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Gemstone Info
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All About Gems
It helps to know about the hardness of a gemstone when choosing gemstone jewellery as this refers to the durability of the gem.
The hardness of gems are compared to the Moh's Scale of Hardness, see the table on the right. This scale is neither linear, nor
logarithmic as some minerals are more than twice, or even four times, harder than others. Any gemstone with a hardness of 7.5
and higher, would be a good, durable choice for rings and bracelets. Softer gems are more suitable for earrings, pendants and
brooches.
It also helps to know about the refractive index of a gemstone. When a ray of light enters a transparent gemstone, the ray is bent,
or refracted, at an angle before it continues passing through the stone. This is known as the refractive index (RI) of the gem and
can be measured to determine the type of stone you are looking at. The higher the refractive index, the greater its brilliance.
It helps to know about the hardness of a gemstone when choosing gemstone jewellery as this refers to the durability of the gem.
The hardness of gems are compared to the Moh's Scale of Hardness, see the table on the right. This scale is neither linear, nor
logarithmic as some minerals are more than twice, or even four times, harder than others. Any gemstone with a hardness of 7.5
and higher, would be a good, durable choice for rings and bracelets. Softer gems are more suitable for earrings, pendants and
brooches.
It also helps to know about the refractive index of a gemstone. When a ray of light enters a transparent gemstone, the ray is bent,
or refracted, at an angle before it continues passing through the stone. This is known as the refractive index (RI) of the gem and
can be measured to determine the type of stone you are looking at. The higher the refractive index, the greater its brilliance.
Our gemstone features: We started with
A for Aquamarine B for Beryl
C for Coral E for Emerald
A for Aquamarine B for Beryl
C for Coral E for Emerald
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Need answers to specific gem questions? Email me. |
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| Gem Identification |
| Liz Burnett, G.G., RMV for Jewellery Appraisal, Gem Identification and Art Appreciation |
| Website Designed by Liz Burnett - liz_burnett@yahoo.com Last updated: 05/2011 © Sea to Sky Artworks Ltd, 2008. All rights reserved. |
| G is for Garnet - The Bohemian History click on the box to read the article |
| Information on Gemstones, Diamonds, Jewellery Appraisals and Art Appreciation |