Looking for the perfect jewels to shine in this new year? Gemstone jewelry is beautiful and unique. It can come in a loving and meaningful ring, a daring necklace, or even a breathtaking bracelet.
There are a lot of options to choose from with gemstone jewelry, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for and understand what you’re looking at. These pointers will help you walk into any jewelry store with confidence so you can pick out the perfect piece today.
All Shapes and Sizes
Before you even decide on the types of gemstones you want to look at, think about who the jewelry is for and what piece will suit them best. Not everyone wants to wear a flashing necklace and not everyone has pierced ears. Know the style of jewelry you’re buying before you walk into a store asking to look at stones.
Types of Gemstones
There are all different types of gemstones, so you may also want to whittle down the options you’re looking for with those as well. The decision may be as simple as the color of the stone, or what the stone means.
Gemstones are separated into the categories of precious stones and semiprecious stones. The precious stones are diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. Sometimes amethyst, pearl, and jade may make an appearance on that list.
Semiprecious stones are other gemstones that can also be used in jewelry but won’t cost you as much. Depending on who you’re buying for, they may want jewelry with a variety of stones, not specifically precious stones. Beautiful gemstones come in all shapes and sizes, so don’t limit your search if they want something more unique.
Gemstone Meanings
Different types of gemstones can have different meanings. You can find excellent birthstone gifts with precious and semiprecious stones specifically catered to each birth month. And even then they still have their own unique meanings.
April’s birthstone is the diamond, which often signifies strength and invisibility. Ruby is the birthstone for July, which typically signifies protection and has a grounding effect for the wearer and those around them. Sapphire is the birthstone for September and connects one to their higher self and promotes wisdom and positive decisions.
There are also reasons for wearing stones that do not connect with the birth month. People may wear emerald or green stones to draw in wealth and money. Someone may wear a rose quartz piece of jewelry to help them bring love into their life.
There may be a hidden meaning to the stone you are buying so do your research if one catches your eye. It might mean more than you think it does and signifies a lot to whoever wears it, possibly more than you intended.
Caring for Gemstone Jewelry
Beautiful gemstones can be a part of precious jewelry pieces and need to be taken care of so they will last and look as beautiful as the day they were bought. They should not come into contact with harsh chemicals or anything that could harm the piece of jewelry and should be stored in a dry temperate area.
You will need to consider the type of metal surrounding the stones as well. Different metals, from gold to silver to brass, need to be cared for differently. It may occasionally need to be cleaned but the way you clean a gold ring versus a gold ring with a gemstone in it is very different.
Price Points
Gemstones are priced in a variety of ways, but you can typically rely on the four Cs to understand how a price is decided. The cut, clarity, color, and carat are the most common terms used to determine the worth of a gemstone.
The cut is how a gem cutter has cut and shaped the stone to let in light and refract it. A beautiful cut will allow the stone to shine and glitter from any angle in any kind of lighting.
The color is the actual shade of the gem. However, this considers the hue, tone, and saturation. When it comes to color you should choose the shade you or the person you’re buying for consider most beautiful. Once you have selected your gem, the color may not change the price too much unless it is a diamond.
The Clarity of the stones refers to how well you can see through them and if there are any (even microscopic) particles inside that may dilute the light coming through. These are internal inclusions and vary from stone to stone. Some cannot be seen with the naked eye which will cut the price a bit and not be noticeable, while others make the stone more unique and might be exactly what you want.
Carat refers to the size of the stone itself. The bigger the stone the bigger the price point.
Top Gemstone Jewelry
Whether you’re buying gemstone jewelry for yourself or for a beautiful gift, always think of who will be wearing the jewelry when considering what to buy. Sometimes a piece looks beautiful and isn’t priced as high because of the gemstone used. But t doesn’t matter if it’s what the person wants and will enjoy wearing the most.
Gemstone jewelry is beautiful and can make a big statement, so choose well and do your research before buying the first piece you see. And if this helped get some good ideas about buying gemstones, keep reading for more helpful info.
