The World of Gemstones
Gemstones Explained
Gemrize gemstones are fashioned in a number of ways: birthstone rings, earrings, pendants and even for engagement rings.
Gemstone Durability
Fine jewelry is often worn over a lifetime and then passed on to the next generation to do the same. Therefore, it is important to note that not all gems have the same durability. Factors such as Gemstone hardness and general durability are useful things to educate oneself on.
Most people are family with the fact that Diamonds are one of the hardest substances on earth or the famous adage “only diamond can cut diamond” and while this is largely true, it doesn’t mean that Diamonds cannot suffer damage.
And with other gemstones falling further down the hardness scale it is important to have an idea of the hardness of the various gemstones you may wear.
The Mohs scale of hardness is a good measure of mineral hardness and is one the major indexes used in the field of Gems. It evaluates the ability of one gemstone to scratch another thus ranking them in order of hardness. Running from 1 to 10 this puts Diamonds at 10 as the hardest Gemstones with the other regal trio of Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire coming in at 7 to 9.
However, the important thing to note is that this doesn’t mean that if Topaz is softer than Diamond it will mean a Topaz Pendant is something to steer clear from. The entire piece of Jewelry has to be taken into consideration. A Topaz Pendant might never encounter as much as a scratch after decades of wearing whereas a Diamond Engagement Ring might suffer a chip on the central and or accent diamonds or even total breakage within a few years as a result of continued minor impacts or even a single major mishap.
Our gem experts will be happy to walk you through the various characteristics of any gemstone or gemstones you may be considering for any purchase, be it a bespoke piece through our custom made design interface or even our existing stock items.
Treatments
Natural gemstones often undergo a variety of treatments to enhance their beauty, durability or make them more manageable during some polishing or faceting processes.
Emeralds are often oiled or vacuum injected with resins for both purposes of cutting and polishing them as well as enhancing their beauty. Sapphires and Rubies are heated to intensify their color while black diamonds are irradiated to make their coloring more uniform.
Treatments are not something to be looked down on as in many cases they are beneficial to the durability of a gemstone as well as making some gemstones more affordable allowing access to the fine jewelry market to people with all budgets.
Some treatments are stable such as heating Sapphires which results in a Sapphire permanently adopting a more intense richer hue with no risk of the heat treatment ever fading. Meanwhile other treatments such as oiling Emeralds are not stable often needing Emeralds to be re-oiled sometimes several times in the manufacturing process as well as the jewels lifetime. But this is straight forward to do and returns the Emerald to more appealing state.
Whether a treatment is minor or severe, stable or non-permanent the key point is to always disclose the form of treatment to the client as well as provide necessary information and education pertaining to the treatment and the level of it.
This is also in accordance with the unofficial code of conduct any bonafide Diamond, Gemstone and Jewelry trade professionals abide by.
Certification
Independent laboratories use in house grading parameters to certify Gemstones against a specific set of criteria. In the case of Diamonds this will mainly involve the 4 Cs of Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat whereas in the case of gemstones it will include the gem species, color, shape, origin, treatments among others.
The benefit of having independent laboratories many of which are targeted at protecting customers is many folds. Certification from legitimate globally recognized benchmark laboratories such as GIA for Diamonds or GRS for other Gemstones enables consumers to make like-for-like comparisons when picking one gem over another gem from the same species e.g., between 2 rubies.
However certifying gemstones can often involve a high cost ranging from the cost of shipping with insurance gemstones to laboratories around the world as well the cost of issuing a hard copy certification. And this cost gets added to the overall gemstone cost.
Which is why it is often larger gemstones or more expensive gemstones which will usually be accompanied by a certificate. While smaller and more inexpensive gemstones where the ultimate cost of the gemstone might double or triple as a result of certification will be left uncertified. This shouldn’t warrant concern as Gemrize will detail information about a gemstone or gemstones in a piece of Jewelry created by us. On request, Gemrize is also happy to provide a document detailing a variety of information in a final piece of jewelry e.g., weight of centre stones or accent stones, gold fineness, dimensions, etc.
And should customers want, then for a small fee we will be happy to get a gemstone certified if not already done so from the many independent bonafide gemstone laboratories of your choice or should you not have a preference we will gladly recommend one. Please keep in mind, this might add to the delivery schedule as some laboratories can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 months to certify a stone. However, many labs now offer faster certification services at an additional cost which we can provide more details about so that you don’t miss any special occasions to gift or receive a beautiful Gemrize Jewel.
Contact us to learn more.
What's Your Birthstone?
Garnet
Steeped in a rich and diverse history, Garnet is a celebrated and durable gemstone which makes for perfect daily wearing jewelry items. Available in a wide array of colors ranging from its most popular bright red to pale pinks and orange hue, a Garnet looks rich and elegant when surrounded by a halo of sparkly diamonds.
Amethyst
A piece of Amethyst piece of jewelry which promises to make heads turn. Perfect as a center stone for a ring or pendant, the Amethyst is a great choice if you are looking to gift your loved one something pretty in purple!
Aquamarine
So blue and so elegant, Aquamarine is a popular Centerstone. With such a lovely range of blue shades to choose from, your biggest challenge will be selecting which Aquamarine is blue enough for you!
Diamond
A classic and favorite (for most), Diamonds are easily the most popular and everyone’s go-to center stone for mostly all jewelry. We love a good diamond on diamond combination, but to mix things up, add a sprinkle of colored gemstones to make a real impression.
Emerald
Eye catching and gloriously green, Emeralds are becoming an increasingly popular center stone choice for engagement rings. And we understand why - its striking green tints and value through history almost demand attention!
Alexandrite
Rarer than diamond and exclusively stocked at Gemrize, the color changing (under incandescent light) Alexandrite is exquisite. If you are looking for something mystical and phenomenal, choose an Alexandrite to create a lasting impression.
Ruby
The fire-cracker Ruby is a celebration in itself! A collectible and eye-catching when set in any style of jewelry, the red Ruby is a great everyday piece of jewelry. When the right red Ruby is set correctly with just a dusting of diamonds, it is breathtaking.
Peridot
Cleopatra’s beloved gemstone, the Peridot, is also known as ‘The Evening Emerald’. One of the few gemstones that come in one color only, it does range in hues; the darker, the better! Peridots are available in a number of shapes and can be set in a number of unique styles by our designers.
Sapphire
The Blue Sapphire has become a popular alternative to Diamonds as a center stone in recent times. While the ever-beautiful Blue Sapphire seems to take most of the attention, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider the rainbow of Sapphires available which are all perfect in their own unique ways.
Tourmaline
Very few gemstones match the Tourmaline’s dazzling variety of colors. So, if you do decide to go for a Tourmaline piece of jewelry, we would recommend you look carefully at what your options are - Fancy, Santa Rosa and even Watermelon!
Imperial Topaz
A beautiful bright yellow Imperial Topaz in a vintage setting clustered with Diamonds is a head turner. There are a number of legends and folklore associated with the gemstone, and as a result, the popularity and value of the Imperial Topaz has risen in more recent times.
Tanzanite
Captivating and fiery, the Tanzanite provides the best of both worlds being both modern and traditional. A great piece to bring your jewelry collection altogether, the Tanzanite is powerful and majestic.
Morganite
Sweet and innocent, the Morganite should not be judged by its soft pink hues. When set in a cocktail ring, the Morganite becomes cute, romantic and sexy. Its soft feminine shades range from fiery to baby pink - either way, it will become your favorite gemstone.
Pearl
Illustrious and iconic, nothing says elegant like a beautiful all-natural Pearl. From classic Pearl necklaces to drop earrings and even Pearl rings, we love a great design featuring freshwater Pearls.
Jade
In more recent times, Jade has gained much attention in the West and is now a popular choice. It’s unsurpassed beauty and cultural references has made it a collectible that is very wearable. Ask us about the traditional green and even our violet Jade available.
Earrings