, is a double edged blade, if the gem material is so rare that there is not enough to market, there is little or no demand created for the material, Tanzanite was such a material until recently. On the other hand if it is a desirable gem and rare it may command very high prices such as gem quality Alexanderite.   There are also gemstones that are abundant and only rare in their finest qualities, Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds and Sapphires fall into this category.

DEMAND is one of the factors that play a part in determining the value of gems.  A perfect example of this was the gemstone Turquoise; in the mid to late 1970’s there was a real demand for Indian silver and turquoise jewelry.  The demand was so great that the price for turquoise was affected by just the demand.  Today turquoise is a relatively inexpensive stone.  This is true of any gem material, it does not matter if the demand is from the public or if the demand comes from short supply.  In gem material supply can be the factor that determines value.  Say there is a study demand for a gem material, but the supply is not able to keep up with the demand.  This to will cause the value in gemstones to rise.  It’s the basic law of supply and demand.  On the other hand the value of gemstones that are abundant, are mostly valued by the demand and the cost of production.  Two such materials that come to mind are diamonds and quartz (amethyst, citrine, and rock crystal).  By this example you can see that just because a gem is considered abundant does not mean that it is necessarily an inexpensive gem.

TRADITION, in many countries giving gems or jewelry is a tradition.   In the US most couples will buy a traditional diamond engagement ring.  In other countries the gem could be turquoise, jade, pearl or sapphire.  Tradition in gems goes back thousands of years.  In ancient time gemstones were given for their healing, curative and protective powers.   We assign gems to the signs of the zodiac; that how the Birthstone came about.  We have used gems in religion and as symbols of state.   We use gems as investments and as items to maintain wealth.  Gems have been used for all manor of reason, ransom among the top of the list.  No matter which country in the world, gems are a tradition in all.

PORTABILITY, in tradition I mentioned ransom.  The reason that gems were used for payment of ransom was because of their portability.  A man could literally hold millions of dollars in his hand.  Portability is a major reason that people whom could afford to buy gems did so.  You cannot take your home or property with you in times of crises or chaos and precious metals can weigh a ton.  But gems have saved many a life and help rebuild many families (the family jewels).