Classification of precious stones. Is topaz a precious or semi-precious stone? Garnet or topaz, which is better?

A lady finds herself in a difficult situation when she finds herself in a store hoping to choose some jewelry for herself. The stones sparkle and shimmer, the price tags are confusing, the tags do not clarify anything - in general, the situation is almost hopeless. Sellers are ready, in principle, to answer any question, but what to ask is unknown. You can’t ask a nice girl: “That green one over there, is that a good stone? Isn’t it a fake?”

Precious stones, transparent and hard, are rare in nature and therefore are expensive. These include diamond, natural pearl, sapphire, emerald and ruby.

However, diamond occupies a special place among them. It combines exceptional hardness, high light refraction and high gloss.

Diamond

Diamonds are made up of pure carbon atoms that exist deep underground, subjected to intense heat and pressure over billions of years.

What can it be confused with?

The greatest similarity is found in cubic zirconia (colorless zircon created by laboratory synthesis at the Physical Institute of the P.N. Lebedev Academy of Sciences). Although they are very similar in appearance, if you look closely, cubic zirconia gives less colorful highlights. Beryl, sapphire, topaz, and quartz are also passed off as diamonds.

Price

Diamonds are piece goods. A high-quality diamond weighing 1 g costs hundreds of thousands of rubles.

Tips for choosing

Let's try to understand the mineral according to the parameters indicated on the price tag.

The cost of any gemstone is made up of four factors: weight, shape, color and quality.

Weight measured in carats (in ancient times, this word was used to describe special seeds with which the size of a pebble was compared). 1 carat is equal to 0.2 g. The price per carat increases with the weight of the diamond. A particularly sharp jump in price is observed at the 1-carat mark, when the price of stones weighing 0.99 carats and 1 carat with identical characteristics differs by approximately 1.3 times, since it is believed that a “real” diamond starts at a weight of 1 carat. Depending on their weight, diamonds are divided into small (up to 0.29 carats), medium (from 0.30 to 0.99 carats) and large (more than 1 carat). If the diamond is too small, its mass is measured in “points”, which are 0.01 of the carat, that is, only 2 mg.

Form. This is the type of cut: round, oval, etc. This determines how the stone “plays” and glows. Round shape (Kr) is the most common option. Ovals and hearts are cut less frequently and are cheaper. The cut can be simplified, with 17 facets (Kr-17) (for small stones) and complex - with 57 and 58 facets (Kr-57). Another point that influences the evaluation of a stone is the quality of the cut (symmetry, polishing, etc.), evaluated by the letters “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, where the first one denotes the highest class.

Color. Due to the peculiarities of the diamond formation process, only a few specimens are truly colorless stones. The more colorless a “white” diamond is, the higher its value. These rules do not apply to fancy colored diamonds. Such diamonds come in blue, pink, red, yellow, and green. They are very rare, and their cost is several times higher than the cost of “white” diamonds. Diamonds are classified into color groups from colorless with a gradual increase in saturation to yellow, brown, and gray shades. The number of color groups depends on the weight. Small Kr-17 diamonds are classified into 4 color groups (1 - colorless stones). Small Kr-57 diamonds are classified into 7 color groups (1 - colorless stones). Medium and large diamonds are classified into 9 main color groups (1 - colorless stones).

Purity. Diamonds are classified into clarity groups depending on the presence of internal characteristics (inclusions, cracks, surface defects, the elimination of which will lead to significant weight loss), their quantity, location and color (characteristics visible through a 10x magnifying glass are taken into account). Although these shortcomings make the product unique, their presence still makes the product cheaper. The quantity depends on the weight. Thus, small Kr-17 diamonds are classified into 6 purity groups, and small Kr-57 diamonds into 9 groups. For medium and large stones there are 12 purity groups. The relationship between color and clarity is usually expressed as a fraction, with the larger the numerator and denominator, the lower the quality of the stone. For example, a diamond with a characteristic of 3/3 is considered good, but a fraction of 9/12 indicates a very low quality of the stone.

We translate from jewelry

The “coding” of a diamond’s quality looks something like this: Kr57A-0.47-3/5. Translation from jewelry:

• Kr57A - has a round cut shape (Kr) with 57 facets (57) of very high quality (A).
• 0.47 - the second number indicates the size of the stone. Weighs 0.47 carats, that is, medium in weight.
• 3 - the penultimate number on the label indicates the degree to which the color of the stone differs from white (transparent).
• 5 - the last digit indicates the class of “purity” or quality of the stone. Our sample has few foreign inclusions.

Summary

An ideal diamond weighs from 1 carat, round grade A cut with 57 facets, colorless, pink or blue, with a color/quality ratio of 1/1 to 3/3.

Pearl

Natural pearls are formed in the body of an oyster if some foreign body, such as a grain of sand, gets there. The mollusk tries to get rid of it by secreting nacre, which envelops the alien, trying to neutralize its activity. The longer the pearl remains in the oyster's body, the thicker the layer of nacre around it will be. This produces a beautiful shiny gemstone - a pearl.

Natural pearls belong to the category of the rarest and most expensive precious stones. Pearls are not processed by jewelers - they are used in their original form.

What can be confused with

Nowadays, most pearls sold in stores are cultured specimens, grown with the help of humans (a bead is placed in an oyster, after which the pearl formation process continues in the same way as in nature). It is believed that cultured pearls have the same properties as natural pearls. The main difference between natural and cultured pearls is that cultured pearls are harvested much earlier than natural ones, and therefore the layer of nacre on them is very thin.

Price

The price of the final product will depend on the color, growing conditions (sea or river water), thickness of the pearlescent layer, surface gloss, size and shape. As the size increases, the price increases unevenly: a 9 mm pearl costs twice as much as an 8.5 mm pearl. At the same time, river pearls are traditionally valued less than sea pearls. There are no perfectly round pearls, so rounded ones are valued more than crooked ones, but non-standard specimens shaped like snails, for example, are also not cheap. Naturally colored pearls cost more than white pearls, while artificially colored pearls cost less. White and pink pearls are most valued, followed by gold (champagne) and black (Tahitian).

Color

Pale pink, silver, yellowish, light green, white, black, rose red. Sizes range from microscopic to a pigeon egg.

Tips for choosing

If you decide to purchase pearls, compare the quality of what is offered in stores. Take a closer look at the product as a whole: the shine is good, but the roundness is not important; shine and color are normal, but the surface is uneven; The shape is good, but there is no harmony among the pearls in the string.

Place the pearls on your neck or face and make sure their color matches your skin and hair color. Ask if the color is natural. Freshwater pearls are easy to distinguish from sea pearls: they are small and shaped like crooked pearl grains.

Summary

The ideal pearl is natural, marine, shiny and smooth to the touch, without potholes or depressions, round in shape, large in size, white, pink or gold in color.

Sapphire

Sapphire is known in the mineral world as corundum, whose crystal structure is composed of aluminum oxide. On the hardness scale, sapphire is the hardest stone among gems after diamond.

Color

Rare stones of rich cornflower blue color are considered the most valuable. More often there are simply blue, green, yellow, white, pink and brown stones.

What can be confused with

Often the role of sapphire is painted cubic zirconia.

Tips for choosing

The origin of a sapphire greatly influences its value. The homeland of the best sapphires is Kashmir. The color of these stones is cornflower blue. In addition, Kashmir sapphires retain color under artificial light, which is rare for this crystal.

Price

Natural sapphires are very rare and expensive. The purer the blue color of natural sapphire, the higher the price. Darker or paler stones have less value. The price is also affected by the brightness and cut of the stone and the carat weight. The best quality sapphire is one whose purity is visible to the eye, and some inclusions are detectable under a magnifying glass. Sapphires weighing up to 2 carats are more common, but stones from 5 to 10 carats are also found.

However, a gemological3 certificate confirming that the mineral was mined in Kashmir does not yet guarantee its high quality. Burmese sapphires can also be of excellent quality. Sapphires from Sri Lanka are usually paler. The darkest and therefore cheapest sapphires are mined in Australia.

Summary

It is better to look for a sapphire from Kashmir, pure cornflower blue in color, with a good cut, weighing several carats, the inclusions of which should not be visible to the naked eye.

Emerald

Emerald is one of the most revered and expensive gemstones. The stone belongs to the beryllium genus, whose crystal structure consists of aluminum and beryllium. Unlike other green stones, it retains its color under artificial light.

Most natural emeralds have cracks and internal defects visible to the eye, and uneven coloring.

Price

The brighter the green, the higher the cost. Unlike a diamond, a beautifully colored emerald does not lose much in value if it contains inclusions. Natural emeralds of the highest quality weighing more than 2 carats are very rare and very expensive.

What can be confused with

A stone that is too pale in color may not be an emerald, but ordinary beryl or inexpensive fluorite. You can distinguish natural emeralds from synthetic ones based on the fact that most natural emeralds are imperfect, have cracks, and are opaque in places. Perfect dark green and perfectly transparent emeralds will most likely turn out to be high-quality synthetics.

Color

There are five types of emeralds: dark green, normal green, medium green, light green, light green. The most valuable are emeralds, the color of which is close to the color of dill.

Tips for choosing

It is good that the emerald passes the examination of a gemological laboratory.

When purchasing, give preference, if possible, to a larger stone; all its play is most noticeable in it.

Summary

It is most pleasant to own a stone of 1 carat or more, always with inclusions that will guarantee its authenticity. The cut should be neat, the edges without jagged edges or roughness. The color is rich green, close to the color of dill. A conclusion from a gemological laboratory would also be useful.

Ruby

Ruby is known in the mineral world as corundum, whose crystal structure is composed of aluminum oxide. After diamond, it is the hardest stone. Most natural rubies have internal defects.

Color

Its color varies from red to brown. The most valuable colors are "pigeon's blood" - pure red with a slight purple tint.

Price

Like other precious stones, the price is determined based on the richness and beauty of the color, the degree of purity and the absence of defects. Typically, the quality of a ruby ​​can be determined by eye, and inclusions can be examined under low magnification with a magnifying glass. Rubies under 2 carats are more common, while stones over 5 carats are a scarce commodity. And rubies of the highest quality are rare, regardless of their size. The most expensive rubies are those mined in Upper Burma; they have a characteristic “pigeon’s blood” hue. A 5-carat Burmese ruby ​​can cost ten times more than a ruby ​​of the same quality from Thailand.

What can be confused with

Almost all red stones in our jewelry are synthetic corundum.

Tips for choosing

Don't limit yourself to inspecting the stone under artificial light. In daylight, only the stone from Burma seems to be illuminated from within, flickering like a hot coal. Stones mined in Thailand, as a rule, cannot boast of such “fire”. Rubies from Sri Lanka will appear just pale pink in the light of a lamp.

Summary

The most successful investment seems to be in a Burmese ruby ​​of a rich pigeon's blood color, weighing from 1 carat, cut class A, with inclusions visible only with a magnifying glass.

Cannot be exchanged!
When purchasing products with stones in stores, be careful, because jewelry of good quality cannot be returned or exchanged.

• The main rule is that you should buy jewelry in a well-known “name” store.
• If you are not confident in your knowledge, do not neglect the help of a knowledgeable person, be it a relative, gemologist or jeweler.
• First of all, it is worth examining the hallmark of the assay office on the metal part of the product through a magnifying glass. If there is no such mark, it means the jewelry is “left-handed” or was smuggled into Russia.
• In addition, each piece of jewelry must be equipped with a special sealed tag. It indicates the name of the manufacturer/seller, the name of the metal, sample, weight, price per gram; if there are inserts, then their characteristics and weight. If this tag is present, if after purchasing a piece of jewelry it is discovered that the declared qualities do not correspond to the real ones, the buyer has the opportunity to go to court, referring to the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”.
• Find out if the stone comes with a certificate (usually expensive minerals). It repeats information from the tag about the characteristics of the diamond. It also contains a detailed sketch of the stone indicating all inclusions, chips, and cracks. Such a document guarantees the authenticity of the characteristics of the stone.
• After the purchase, keep the sales and cash receipts, the tag and the cord with the seal. The sales receipt must indicate the sample of precious metals, the name, quantity and weight of the stones included in the product. Otherwise, after discovering defects in the product, you will not be able to make a claim.
• When purchasing pearl products, you need to know how it was produced. If the seller claims that the pearls are natural, demand that they provide you with an identification certificate compiled by a laboratory. No certificate? Perhaps you are looking at cultured pearls, which should cost much less than their natural counterpart.

Is topaz semi-precious or precious stone? This issue is not at all difficult to understand, but why then did the confusion arise? It appeared because the stone has excellent characteristics, it is in demand, and it is very expensive. It is for this reason that disputes about whether topaz belongs to one or another group of minerals have not subsided to this day, and in disputes, as we know, the truth is born.

Natural blue topaz

Why is it called precious?

The topaz gemstone has been known to humanity for quite some time. Certain characteristics of the gem, or rather its hardness, became the reason why crowns and symbols of power were encrusted with topazes.

Kings and monarchs loved crystals of various shades, assigning magical properties to them. Since the range of colors of topaz is amazing, it had many properties.

If you delve into the problem, you can immediately encounter problems, since in some countries topaz is classified as a precious stone, and in others - as a semi-precious stone.

In our country, such issues are resolved through legislation, but in some countries the laws are different. For this reason, topaz is regarded as a precious mineral, and the reason for this is not only the characteristics of the stone, but also its cost.

The rarest and most expensive are blue topazes; there are very few such stones left in nature. Most of the deposits that are familiar to humanity have almost completely exhausted themselves. The cost of such gems is very high.

But the technologies that people have owned since ancient times help combat the shortage. Minerals that are not brightly colored must be processed; they go through a refining procedure. The crystals are heated and exposed to radiation. As a result of processing, minerals become bright and acquire the desired shade.

It is difficult to recognize a substitution, since at its core, a crystal that has gone through the refining procedure is the same topaz that meets all the requirements. Only a bright color or shade can reveal the synthetic origin of a mineral, because those stones that are found in the bowels of the earth are distinguished by a soft color.

In our country, topaz is a semi-precious stone; it is not included in the list of precious stones for the reason that at the moment there are quite a lot of deposits in the world where topazes of various colors are mined.

Place of Birth

Today, several countries are engaged in topaz mining. The largest deposits of this stone are located in the following countries:

• Brazil, where high-quality stones are mined, is distinguished by its deep color and large size. Blue and light blue topazes are called Brazilian sapphires.
• Russia, on the territory of our country there is one of the largest deposits of topaz, it is located in the Urals. In these places it is possible to find stones of a golden and yellow hue.
• Madagascar, where large gems are mined, are distinguished by their quality and are quite expensive.

In Brazil, they managed to find a stone weighing about 1.5 kg, it was called “Mirabella”; the topaz was distinguished by its blue color, which was comparable only to the beauty of the sky.

“Mirabella” is unique, but it is still inferior in weight to topaz, which was found on the territory of Ukraine back in the days of the USSR. The weight of the mined crystal was about 120 kilograms. The topaz was the color of white wine.

Jewelers' point of view

Oddly enough, jewelry craftsmen are not too fond of working with these stones. The reason for the high hardness of topaz is the difficulty of cutting and processing.

Earrings with topaz

Most often, crystals are shaped:

1. Oval.
2. Circle.
3. Cabochon.

Fancy cutting methods are also used in crystal processing. The stone can also be given the shape of a rectangle, but this cutting method is used mainly for processing emeralds.

Gold is considered the best setting for topaz - this metal emphasizes the beauty of the gem and makes it brighter. In the store you can find jewelry made of platinum or silver. Silver is rarely used because this metal is not very expensive and is mostly used for making inexpensive jewelry.

On store shelves you can find the following products inlaid with stones:

• rings and rings;
• brooches and pendants;
• earrings and bracelets.

Topaz set in gold or platinum is an expensive pleasure, especially if the crystal is large in size or bright in color. But in the world of jewelry, there is a high risk of stumbling upon a fake. Most often, topaz is disguised as:

1. Tinted quartz (known as rauchtopaz, has a smoky tint).
2. Rock crystal (this type of quartz is often passed off as those minerals that have no color).
3. Aquamarine (it is tinted and passed off as an expensive and rare blue topaz).

So, when choosing jewelry, you should be vigilant, ask the seller for a certificate and understand the origin of the gem. Fake stones carry a trade name that has nothing to do with topaz, although you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the price tag.

But if the jewelry is really inlaid with topazes, then they should be protected from falls and mechanical damage. If a ring or ring falls onto the floor from a height, the crystal may crumble into fragments due to its high hardness. The products also do not tolerate contact with reagents and sunlight.

The rays of the sun are dangerous; under their influence, topaz fades, and this happens unevenly. The process may take several years. But to prevent the sun from harming the mineral, it is recommended to wear jewelry in the evening and store it away from the sun’s rays in a dark and preferably cool place.

There is one interesting case that was told by a security guard at one of the museums. He went out into the hall while checking the room and noticed that one of the exhibits had changed color. This observation specifically concerned topaz - it simply faded under the rays of the sun.

What stones are considered precious?

Not only a jeweler and a gemologist can understand stones. Such knowledge will also be useful to jewelry lovers. When choosing a product in a store or boutique, you should understand what exactly you will have to pay for.

• diamonds;
• sapphires;
• rubies;
• emeralds;
• alexandrites.

Eternal value, a sign of wealth and high position in society, is a diamond, whether processed or unprocessed. The stone has high characteristics and is the hardest material on Earth. The cost of diamonds is extremely high, especially when it comes to those gems that do not have defects, are large in size or have a rare shade.

Sapphires are blue corundums, which are also classified as precious stones. Sapphires are distinguished by high characteristics, they are expensive and are valued not only by jewelers, but also by collectors.

Ruby is another variety of corundum, but these stones must have a red tint. Corundums have been called by various names since the 19th century. The most valuable and rare rubies are those mined in Asia.

Emerald is a type of beryl; the most valuable stones are of a bright green hue; they are mined in Colombia.

Alexandrites are expensive only because their mining has almost completely stopped. The large deposit that existed in the Urals exhausted itself quite a long time ago. Alexandrites are found during the development of ore deposits, but such finds are sporadic.

Pearls are also considered precious in our country, but only those pearls that are of natural origin, and not cultured pearls, fall under this concept.

This leads to the conclusion that topaz is a semi-precious stone. However, gems began to be divided according to these concepts relatively recently; this happened in the 19th century. And at that time, all crystals that were highly valuable and rarely found in nature were called precious.

The discovery of a deposit of one or another mineral immediately made the stones semi-precious, since the cost of them decreased, and they no longer fell under the concept of “rare”.

When wondering whether topaz is a precious or semi-precious stone, you should not rely only on today. Yes, today this mineral has nothing to do with precious ones, but who knows what will happen tomorrow? It is possible that in a few decades, topaz will significantly increase in price and diamonds, rubies and sapphires will become in demand.

Is garnet a precious or semi-precious stone? Jewelry store sellers often hear this question from potential buyers. This mineral actually resembles pomegranate seeds, from which it gets its name. Its old Russian name is “lal”. This is what our ancestors called pomegranate in ancient legends and epics. Although rubies and spinels, that is, any transparent red stones, were often called lalas.

Pomegranate cannot help but delight and attract the eye. Dark red transparent garnet crystals attract attention to any jewelry made from it. Is garnet a real gemstone?

To find the answer to this question, it is worth understanding what types of stones are, how they are classified, and which of them can be considered precious.

Classification of stones

Garnets are used mainly for making jewelry. Jewelers divide all natural minerals into three main categories:

• precious;
• semi-precious;
• ornamental.

This division is conditional, since there is no generally accepted classification enshrined in law. However, there is federal law No. 1 of March 26, 1998, which clearly states which stones can be considered precious. These are natural diamonds, natural pearls, alexandrites, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.

It is believed that a gemstone, in addition to the beautiful appearance that processing and cutting give it, must be rare. All of the above stones are expensive, so they can become a means of saving and investing money. The weight unit of this type of natural minerals is carat (0.2 g)

As you can understand, garnet is not one of them. Ornamental minerals are also used in jewelry production. They are used to make decorative and interior items. Using the cutting method, dishes, ashtrays, candlesticks and larger products (architectural decorations of facades and columns, furniture elements, etc.) are made from ornamental stones. Ornamental stones include chalcedony, carnelian, malachite, agate, onyx and jasper.

Ornamental varieties of pomegranate, as a rule, are little or completely opaque, but have beautiful natural shades and a unique pattern. They are inferior in hardness not only to precious, but also to semi-precious stones.

Based on the fact that garnet cannot be called an ornamental stone, it can be classified as an intermediate group, that is, semi-precious jewelry and ornamental stones. In addition to garnet, peridot, turquoise, topaz, amethyst, beryl, amber, rock crystal, etc. are considered semi-precious.

These are, as a rule, transparent stones that lend themselves well to cutting. But among more than 30 types of garnets, there are also stones that do not have a transparent structure.

Semi-precious and ornamental stones, including garnet, are measured in grams. Hardness is 6.5-7.5 units on the Mohs scale used by jewelers.

Varieties of pomegranate

The natural forms of pomegranate are striking in their diversity. It’s not often that you see a stone found in nature not only in the form of the usual rhombuses, triangles or trapezoids. There are crystals of a very complex structure with 38, 48 and even 72 faces. The most popular types of garnet among jewelers are scarlet pyrope and almandine, distinguished by their bright red, seemingly radiant color.

Moreover, pyropes were most valued in ancient times. They were mined mainly in the Czech Republic and were an indicator of refined taste and prosperity for the nobility. Nowadays, pyropes are very rare and cannot cost less than $200 per carat. The market is filled with synthetically created stones.

Nowadays, thanks to the large number of explored deposits, the primacy has gone to almandines. These are quite large stones. And their price is quite affordable.

Quite rare, and therefore expensive and most valuable are demantoids and tsavorites. Only a specialist can distinguish the shine of their facets from the shine of emeralds. But their sizes are small. The largest stones weigh only 0.4 g (2 carats). Demantoids can have unique shades: pistachio, olive, soft green.

These stones, which have high levels of purity and transparency, are not precious, but can nevertheless be measured in carats and be quite expensive.

The most expensive and rare type of garnet is majorite, a transparent stone with a radiant purple hue.

This king of garnets can originate either from the impact of a meteorite, or from the pressure present at a depth of at least 400 m. Majorites are found very rarely. They were last discovered in France in 2004, cut and sold for $2,400 per carat. And the most expensive cut majorite weighs almost 4 carats. Its cost is estimated at more than $8 million. How can we call this variety of garnet a semi-precious stone?

However, if a person can explore Mars or at least the Moon, majorite will cease to be an expensive curiosity, since the conditions there are conducive to the formation of this type of mineral (majorite, in particular).

Among the stones most used by jewelers and master carvers are:

• pink rhodoliths;
• greenish urovites;
• orange-brown hessonites;
• light green grossoirs;
• black melanitis;
• multi-colored spessartines, which can be yellowish or pinkish-red.

How to distinguish a real stone from a fake?

The answer to the question of whether a garnet is precious or just a semi-precious stone does not affect the number of fakes that flood the market these days. Pomegranate is faked and grown artificially. How can you protect yourself from purchasing a counterfeit when purchasing?

A specialist will be able to do this based on a number of indicators:

• appearance of the crystal;
• shine;
• transparency indicators;
• hardness;
• density;
• the nature of the fracture;
• lack of cleavage;
• specific gravity;
• refractive index.

It is much more difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish a fake from a real stone. You can use a method known since ancient times. It has been noted that garnets have high pyroelectric properties. That is, if you rub the stone well (before heating), it will begin to attract small debris: fluff and bird feathers, straws, dust.

Features of the stone:

1. Natural garnet can scratch glass.
2. It does not have a homogeneous structure and may have microdefects, uneven color and transparency.
3. Too large stones are most likely synthetically grown, rather than natural garnets.

Rarely does anyone doubt whether an emerald or a diamond is more expensive. If you ask such a question to a person inexperienced in jewelry, he will most likely answer: “Of course, a diamond!” It is difficult to say why such injustice arose, because a diamond, although rightly considered a valuable stone of exceptional beauty, is not at all “the very thing”. There is an opinion that the marketing efforts of sellers are to blame. The jewelry market is literally flooded with diamond products. The diamond sparkles everywhere, leaving other precious gems in the shadow: sapphire, ruby ​​and emerald. It’s as if no one will remember the latter. But let's correct this misunderstanding.

Diamonds are diamonds that have been cut. Diamond has been rightly recognized as the hardest mineral, measuring 10 on the Mohs scale. The cut is designed to give the diamond unique beauty and brilliance; after cutting, its faces begin to refract rays of light and shimmer with the bright colors of the rainbow. Of course, diamonds are expensive stones, and their cost is determined depending on the following features:

1. The weight of a mineral, measured in carats. The larger the stone and the more carats it has, the more expensive it is. This characteristic is relevant not only for a diamond, but for other precious stones too.
2. Color. The mineral is usually colorless, but diamonds of various shades can be found in nature. Colorless diamonds are called "white".
3. Purity of the stone.
4. Cutting method

All jewelry stones are divided into precious and semi-precious.
Also e stones are further divided into four categories in order of their value:
A) 1st order ( top quality gemstones) - diamond, ruby, blue sapphire, emerald, alexandrite;
b) 2nd order - demantoid, pink and yellow sapphire, noble black opal, noble spinel and others;
V)ІІІth order ( second-class gems) - aquamarine, beryl, noble white and fire opal, tanzanite, pink topaz, tourmaline, chrysoberyl, peridot, tsavorite, zircon, spinel;
G) IV order ( semiprecious stones) - almandine, amethyst, smoky quartz, rose quartz, kunzite, pyrope, blue and wine topaz, citrine, moonstone, epidote, sunstone, green tourmaline, chalcedony, aventurine, agate, amazonite, apatite, turquoise, hyacinth, heliodor, hematite, rock crystal, garnet, serpentine, cacholong, lapis lazuli.

Separately, precious stones of organic origin are distinguished: pearls and amber.

In general, more than four thousand different minerals are found in nature, but not all of them can bear the proud title of “gem”. High hardness and transparency, optical effects and shine - thanks to this unique combination of properties, the stones were called precious.

Of course, minerals of the first order have always been considered especially valuable - diamonds, rubies, blue sapphires, emeralds and alexandrites. Gold and silver jewelry inlaid with these precious stones are invariably in high demand and are unlikely to ever lose their value, because there are fewer and fewer precious minerals left in the bowels of the Earth.

To the number ornamental stones belong to onyx, malachite, jade, obsidian, olivine, noble opal, mother of pearl, rhodonite (eagle), carnelian, topaz, tourmaline, charoite, chrysoberyl, peridot, zircon, citrine, spinel, euclase, amber, jasper. They are set in silver or used to make sculptures, vases and other interior items.

Products with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and other precious stones of the first category (evaluated by the purity of the water, the play of shine in the edges, the shape and design of the ring and earrings, the jewelry quality of the workmanship, because such things are usually given as gifts for big family events - a wedding, the birth of a child. They become family jewels and are passed down from generation to generation, so these jewelry should be bought according to the principle: it is better to have one than several, but of poorer quality.

Stones by color

pink: tourmaline, garnetsapphire, topaz, kunzite, pearls

red: ruby, tourmaline, garnet, spinel

orange: sapphire, topaz

yellow: sapphire, citrine, pearl

green: emerald, tourmaline, demantoid, tsavorite, peridot, amethyst

blue: tourmaline, topaz, aquamarine.

blue : sapphire, tanzanite, spinel, kyanite

violet : amethyst, spinel

grey: rauchtopaz, (smoky quartz), pearl

brown : diamond, zircon, pearl, hairy quartz

white : diamond, pearl, sapphire, topaz

black : diamond, spinel, pearl

multiking : alexandrite, opal

How to wear jewelry?

The question is serious. Do not wear more than two rings on one hand, and they must be in harmony in style - for example, gold jewelry should not be worn with a product made of platinum or silver, they must be made of the same material. They also don’t wear different stones at the same time, say, earrings with a ruby ​​and a ring with an emerald. Do not decorate yourself with rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces at the same time. Do not wear jewelry in the morning and during the day, and even with everyday clothes. You should also not wear any massive jewelry at this time of day; elegant ladies prefer an elegant watch with a bracelet made of good leather, a thin gold or silver chain, modest rings that can be combined with miniature pearl earrings. Large jewelry is worn in the evening with appropriate dressing.
Gold or silver brooches with diamonds or rhinestones are not pinned to sporty-cut blouses - non-binding jewelry is appropriate for such a dress. By the way, you should not wear costume jewelry in combination with real jewelry - it looks vulgar, like any mixture of styles.