Gemstone
A precious or semi precious mineral or organic material, other than a diamond, cut and polished for use in jewellery.
A gemstone is any mineral, rock or organic material chosen for its beauty and durability, then cut and polished to be set in jewellery. Ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, topaz and pearl all count, and each carries its own colour, hardness and character. Unlike diamonds, which follow the strict 4Cs, coloured stones are judged by their own conventions where colour usually leads and the other factors follow.
Precious, semi precious and organic gems
The old trade split of precious versus semi precious put diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald in the precious group and everything else in the semi precious one. Gemmologists treat the line as loose today, since a fine tourmaline or spinel can outvalue a poor ruby, but the labels still appear in retail. Organic gems such as pearl, coral and amber come from living things rather than the earth, and are prized on their own terms.
Hardness matters for wearability. Ruby and sapphire, both corundum, sit at 9 on the Mohs scale and take daily wear well, while softer stones like opal or pearl need gentler settings and care. A jeweller weighs hardness against the piece's purpose when recommending a stone for an everyday ring versus an occasional pendant.
How coloured gems are valued
For most coloured stones, colour is the dominant driver of value, assessed by hue, tone and saturation. A vivid, evenly saturated colour that is neither too dark nor too washed out commands the strongest prices. Clarity, cut and carat weight then adjust value from there, and unlike diamonds some inclusions are expected and even accepted in stones such as emerald.
Origin and treatment also weigh heavily. A Kashmir sapphire or Burmese ruby carries a premium, and disclosure of common treatments such as heating is standard practice. Because there is no single global grid like the Rapaport list, coloured gem pricing leans on trade experience, lab reports and comparable sales.
- Colour is usually the leading value factor for coloured gems.
- Hardness on the Mohs scale guides how a stone should be worn.
- Treatments such as heating should be disclosed to buyers.
- Origin can add a significant premium for certain stones.
- A gemstone is a cut and polished stone other than a diamond.
- Coloured gems are judged mainly on colour, then clarity, cut and carat.
- Hardness decides how suitable a stone is for daily wear.
- Organic gems like pearl and amber come from living sources.
Gemstone, in short.
What is the difference between precious and semi precious?
Traditionally diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald were called precious and all others semi precious. The distinction is loose today, since rarity and quality, not the label, drive value.
Are gemstones graded like diamonds?
Not exactly. Coloured stones use their own conventions where colour leads, rather than the fixed 4C grading GIA applies to diamonds. Labs issue reports on identity, origin and treatment.
Which gemstones are hardest for everyday wear?
Sapphire and ruby, both corundum at Mohs 9, are excellent for daily wear. Softer stones such as opal, pearl and emerald need more protective settings and gentle handling.
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