Blog
Colored Gemstone Buying Guide
Is this the first time you've thought about buying a colored gemstone or perhaps the first time you have considered purchasing one online? Are you planning to purchase a loose gemstone or a gemstone as part of a piece of jewelry? Is the gemstone you're looking for intended as a financial investment or an investment in your own happiness? Whether you are a first time buyer or an experienced gem shopper that has purchased gemstones or jewelry from us in the past, this guide and our staff are here to help you through the process.
There are a number of questions that you need to ask yourself as you begin your gemstone journey, lets take a look at them...
First and foremost, what is this gemstone going to be used for?
If you're buying a stone to be set in a piece of jewelry, please be aware that no stone is ideal for every type of jewelry. Besides the esthetic considerations of shape and color, every stone has a durability or hardness rating and may often times have special care requirements. Many of the more unique colored gemstones are simply too soft for a ring that will be worn on a daily basis but most will be suitable for occasional wear. Some gemstones, like Kunzite, shouldn't be exposed to strong light, others can be very sensitive to the chemicals that are used in cleaning products or rapid changes in heat. A few gemstones are very sensitive to shock (a sudden, sharp hit by a solid object such as metal or concrete) so a harder, less sensitive stone may be preferred for bracelets or anklets but nearly every stone is suitable for pendants, earrings, pins and brooches.
Keep in mind that some jewelry settings are also more protective than others, a bezel setting on a ring will add a great deal of protection to the stone and would allow most gemstones to be suitable for occasional wear rings. If you have any questions about alternate jewelry settings, please feel free to contact us any time at customer_care@dulyon.com.
Before you make a final gemstone selection take a look at the "Best Use of Gem" section found on each product page and more importantly, review the gemstones library page in our Gemstone Library:
Du Lyon Gemstone Library
The Gemstone Library contains information on durability, care and cleaning of the gemstone along with data on available sizes, colors, origin and a buyers overview that will let you know which colors and sizes of the gem best match your budget. Along with all the hard data there is also a great deal of general information about the stone and usually a few fun facts that you can use to astound and amaze your friends. There is a page in the gemstone library for every gemstone that we carry as well as a host of additional information such as this buying guide and topics like gemstone enhancement techniques, cutting styles, clarity and color grading, everything you need to help you make better purchasing decisions.
The next thing to be aware of if you're buying a gemstone to be set in a piece of jewelry is any gemstone size requirement there may be for that piece of jewelry. If the gemstone is going to be used in a standard jewelry setting it will probably need to be a "calibrated" or standard size such as a 4 x 6 mm or 6 x 8 mm oval. You will find a table of calibrated sizes in the Customer Service Section or you can contact us if you have any questions.
If the piece of jewelry that you are interested in will be either a modified standard, semi-custom or full custom piece then you don't need to worry about calibrated sizes, we will be happy to work with you to set the gemstone appropriately.
If you're buying the stone as an investment or as a gemstone collector you will find that we have broken down the gemstone section into the following classifications: Investment, Statement, Rarities, Pairs & Sets and Collector. Gemstones marked as Investment grade are the best of the best, unique stones that have excellent color, cut and clarity. Often times they are larger in size or have a highly saturated color for their size. Gemstones marked as Statement grade will be graded fine to very fine in all categories of color, cut and clarity but will typically have one characteristic that precludes them from the top gem, Investment category. These gemstones are always very beautiful and would make a wonderful addition to any piece of jewelry at a more modest cost than the Investment grade material.
Rarities are gemstones that our staff consider to be very unusual material, not typically found in the gemstone market, Benitoite or Clinohumite for example. While these stones are often expensive, that is not always the case. This category is for the gemstone connoisseur who is looking for something off the beaten path. Gemstones found in the Pairs & Sets section will typically be found in either the Investment or Statement categories as well but are located here because we have two or more closely matched gemstones that we feel would be ideal for a pair of earrings or a matched gemstone set necklace.
Finally, if you're buying a gemstone as a casual fashion buyer or as a gem or mineral collector, we have something for you as well. Gemstones marked as Collector grade will be graded as good to fine in categories of color, cut and clarity but will typically have one or two characteristics that preclude them from the top gem Statement or Investment categories. This category allows you to purchase a very beautiful colored stone at a cost well within almost every budget.
Now that you have established what the gemstone will be used for you need to ask yourself...
What do I really want?
This question addresses your personal preferences. Do you have a favorite gemstone? A favorite color, shape or cut? Are you looking for a birthstone or anniversary gemstone or perhaps one that has historical or metaphysical significance? We can help you find gemstones with any of those attributes and as we mentioned before, the gemstone library is a great place to learn more about the traits of the gemstones you may be interested in:
Du Lyon Gemstone Library
But if you would rather take a look at the gemstones themselves or sort them by type, shape, clarity, color or price then by all means go to this page to see our available gemstones:
Du Lyon Gemstone Collection
Here you will find the first page of gemstones and (at the top of the page) the Gemstone Search bar. The Gemstone Search function will let you sort our collection by one or more of the type, shape, clarity, color or price attributes. You can sort by only one attribute or by a combination from all five categories if you like, it's your choice. All of the available options can be found in the drop down boxes, simply clicking on the box will open up the menu and you can select the attribute that best suits your taste. Once you have made your selections simply click on the Search button and you will see a group of gemstones that meets your criteria.
In most cases we stock many stones of a particular type, so learning how to sort our inventory could save you a lot of time. Furthermore, if you don't see what you are looking for, we encourage you to contact us, we have new stones arriving daily and we often have many gemstones that haven't made it through our gemologists grading process yet so it may be that your perfect stone is here, just not up on the site yet. Finally, if we don't have it, we can often get it from one of our overseas suppliers, so make your request, remember, if you don't ask, you don't get...
From the gemstone thumbnail picture pages you can click on the picture of any gemstone and be taken to the product page that contains all the specific details of that stone. On this page are 3 photos of the gemstone offered for sale, all showing it from a different angle so that you have a very good idea of the cut and any inclusions that may be visible in the gemstone. Please make note of the size of the gemstone you're looking at since the gems are magnified to give you the best view of the stone's color, cut and clarity. Also, while we try and maintain some relative size between gemstones in our pictures (so that smaller stones look a bit smaller and big stones look a bit bigger), there is only so much we can do and still give you a good clear picture of the gemstone. Read the description carefully as a 1 carat stone may look almost as big as a 10 carat stone in the photos and we don't want you to be surprised (and unhappy) when you receive your stone!
All of the gemstone product photos have a built in "magnifying glass" feature that allows you to move your mouse cursor over different areas of the gemstone and see a larger, more detailed view of that area. In some cases, especially with Investment gemstones, we also provide a video clip that shows a 360 degree moving image of the gemstone. Our goal is always to provide you with as much information about the gemstone as we can so that you can make your decision on the basis of accurate and complete information.
Now that you know what you want in a gemstone, how do you know what characteristics will affect the quality (and the cost) of a gemstone?
What do I look for in a Gemstone?
Colored gemstones, just like diamonds, are valued according to the "4 C's" established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the 1950's - color, clarity, cut and carat weight. But where the diamond industry has a well-defined grading scheme for diamonds, there is no single grading system for colored stones. The reason behind this is very simple as there are more than 50 varieties of colored gemstones and each has it's own unique characteristics. Just like dogs that are judged in an AKC show only by the unique attributes of their breed and not against the standards of other breeds, so gemstones are graded solely by the standards of their type. For example, the standards of clarity for an emerald are quite different than they are for a sapphire, because even the most expensive emeralds have some natural inclusions.
With colored gemstones any gemologist would agree that it is the color of the stone that is it's single most important characteristic. They also tend to be quite precise when describing that color, using a specific sets of terms including; hue, saturation and tone. In general, while hue and tone have an effect on the value of the stone (some colors and shades being more rare and or desirable than others), it is often the saturation, the depth or intensity of the color, that sets a true, world class stone apart from the others. See the Gem Library for more information on evaluating gemstone color.
A gemstones cut and clarity are also very important, especially as they affect the color and brilliance of the stone. Colored gemstones are typically graded according to a clarity scale established by the GIA and every gem listed on our site will include the clarity rating for the particular gem. In general, a gem that has no visible inclusions is preferred but it is important to note that some gemstones (such as emerald) are very rarely found without inclusions. Furthermore, inclusions not only add character and individuality to a gem, they oftentimes allow gemologists to identify the origin of a stone because of their distinctive characteristics. For example, the so called "horse tail" inclusion found only in Demantoids that come from Russia establishes the specific origin of the stone and vastly increases it value over other Demantoids. While it is true that the higher the clarity grade, the higher the value of the gem, inclusions that don't interfere with the brilliance and sparkle of a gem don't always negatively affect its value. See the Gem Library for more information on evaluating gemstone clarity.
Finally, we have carat weight and while it is true that generally, bigger is better, bigger often times comes at a very high price. Many rare gemstones such as Benitoite or Hyuanite and stones with limited availability such as Tsavorite or even Ruby are just not typically seen in larger sizes. In the case of Tsavorite for example, gemstones above 1 carat are rare and stones above 3 carats are almost never found. In fact, the largest known Tsavorites are under 5 carats. Can you purchase a 5 carat Tsavorite? I imagine you can but you had better be prepared to pay a king's ransom for the privilege. The Gem Library contains information regarding the available sizes for all gemstones and is a resource worth examining when you are choosing a gemstone to see if it is feasible to purchase the type of gemstone you are looking for in the size that you desire.
Another aspect that affects the quality and value of a gemstone is any treatment that may have been applied to the gemstone in order to improve its color or clarity.
Why are some gemstones enhanced?
Unfortunately, the supply of high quality gemstones is continuously falling as mines and gem deposits are exhausted and consumer interest in a particular gemstone increases. These trends lead to a scarcity of fine gems, and a corresponding increase in prices.
The gemstone industry has responded over the years to this increasing demand by developing certain treatments that maximize the color and clarity of the small, lower quality yields that come from the remaining gem mines. Heat treatment, the most common of these techniques, improves the color of lighter or off color gems by mimicking the high temperature environment that the gem experienced in nature during its original formation. Other enhancement techniques include oiling the stone or the filling of fractures with plastic, resin or lead glass (often done with rubies) to reduce the visibility of cracks that may be evident in the stone as well as the addition of certain chemicals such as Beryllium during the heating process to improve (or change) color.
For more information on the various techniques used to enhance gemstones, please see the following article:
Gem Enhancements
We will always disclose any and all enhancement techniques that we believe have been applied to a gemstone. In general, we favor untreated gemstones and most of the stones in our collection will reflect this belief. We also indicate (when known) how stable a given enhancement technique may be and what care and cleaning instructions may be effected by the presence of that treatment.
Even though enhancement treatments may significantly improve the appearance of many gemstones, they also affect the value of the stone. A treated stone is always less expensive than a similar untreated gemstone, however, most of the stones that are routinely treated, such as ruby and sapphire, are now so rare in their untreated form that they command prices that are out of reach for most consumers. One ruby that is running counter to the norm in this regard is the material coming out of the Winza mine. These rubies are often untreated, usually very clean (especially for a ruby) and still exhibit a vibrant red color for less than stratospheric prices. If you love fine rubies you will definitely want to take a look at these:
Du Lyon Winza Ruby Collection
So there you have it, a short overview of the gem selection process. While there are other areas we could cover, this will get you started and you can find a great deal more information in the Gem Library, Customer Service section or on the Du Lyon blog pages. And as always, if you have questions about any gem related subject, please never hesitate to get in touch with us, we're happy to help whenever we can.
There are a number of questions that you need to ask yourself as you begin your gemstone journey, lets take a look at them...
First and foremost, what is this gemstone going to be used for?
If you're buying a stone to be set in a piece of jewelry, please be aware that no stone is ideal for every type of jewelry. Besides the esthetic considerations of shape and color, every stone has a durability or hardness rating and may often times have special care requirements. Many of the more unique colored gemstones are simply too soft for a ring that will be worn on a daily basis but most will be suitable for occasional wear. Some gemstones, like Kunzite, shouldn't be exposed to strong light, others can be very sensitive to the chemicals that are used in cleaning products or rapid changes in heat. A few gemstones are very sensitive to shock (a sudden, sharp hit by a solid object such as metal or concrete) so a harder, less sensitive stone may be preferred for bracelets or anklets but nearly every stone is suitable for pendants, earrings, pins and brooches.
Keep in mind that some jewelry settings are also more protective than others, a bezel setting on a ring will add a great deal of protection to the stone and would allow most gemstones to be suitable for occasional wear rings. If you have any questions about alternate jewelry settings, please feel free to contact us any time at customer_care@dulyon.com.
Before you make a final gemstone selection take a look at the "Best Use of Gem" section found on each product page and more importantly, review the gemstones library page in our Gemstone Library:
Du Lyon Gemstone Library
The Gemstone Library contains information on durability, care and cleaning of the gemstone along with data on available sizes, colors, origin and a buyers overview that will let you know which colors and sizes of the gem best match your budget. Along with all the hard data there is also a great deal of general information about the stone and usually a few fun facts that you can use to astound and amaze your friends. There is a page in the gemstone library for every gemstone that we carry as well as a host of additional information such as this buying guide and topics like gemstone enhancement techniques, cutting styles, clarity and color grading, everything you need to help you make better purchasing decisions.
The next thing to be aware of if you're buying a gemstone to be set in a piece of jewelry is any gemstone size requirement there may be for that piece of jewelry. If the gemstone is going to be used in a standard jewelry setting it will probably need to be a "calibrated" or standard size such as a 4 x 6 mm or 6 x 8 mm oval. You will find a table of calibrated sizes in the Customer Service Section or you can contact us if you have any questions.
If the piece of jewelry that you are interested in will be either a modified standard, semi-custom or full custom piece then you don't need to worry about calibrated sizes, we will be happy to work with you to set the gemstone appropriately.
If you're buying the stone as an investment or as a gemstone collector you will find that we have broken down the gemstone section into the following classifications: Investment, Statement, Rarities, Pairs & Sets and Collector. Gemstones marked as Investment grade are the best of the best, unique stones that have excellent color, cut and clarity. Often times they are larger in size or have a highly saturated color for their size. Gemstones marked as Statement grade will be graded fine to very fine in all categories of color, cut and clarity but will typically have one characteristic that precludes them from the top gem, Investment category. These gemstones are always very beautiful and would make a wonderful addition to any piece of jewelry at a more modest cost than the Investment grade material.
Rarities are gemstones that our staff consider to be very unusual material, not typically found in the gemstone market, Benitoite or Clinohumite for example. While these stones are often expensive, that is not always the case. This category is for the gemstone connoisseur who is looking for something off the beaten path. Gemstones found in the Pairs & Sets section will typically be found in either the Investment or Statement categories as well but are located here because we have two or more closely matched gemstones that we feel would be ideal for a pair of earrings or a matched gemstone set necklace.
Finally, if you're buying a gemstone as a casual fashion buyer or as a gem or mineral collector, we have something for you as well. Gemstones marked as Collector grade will be graded as good to fine in categories of color, cut and clarity but will typically have one or two characteristics that preclude them from the top gem Statement or Investment categories. This category allows you to purchase a very beautiful colored stone at a cost well within almost every budget.
Now that you have established what the gemstone will be used for you need to ask yourself...
What do I really want?
This question addresses your personal preferences. Do you have a favorite gemstone? A favorite color, shape or cut? Are you looking for a birthstone or anniversary gemstone or perhaps one that has historical or metaphysical significance? We can help you find gemstones with any of those attributes and as we mentioned before, the gemstone library is a great place to learn more about the traits of the gemstones you may be interested in:
Du Lyon Gemstone Library
But if you would rather take a look at the gemstones themselves or sort them by type, shape, clarity, color or price then by all means go to this page to see our available gemstones:
Du Lyon Gemstone Collection
Here you will find the first page of gemstones and (at the top of the page) the Gemstone Search bar. The Gemstone Search function will let you sort our collection by one or more of the type, shape, clarity, color or price attributes. You can sort by only one attribute or by a combination from all five categories if you like, it's your choice. All of the available options can be found in the drop down boxes, simply clicking on the box will open up the menu and you can select the attribute that best suits your taste. Once you have made your selections simply click on the Search button and you will see a group of gemstones that meets your criteria.
In most cases we stock many stones of a particular type, so learning how to sort our inventory could save you a lot of time. Furthermore, if you don't see what you are looking for, we encourage you to contact us, we have new stones arriving daily and we often have many gemstones that haven't made it through our gemologists grading process yet so it may be that your perfect stone is here, just not up on the site yet. Finally, if we don't have it, we can often get it from one of our overseas suppliers, so make your request, remember, if you don't ask, you don't get...
From the gemstone thumbnail picture pages you can click on the picture of any gemstone and be taken to the product page that contains all the specific details of that stone. On this page are 3 photos of the gemstone offered for sale, all showing it from a different angle so that you have a very good idea of the cut and any inclusions that may be visible in the gemstone. Please make note of the size of the gemstone you're looking at since the gems are magnified to give you the best view of the stone's color, cut and clarity. Also, while we try and maintain some relative size between gemstones in our pictures (so that smaller stones look a bit smaller and big stones look a bit bigger), there is only so much we can do and still give you a good clear picture of the gemstone. Read the description carefully as a 1 carat stone may look almost as big as a 10 carat stone in the photos and we don't want you to be surprised (and unhappy) when you receive your stone!
All of the gemstone product photos have a built in "magnifying glass" feature that allows you to move your mouse cursor over different areas of the gemstone and see a larger, more detailed view of that area. In some cases, especially with Investment gemstones, we also provide a video clip that shows a 360 degree moving image of the gemstone. Our goal is always to provide you with as much information about the gemstone as we can so that you can make your decision on the basis of accurate and complete information.
Now that you know what you want in a gemstone, how do you know what characteristics will affect the quality (and the cost) of a gemstone?
What do I look for in a Gemstone?
Colored gemstones, just like diamonds, are valued according to the "4 C's" established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the 1950's - color, clarity, cut and carat weight. But where the diamond industry has a well-defined grading scheme for diamonds, there is no single grading system for colored stones. The reason behind this is very simple as there are more than 50 varieties of colored gemstones and each has it's own unique characteristics. Just like dogs that are judged in an AKC show only by the unique attributes of their breed and not against the standards of other breeds, so gemstones are graded solely by the standards of their type. For example, the standards of clarity for an emerald are quite different than they are for a sapphire, because even the most expensive emeralds have some natural inclusions.
With colored gemstones any gemologist would agree that it is the color of the stone that is it's single most important characteristic. They also tend to be quite precise when describing that color, using a specific sets of terms including; hue, saturation and tone. In general, while hue and tone have an effect on the value of the stone (some colors and shades being more rare and or desirable than others), it is often the saturation, the depth or intensity of the color, that sets a true, world class stone apart from the others. See the Gem Library for more information on evaluating gemstone color.
A gemstones cut and clarity are also very important, especially as they affect the color and brilliance of the stone. Colored gemstones are typically graded according to a clarity scale established by the GIA and every gem listed on our site will include the clarity rating for the particular gem. In general, a gem that has no visible inclusions is preferred but it is important to note that some gemstones (such as emerald) are very rarely found without inclusions. Furthermore, inclusions not only add character and individuality to a gem, they oftentimes allow gemologists to identify the origin of a stone because of their distinctive characteristics. For example, the so called "horse tail" inclusion found only in Demantoids that come from Russia establishes the specific origin of the stone and vastly increases it value over other Demantoids. While it is true that the higher the clarity grade, the higher the value of the gem, inclusions that don't interfere with the brilliance and sparkle of a gem don't always negatively affect its value. See the Gem Library for more information on evaluating gemstone clarity.
Finally, we have carat weight and while it is true that generally, bigger is better, bigger often times comes at a very high price. Many rare gemstones such as Benitoite or Hyuanite and stones with limited availability such as Tsavorite or even Ruby are just not typically seen in larger sizes. In the case of Tsavorite for example, gemstones above 1 carat are rare and stones above 3 carats are almost never found. In fact, the largest known Tsavorites are under 5 carats. Can you purchase a 5 carat Tsavorite? I imagine you can but you had better be prepared to pay a king's ransom for the privilege. The Gem Library contains information regarding the available sizes for all gemstones and is a resource worth examining when you are choosing a gemstone to see if it is feasible to purchase the type of gemstone you are looking for in the size that you desire.
Another aspect that affects the quality and value of a gemstone is any treatment that may have been applied to the gemstone in order to improve its color or clarity.
Why are some gemstones enhanced?
Unfortunately, the supply of high quality gemstones is continuously falling as mines and gem deposits are exhausted and consumer interest in a particular gemstone increases. These trends lead to a scarcity of fine gems, and a corresponding increase in prices.
The gemstone industry has responded over the years to this increasing demand by developing certain treatments that maximize the color and clarity of the small, lower quality yields that come from the remaining gem mines. Heat treatment, the most common of these techniques, improves the color of lighter or off color gems by mimicking the high temperature environment that the gem experienced in nature during its original formation. Other enhancement techniques include oiling the stone or the filling of fractures with plastic, resin or lead glass (often done with rubies) to reduce the visibility of cracks that may be evident in the stone as well as the addition of certain chemicals such as Beryllium during the heating process to improve (or change) color.
For more information on the various techniques used to enhance gemstones, please see the following article:
Gem Enhancements
We will always disclose any and all enhancement techniques that we believe have been applied to a gemstone. In general, we favor untreated gemstones and most of the stones in our collection will reflect this belief. We also indicate (when known) how stable a given enhancement technique may be and what care and cleaning instructions may be effected by the presence of that treatment.
Even though enhancement treatments may significantly improve the appearance of many gemstones, they also affect the value of the stone. A treated stone is always less expensive than a similar untreated gemstone, however, most of the stones that are routinely treated, such as ruby and sapphire, are now so rare in their untreated form that they command prices that are out of reach for most consumers. One ruby that is running counter to the norm in this regard is the material coming out of the Winza mine. These rubies are often untreated, usually very clean (especially for a ruby) and still exhibit a vibrant red color for less than stratospheric prices. If you love fine rubies you will definitely want to take a look at these:
Du Lyon Winza Ruby Collection
So there you have it, a short overview of the gem selection process. While there are other areas we could cover, this will get you started and you can find a great deal more information in the Gem Library, Customer Service section or on the Du Lyon blog pages. And as always, if you have questions about any gem related subject, please never hesitate to get in touch with us, we're happy to help whenever we can.
Submitted on: June 29, 2009 @ 1:38pm
Wednesday 
