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Precious gemstones
Frequently asked questions concerning precious gemstones
Compared to other gemstones, the emerald has more natural inclusions visible to the naked eye. With most gemstones, the fewer inclusions or imperfections the better. For the emerald, on the contrary, the inclusions are characteristic of the stone. These give it its charm. Gemmologists also get excited by this because it allows them to ascertain the conditions under which the stone was formed. So if you have an emerald with inclusions, this does not immediately suggest damage or a poor-quality stone. Emerald is a soft stone, though, and thus prone to damage from external influences. Want to know more about this stone, take a look at our knowledge base under emerald.
We purchase our gemstones through respected gemstone suppliers. Our aim is to offer you a beautiful natural and untreated gemstone. However, because many gemstones are delivered in multiples, and we cannot trace the origin of each stone, it is not possible to say with 100% certainty that a gemstone is untreated.
We don't want to make things difficult for you with a huge array of choices and want to provide you with the assurance that you can expect a beautiful quality gemstone. That is why we offer a quality of AA+ to AAA as standard for all gemstones besides diamonds or lab-grown diamonds Want to know more, take a look in our knowledge base where you can read more about our gemstones.
No, we only include our handwritten DiamondsByMe certificate for jewelry with gemstones other than diamonds or lab-grown diamonds (from 0.30ct for brilliant-cut stones). This contains all the information about your jewelry.
Yes, definitely. We love precious stones and we will happily source that one special gemstone for you. Would you like to know the costs? Then let us know your specific wishes, and one of our consultants will discuss the possibilities with you. Please email us your wishes through [email protected].
At DiamondsByMe we realize the importance of offering a product that was obtained responsibly. This means that, in addition to responsibly obtained metals, our jewelry consists of sustainable environmentally friendly gemstones. Because there is so much to be told about our range of precious stones we composed a list of important topics on which we will provide information for each type of stone we have on offer.
If you have any questions about our gemstones or about a different type of stone not currently listed, please contact our customer service. Our customer service will gladly help you in finding your ideal piece of jewelry and the perfect gem to go with it.
Formula
The chemical formula of the gemstone.
Birthstones
For more information on birthstones and their meanings click here.
Mineral hardness (Mohs)
The Mohs scale is used to denote the hardness of a gemstone. For more information on the meaning and assessment of mineral hardness click here.
Color
Here we will notify you of the available colors of a gemstone. Additionally we will explain how the rarity of certain colors as well as their special effects may lead to differently valued stones.
History
Here we will show you in what countries the gemstone is found and what myths about these types of stones exist.
Care
For each individual type of gemstone we will tell you what to look out for when it comes to cleaning and maintaining your jewelry. Some gems are more vulnerable than others, and in order to keep them shining bright there are some things you may want to consider.
Imitation stones
Many types of gems are produced artificially or imitation stones are created. For a novice but even for an expert jeweler it can be hard to determine the difference between an imitation and the real thing sometimes. Here we describe what types of imitations are out there and how you may recognize them. This may be especially useful when you plan to buy your gemstones abroad. All precious stones sold by DiamondsByMe are supplied by reliable traders. Furthermore, our gems are checked for signs of imitation by both our suppliers and our own experts.
Cut
Not all gemstones can be cut into any shape whatsoever. This has to do with a stone’s brittleness amongst other things. Some stones will crack more easily when cut into certain shapes and as a result are not sold in that cut. At the same time it is the cut which determines a stone’s final look and the way light shimmers inside of it. A diamond, for example, will look most beautiful when given a faceted cut. Meanwhile a ruby will produce its most beautiful star effect when given a cabochon cut.