Stone Guide

Our stone guide below covers information about the stones, as well as a colour and a clarity guide for helping you make an informed choice

Sapphires

Sapphire is a hard crystallized substance known as corundum and apart from blue, they also come in a variety of other colors (pink, yellow and white). Most notably, sapphires are famous for their deep royal blue color.

Sapphires get their blue color from trace elements of titanium. Sapphires are mined from Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Kashmir, Thailand and Australia and each of these regions produce a different set of colors. For example, the famous Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Sapphires are known for their vivid and Royal Blue color tones. 

Sapphires are available in many shapes and size and the value of a Sapphire stone is based on the color, size and quality. While no standard grading exists (unlike Diamonds), color tends to be the most important factor. Quality is dependent on how many and the location of eye visible inclusions, as well as the cutting craftmanship of the stone. A very clean gem quality Sapphire stone will be valued much more highly. Finally, the size of the stone matters. The larger it is, the higher the price.

 

Rubies

 

Ruby, or corundum, is a deep red colored gemstone which gets its color from natural trace elements like Chromium.

Rubies are mined from Mozambique, Madagascar, Thailand, Burma and Australia. Some region specific Rubies, such as the ones mined from Burma, are often quite rare, specially the bigger sizes, and are highly valued.

Rubies, like Sapphires are available in many shapes and size and the value of a Ruby is based on the color, size and quality. While no standard grading exists (unlike Diamonds), color tends to be the most important factor. Quality is dependent on how many and the location of eye visible inclusions, as well as the cutting craftmanship of the stone. A very clean gem quality Ruby stone will be valued much more highly. Finally, the size of the stone matters. The larger it is, the higher the price.

 

Emeralds

Emeralds are highly valued gemstone (apart from diamonds) and are the rarest of gemstones. Emeralds, are known for their deep green color, and come from natural beryl. The green color of an Emerald is due to trace elements of chromium and vanadium.

All emeralds have many inclusions which make each one distinctly unique. Emeralds naturally, over hundreds of years, get their color depth and purity and are evaluated for their value more by color then quality/clarity. The deeper the color, known as vivid green, the higher the value

Emeralds are a very soft stone, requiring expertise and skills for setting in Jewellery, as they can easily be chipped or broken when exposed to high pressure or high heat.

 

Treatments

An important consideration is Treatment. Precious stones can be treated to enhance some aspect of the stone. 

Ruby and Sapphire stones can be HEAT treated to enhance their colors. Emeralds, on the other hand, are very soft stones, so they cannot be heated, but instead, they are slightly oiled to fill in any small cavities within the stone. 

It comes down to a personal preference if you would like a Natural (untreated) stone, or one that has some minor enhancements.

Usually a certificate from a reputed gemological laboratory is provided as proof if any treatment has been done to the stone.  

 

Clarity and Treatments These stones are natural and mined from the earth and there is bound to be some inclusions within the stone to give the stone its own character and story. Clarity can range from heavily Included to naturally Loop Clean with the value increasing as the clarity increases. Sometimes, there are some treatments that can be applied to the Gem Stones to increase clarity or enhance the colour. This of course is a personal preference and is readily accepted for gemstones.	Colour Thousands of years natural heat and pressure creates these Gem Stones. Colour is enhanced with higher natural pressure and certain conditions which can only exist in certain regions over the world. The more vivid the colour, the higher the value of the stone.
Shape and Cuts The gemstones are naturally mined from the earth in its rough and uncut form. Stones are cut and shaped to minimize the loss while maintaining its allure in size, colour and clarity. Gem Stones can be cut in a variety of shapes.	Size (Cts) When stones are mined, the bigger the piece the more valuable it is. Cutters try to maintain the full size and weight of the stone when cutting the stone. Needless to say, the larger the gem stone, the more valuable it is. Usually stones ranging from 0.5cts to 4cts are easily available, whereas stones that are larger than 5ct are not so common and are valued higher
Certifications Since these stones are of high value and there are various conditions that can dictate the price apart from the personal appeal, most valuable gem stones are certified by a Gemological Laboratory to ascertain their origin, their colour, and if its natural or treated. Below are some of the labs that are popular in the market for Gem Stone Certifications.