Precious stones Precious stones are rare and very beautiful minerals. They are used to make jewelry. Almost all precious stones can be obtained artificially. Such analogues are very similar to real stones, but significantly

What are gems? To be considered precious, a stone must have certain properties. It must be beautiful, hard and durable enough, it must be rare and valuable enough. Diamonds, rubies and emeralds have all these qualities

Why are gemstones rare? The high cost and rarity of precious stones are related, but due to different reasons. Rarity is always explained by the conditions of origin. Value is determined by people. Russian legislation considers precious

In this article I want to talk about the rich history of precious stones. The history of precious stones is rich in tales of adventure and legends of success and various misfortunes, including complete ruin, illness and even death. In Antiquity, precious stones were worn as talismans; they were valued for their healing properties and endowed with magical powers. The magical and mystical properties attributed to precious stones are due precisely to the fact that they are rare, beautiful, pleasant to the touch and brightly colored.

Precious stones have long been considered something unusual and very valuable. Many stones made long journeys from distant countries along dangerous trade routes, and therefore they were credited with even greater magical power, and their price increased. Depending on which stones became more accessible, tastes and fashion changed in the world. Nowadays, diamonds are the most valued and can be seen even in wedding rings, symbolizing love and fidelity, but this was not always the case.

In the past, in different periods time, were considered the most valuable turquoise, amethyst, lapis lazuli, jasper and carnelian (carnelian). Jasper was most popular in China and Mexico. In Ancient Egypt and the ancient civilizations of Central and South America, emeralds were valued. The Romans favored emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, jasper and carnelian, and used diamonds primarily for cameos rather than jewelry.

Many legends associated with precious stones were passed down by word of mouth. A lot of information was gleaned from travel
diaries and letters of travelers and collectors, as well as from inventories of private or museum collections and royal collections. In the 13th century Italian traveler Marco Polo (c. 1254-1324) traveled to China. The Book of Marco Polo, written in his words, reports that when he was received by the ruler of Mongolia, Kublai Khan, he presented him with sapphires as a gift. The birthplace of these sapphires was the southwest of Sri Lanka (Ceylon), near the city of Ratnapuru. In the 17th century trade in precious stones brought the French merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) a fortune. In 1631-1668. Tavernier made six trips to India and Persia, from where he brought back many large diamonds and other precious stones, some of which he sold to King Louis XIV of France.

Most of the most famous gemstones, each of which has a special name, are diamonds. As they passed from owner to owner, they were renamed and recut, which surrounds their history with mysteries that often make it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain accurate information about the size, shape and weight of such stones.

You can study museum exhibits, some famous diamonds can be seen in paintings and photographs, but stones purchased at auction by a private individual who “wishes to remain anonymous” and stones that fall into the hands of robbers simply disappear from view, and sometimes for many years. The blue Nassak diamond, also known as the Eye of the Idol, originally weighed 90 carats and adorned the statue of the god Shiva in the city of Nassak (now Nashik) in India. In 1818 it was captured by the British as a war trophy. In 1927, recut in New York. It currently weighs 43 carats and is privately owned in the United States.

Diamonds with the most interesting stories were found predominantly in the alluvial deposits of Golconda, a region in south-central India. These include Koh-i-Noor, Orlov, Regent (Pitt) and Hope diamonds. Some of the largest and famous diamonds were found at the Premier mine in South Africa, including the Cullinan diamond and the Taylor-Burton diamond (after cutting it weighed 69.42 carats).

The world's largest diamonds are the "Golden Jubilee" (or "Unnamed Brown") weighing 545.67 carats and the De Beers diamond "Millennium Star" weighing 203 carats, which was processed over ten years over two yearslapidaries were found in Africa. In 1988, the Diamond of the Century (the original crystal weighed 599 carats, the cut weighed 273.85 carats) was cut by De Beers to commemorate its centenary.

Famous colored diamonds include the Hope Blue Diamond, the Dresden Green Diamond—a pear-shaped stone the color of a green apple—and the Tiffany Yellow Diamond (cut diamond weighs 128.54 carats). Other colored diamonds include the Townshend Blue (located in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London) and the already mentioned Nassac blue diamond. The Dresden Green Diamond is the largest diamond of this color in the world (it weighs 41 carats); Apart from a few episodes when it was pawned, it has been in the vault of the Dresden Palace since it was purchased by Augustus the Strong in 1743 for 150,000 American dollars.

Today, pink diamonds mined at the Argyle mine in Western Australia are especially prized. In 1986, the huge Unnamed Brown diamond was used by De Beers to test new laser diamond cutting technology. The diamond originally weighed 755.5 carats, and
after cutting, its weight was 545.7 carats. It was called the “Golden Jubilee” and was presented to King Rama IX of Thailand in connection with his fiftieth anniversary on the throne. Another brown diamond, the Incomparable (407 carats), was found in the Congo in 1980.

Other very famous gemstones include the red spinel "Black Prince Ruby" (in the form of a bead the size of chicken egg, weighs approximately 170 carats, is in the crown of the British Empire), and the “Kuwaiti Ruby”, or “Ruby of Timur”, named after its first reliably known owner, Tamerlane. The stone weighs 361 carats and is included in a necklace of smaller spinels; The stone is an ancient Indian cut, covered with numerous inscriptions that allow us to trace its history. Also worthy of mention are the St Edward's Sapphire and the Stuart Sapphire, or the Charles II Sapphire (both of which are found in the Crown of the British Empire), the Devonshire Emerald, the Edwards Ruby and the Rosser Reeves and Appalachian Star star rubies. "

STORY. Flint, lapis lazuli, jade, obsidian and some other minerals were well known to the ancient people. (12 thousand BC) The ancient Babylonians (XIX-VI centuries BC) wore signet rings carved from carnelians, hematites, agates and chalcedony. The ancient Egyptians were well aware of such gems as agate, turquoise, emerald, lapis lazuli, onyx, sardonyx, carnelian and jasper. The oldest handwritten source of information about gems that has come down to us is the work of Theophrastus “On Stones,” which is dated by historians to 315 BC. Around this time, a machine for processing gems was invented. The campaigns of Alexander the Great (BC) gave historians interesting information about precious stones known to the ancient Hindus. Curious information about mystical and medicinal properties precious stones are represented by medieval lapidary encyclopedias.

Stones MineralsNon-minerals IgneousSedimentaryMetamorphicAmber, corals, pearls, ivory. They are formed from fiery liquid melts and gases in the bowels of the Earth or from volcanic lavas erupted onto its surface. Precipitate from aqueous solutions, or grow with the help of organisms on (or near) the earth's surface By recrystallization of existing minerals under the influence of high pressures and high temperatures in the deep layers of the earth's crust.

Gemology is the science of precious stones. The term “gemmology” itself was created only in 1892. It is derived from English word gem "precious stone", "gem", "jewelry" (the Sanskrit word gema, which denoted some precious stones). In gemology, there is no natural classification of gemstones based on crystallographic data. Mineralogy has not developed its own “periodic system” gemstones, and it is unlikely that it will ever be created. Each crystal and gemstone is good in its own way. Let's get to know some of them.

"TO THE KING" OF PRECIOUS STONES. Color: colorless, yellow, brown, sometimes green, blue, reddish, black. Chemical formula: C, crystalline carbon. Hardness: 10. Properties: very stable. Only K 2 Cr 2 O 7 + H 2 SO 4 at 200°C oxidizes it, converting it into carbon dioxide. Diamond is characterized by extremely attractive optical effects, thanks to which it is known as the “king” of precious stones.

THE MOST FAMOUS DIAMONDS OF THE WORLD. A blue diamond weighing 6.04 carats was sold at a Sothebys auction in Hong Kong for almost $8 million. The most tragic diamond is the sapphire blue Hope Diamond - Blue Hope. The most famous Russian diamond is the Orlov. The largest yellow diamond is the Tiffany diamond. The Dresden Green Diamond weighs 41 carats and has an apple green the purest water.

ROVY DIAMONDS. AND THE STORY OF "X OUPA"

The Russian Imperial House also had something to be proud of. The Romanov scepter is decorated with the world's third largest cut diamond, the Orlov (189.62 carats). According to one version, the Orlov was stolen from the throne of the Persian Shah Nadir in 1747. According to another, it was found in the ruins of an ancient Indian temple in the 17th century and once represented the third eye of a statue of the god Brahma. In 1768, the Armenian merchant Lazarev resold it to Count Grigory Orlov for 400 thousand rubles, nobility and a lifelong pension of 2,000 rubles. Orlov gave the stone to Catherine II and 16 years later the stone adorned her scepter.

A 603-carat white diamond was recently discovered in Lesotho, making it the largest stone of its type discovered in the 21st century. This diamond, called the "Promesse du Lesotho" ("Hope of Lesotho"), is the largest diamond found this century and the 14th largest stone ever discovered - The color of the stone is simply exceptional, grade D, it is considered the most beautiful among diamond connoisseurs.

It is generally accepted that the inhabitants of Europe first became acquainted with the rubies of the East after the campaigns of Alexander the Great, that is, no earlier than the 4th century BC. Color: red in different shades (Latin ruber – red). Chromium oxide gives color. Hardness: 9. Chemical formula: Al 2 O 3. Rubies decorate the famous “Monomakh's Cap”, with which, since 1498, all Russian tsars up to and including Peter I were crowned kings. Mages considered the ruby ​​to be a blood clot of the Dragon, capable of giving unlimited power and having an irresistible effect on people. This was the favorite stone of Ivan the Terrible.

WITH APPHIR Among the many rings of King Solomon, there was one special one. It was decorated with a large transparent gemstone - sapphire. This stone served as a seal with which Solomon could tame the genies. From the Babylonian sipru - “scratching”. Or from Greek. Sapfeiros – “beloved by Saturn.” Color: blue and cyan of various shades, pink, yellow, green, purple. The blue color is due to impurities of titanium and iron. Hardness: 9. Chemical formula: Al 2 O 3.

WITH THE SYMBOL OF WISDOM, POWER, VICTORY AND JUSTICE. N A RUSSI WAS CALLED THE AZULAR YACHONT. One of the largest sapphires was found at the beginning of the 20th century in Ceylon. Even after processing, its weight was 446 carats. But an even larger stone, according to newspapers (more than 3.5 thousand carats!), was found in the American state of North Carolina in 1988 by a stone lover in an abandoned adit, who mistook it for rhinestone and used it as a decoration on my desktop. While wiping off plaque from the stone, its owner noticed the deep sky-blue color that appeared and, after showing his find to a specialist, he learned that it was a sapphire worth several million dollars. (Isn't this a Christmas story?)

THE GREEN COLOR OF EMERALD CALMES THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND RELEASES EYE TENSION Unfortunately, in reality too often things are different, and wonderful emeralds give rise to greed and meanness in their owners. And there are many examples of this. Thus, in 1834, a unique emerald weighing half a kilogram was found in the Urals. The talented stone cutter, the son of a serf peasant, Yakov Kokovin, appointed director of the Ural stone-cutting factory, delayed the shipment of the unique gem to St. Petersburg. A denunciation followed, and a commission from St. Petersburg discovered in Kokovin’s apartment a stone, as it was written, “of the best value, a very grassy color, almost surpassing in value the emerald that was in the crown of Julius Caesar.” The further fate of this “Kokowina Emerald” stone remains unclear. Apparently, he was taken to the director of the department of appanages, Count L. Perovsky. The jewel disappeared from his office. The “noble” count insisted that he did not receive this emerald, accusing Kokovin of theft and hiding state treasures. According to some sources, Kokovin, removed from his post as director of the plant, died in obscurity; according to others, more plausible, he was sent to Yekaterinburg prison, where he hanged himself.

Once upon a time, aquamarines were used to decorate royal crowns and were used as lenses for glasses (the first lenses date back to 1300). In the bright sun they gradually fade and fade to colorless. Aquamarines from various deposits differ in color from sky blue to dark blue. According to legend, thanks to its mystical relationship with sea ​​water(and in fact color similarity), aquamarine amulets protected sailors during voyages. In Russia, large aquamarine crystals are found in Eastern Transbaikalia, in the Ilmen Mountains on Uranus. They are also mined in Ukraine. Beautiful aquamarines are often obtained artificially by firing and then irradiating yellowish-green beryls.

Some aquamarine crystals reach record sizes. Thus, the scepter of the Polish King Stanislaus, 30 cm long, was carved from a single stone, which is kept in the Kremlin Armory. In the museum of the St. Petersburg Mining Institute there is an aquamarine crystal 125 cm long. In the crown of the English kings, a processed Indian aquamarine weighing slightly less than 200 g is inserted. One of the largest aquamarine crystals in the world (if not the largest) was discovered in 1910 in the Marambani deposit near the Mukuri River in Brazil. In a pegmatite vein at a depth of 5 m lay a beautiful transparent hexagonal stone 48.3 cm long and 41 cm in diameter. His weight was 110.2 kg. In the central part its color is blue, turning into light green at the edges, and in the transition zone with a yellowish tint.

Aluminum fluorosilicate Al 2 (OH, F) 2 SiO 4 It comes in a variety of colors and shades due to impurities, pure topaz is colorless, but the most valuable are yellow, pink and blue topazes. Topazes fade in bright sun and can completely lose their color (discolor), topazes are especially sensitive blue color. The energy of the sun's rays, filling the deficiencies of the crystal lattice, discolors the crystals. Therefore, topazes found on the surface of the earth are usually colorless.

It got its name from the ancient name of the Topazos Island in the Red Sea (now San Jones). According to another version, the modern word “topaz” comes from the Sanskrit tapas - “fire”, “flame”, “heat”. Hardness 8. In the Middle Ages it was considered the best remedy against poisoning. Topaz is easily electrified by friction, compression and heat. When processed, topaz is given a variety of cuts: diamond, emerald, fancy, oval, cabochon. Sometimes stone carving is used. Artificial topazes have been produced, but they are unlikely to find wide application: natural stones are cheaper.

The popularity of topaz was also explained by the fact that its golden varieties were considered a talisman that pacifies anger, frees people from violent and dangerous passions, and brings peace and a serene joy of life. No wonder: the deep pale golden color of a transparent stone can really evoke peace, evoke pleasant emotions and associations... Unless, of course, the harsh truth of life makes its significant adjustments. The most prized are pink, dark yellow, and blue topazes. The multicolored varieties of topaz and errors in its diagnosis led to the fact that various stones, primarily commercial ones, came into use under this name: quartz, zircon, citrine, corundum.

From Arab. “agik” baby hair; or from the Agates River, now Dirillo on the island of Sicily, where this stone has been found since ancient times) banded chalcedony, a fine-fibered cryptocrystalline variety of quartz. Hardness 6.57. The color of the layers is predominantly white and gray-blue, less often red (sardonyx) or multi-colored (onyx). When cut, agate patterns can form beautiful subtle patterns, sometimes in the form of ruins, trees, growths of moss, and grass. Already in ancient times, people learned to artificially give layers of agate bright colors. Princess Maria Pavlovna (daughter of Peter I) owned a brooch with the image of the head of the goddess Athena with an olive branch on her helmet and the head of the Gorgon Medusa on her shield.

Since ancient times, jewelry and decorative items have been made from agate: beads, brooches, pendants, bracelets, as well as vases and glassware. Agate beads made in the 5th century BC were discovered in a tomb near Alushta (in Crimea). Agate products are kept in many museums in Russia and other countries. A large agate glass with a diameter of 75 cm, carved from a single stone, is located in the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum. And a Christian legend is associated with a similar product, which is also kept in Austria, not far from Vienna in the Hofburg Palace. When Satan was cast into the abyss of hell, an agate fell from his crown and when it hit the rocks it turned into a cup. The founder of the Order of the Holy Grail, Joseph of Arimathea, allegedly collected the blood of Jesus Christ drop by drop into this vessel. Among different peoples, agate was considered a talisman that protected against poisons, including snake poisons. People believed that it quenched thirst and sharpened vision, gave the owner strength and eloquence, and saved him from everyday and natural storms. Is there any point in such superstitions? Smooth, cool agate (like any quartz) can create a cooling sensation in the mouth on a hot day. Focusing your gaze on quartz patterns stimulates the imagination, distracts you from everyday troubles and, possibly, strengthens your eyesight. This mineral is found in volcanic rocks, lavas, tuffs; It is also found in placers.

Convex images on colored cameo minerals appeared in Greece at the end of the 4th century. BC e. The center of their production was Alexandria. One of the most famous cameos in the world depicts a pair of portraits of the rulers of Egypt, Ptolemy II and his wife Arsinoe. Their images are idealized images reminiscent of the Olympian gods. The work of an unknown Alexandrian master skillfully used the texture and color of three different layers of stone. This masterpiece of ancient glyptics was first mentioned in 1542 when describing the treasures of Ludovico Gonzaga, ruler of the Italian city of Mantua. The cameo changed many owners: it was the property of the Swedish Queen Christina, and was kept in the Vatican in the library of Pope Pius VI. Then the Gonzaga cameo ended up in France, where it fell into the hands of Napoleon's first wife, Josephine Beauharnais. After the defeat of Napoleonic troops, Josephine presented it to Alexander I, who preserved the Beauharnais family's position and income. In 1814, the emperor transferred the “Gonzaga Cameo” to the Hermitage, where it is still kept. Peter Paul Rubens considered it the most beautiful gem in Europe depicting a paired portrait.

Color: from light yellow to brown; red, almost colorless, milky white, blue, black, greenish. Hardness: 2-2.5. Composition: approximately C 10 H 16 O ( fossil resin from the Baltic states - with a predominance of succinite). Amber is the hardened fossil resin of coniferous trees; formed mainly in the Paleogene 50 million years ago. Often, pieces of amber contain inclusions of plants or insects. Ignites from a match.

The world's largest amber deposit is Primorskoye, it is located on the Samland Peninsula (Kaliningrad region). Amber-bearing fine-grained glauconite-quartz clayey sands, the so-called “blue earth”, in the form of a layer with an average thickness of 9 m, lie here under a multi-meter layer of sandy sediments. The deposit is being developed by a quarry. Amber is extracted by hand picking and washing. Only 15% of mined amber is directly suitable for jewelry purposes. The rest serves as raw material for the production of pressed amber or is sent to smelters for processing into technical products (succinic acids, varnish, oil, rosin). Large reserves of amber are also found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea; this is proven by the finds of amber on the beaches and in the shallow waters of all the Baltic states after strong storms, during which surf waves deeply stir up the bottom soil. This “sea amber” is characterized by increased strength and excellent quality. Other areas where amber is distributed are of subordinate importance: Sicily (where it is called “simetite”), Romania (rumenite), Burma (burmite), Canada, some states of the Atlantic coast of the United States, and the Dominican Republic. Amber has been used since prehistoric times as a material for jewelry, objects of worship, it was believed that it relieves diseases. Amber is called the “gold of the North”; it is the very first jewelry stone that man became acquainted with. Nowadays, amber is used to make artistic and decorative items, mouthpieces, smoking pipes, umbrella handles, etc.; It is also widely used in jewelry: inserts into rings, beads, and necklaces are made from it.

After the Soviet troops stormed Königsberg in April 1945, the Amber Room disappeared without a trace. Her further fate still remains a mystery. The search for the Amber Room, organized immediately after the end of the war, did not yield results. At first it was believed that it burned down in the ruins of Königsberg Castle, but since 1946, opinions have increasingly been expressed that the Amber Room survived the fire. Many hypotheses have been put forward where it could be located today: from Königsberg to Coburg, from the salt mines of East Germany to secret vaults and American bank safes. It was even assumed that the Amber Room was on the ship "Wilhelm Gustloff" sunk by Marinesko, or on the cruiser "Prinz Eugen" transferred to the United States as reparations.

Color: white, yellowish, silver, cream, golden, green, blue, gray, black. Hardness: 3-4. Composition:% aragonite, (rarely calcite), 4-13% organic matter (conchiolin), 3-4% (rarely more) water. The word “pearl” is of Chinese-Mongolian origin (the Chinese “gonchu” was transformed in Mongolian pronunciation into “zhenzhu”, and then in Russian “into “pearls”). The word “pearl” came into Russian from Old French, where it came from Latin as a modified form of the word “perna”, the name of a variety of large shells.

Pearls are formed mainly by bivalve mollusks, less often by single-vave mollusks. Pearls consist of nacre, which is an organomineral aggregate of calcium carbonate (usually in the form of aragonite) and horny substance (conchiolin), thin films of which, like glue, bind together concentric layers built from prismatic (closer to the surface of lamellar) microcrystals of aragonite and deposited around a certain center (core). Pearls are nevertheless extremely durable. It is difficult to break them. Pearls come in a variety of sizes: from a pinhead to a pigeon's egg. The largest pearl ever found weighs 450 carats (1,800 grains); it is kept in London, at the South Kensington Geological Museum. The peculiar iridescent shine of pearls, which is called pearly or mother-of-pearl (although pearls usually shine brighter than the mother-of-pearl layer of shells), is due to the reflection of light from overlapping (like roofing shingles or shingles) thin plates of aragonite, interspersed in the shell of the pearl with films of conchiolin. This structure causes diffraction of light on the surface of pearls and the associated iridescent iridescence. The actual color of pearls varies depending on the habitat (water composition) and the type of mollusk that gave birth to them; Essentially, the color of pearls is determined by the color of the upper films of conchiolin. With an uneven, segmental distribution of conchiolin, the pearl acquires a spotted appearance.

The world's largest pearl, Allah, was found in 1934. It weighed 7 kilograms and measured (600 carats) 22.5 cm x 12.5 cm. The Pearl of Allah is the largest ever found. The Indonesian who pulled it out from the bottom of the sea died immediately.

Zodiac signs Capricorn ruby, onyx, garnet, moonstone, lapis lazuli. Aquarius garnet, zircon, sapphire, opal, amethyst, lapis lazuli. Pisces pearls, amethyst, emerald, sapphire, moonstone Aries diamond, ruby, amethyst, moonstone, aquamarine, emerald. Taurus turquoise, sapphire, agate, opal, emerald, jade. Gemini garnet, rock crystal, agate, jasper. Cancer moonstone, emerald, ruby. Leo amber, topaz, ruby, diamond, emerald. Virgo jade, carnelian, sapphire, agate, jasper, malachite, topaz. Libra opal, coral, diamond, sapphire, pearl, moonstone, jasper. Scorpio aquamarine, coral, ruby, moonstone, topaz, malachite. Sagittarius topaz, amethyst, turquoise, opal, sapphire, emerald, agate.

D STATE REGALIA. AND THE IMPERIAL SCEPTER, ORB, CROWN, ORDER CHAIN ​​The Diamond Fund is a unique collection of works by the best jewelers of Russia and the world, rare samples of precious stones and nuggets of precious metals. The Diamond Fund is the richest museum in Russia. Created by Peter I as a repository of state regalia, order badges, and ceremonial jewelry, it was replenished throughout the reign of the Romanov dynasty and later, during the USSR. In the Diamond Fund sunglasses They will be useful even in winter, since it is difficult for the naked eye to withstand such shine. The Diamond Fund houses the most expensive crown in the world, which belonged to Catherine II, which is decorated with almost 5,000 diamonds and 75 pearls. Even the biggest silversmith will not be able to remain indifferent when he sees nuggets of gold and platinum, such as the 36-kilogram “Big Triangle” and the 14-kilogram “Horse’s Head”. Among the historical stones in the Diamond Fund's collection, the world famous diamond"Shah", one of the oldest Indian diamonds with surviving medieval signatures, and the incomparable Colombian emerald.

This article will forever change your opinion about precious and semi-precious stones. If you consider them ordinary pieces of glass, then learn to appreciate jewelry. If these stones already impress you, you will understand why they are loved all over the world.

So. Why is one stone sold by the whole carload, while auctions are held for a gram of another? Why are even expensive minerals divided into precious and semi-precious and cost differently? In the material you will find answers to these and other questions.

What is a gemstone

First, we will define the word “stone” itself. Rocks are rocks and minerals that are formed naturally, that is, without human intervention.

To be called precious, a stone must meet three criteria: to be rare, durable and beautiful. Let's look at each of these characteristics.

1. Rarity of the stone

The rarity of a stone is determined by the difficulty of its occurrence in nature. This complexity has numerical indicators, which we will illustrate using the example of diamond mining - future diamonds.

Miners dig diamond ore out of the ground, from which other specialists then extract diamond crystals. For mining to be profitable, 1 ton of ore must contain at least 0.5 diamond carats. Now imagine the following.

That's not all. Only 20% of all diamonds are suitable for jewelry. The rest goes to technical needs. It turns out that out of 1 carat mined, only 0.20 carats will end up in the jewelry. And this is only 0.040 grams.

From 1 ton of ore, 4/100 of a gram of diamond is obtained. This mass is not enough to insert even into one ring.

Imagine how much work needs to be done, how much land needs to be dug, so that every woman is happy on her engagement day!

2. Durability of the stone

No corporation will develop a complex deposit of stones and minerals that quickly become unusable. No person will buy products with fragile inserts. Therefore, durability is a determining factor for a stone that claims to be precious.

The durability of a gemstone is measured in hundreds and thousands of years.

The same gemstone can be hard and brittle at the same time. For example, diamond is so strong that it is used to test the hardness of other minerals. At the same time, if dropped, this crystal can crack and even break.

3. The beauty of stone

Beauty in precious stones is also a quantifiable concept. For example, the cost is affected by color saturation, degree of refraction sunbeam, color absorption spectrum and other characteristics that professional gemologists check with special devices.

It is unlikely that a person will appreciate all these qualities at one glance. However, when you see a piece of jewelry with a precious stone on your interlocutor or in a showroom, just imagine the characteristics of the mineral, be impressed by the product and appreciate it. Think about how the stone was searched for, how it was evaluated according to all possible criteria, and how it was shaped.

Scientists have learned to synthesize rare stones, but their price is not even close to the prices of natural diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other precious stones. Only a mineral found in the depths of the earth can be considered a real gemstone.

AQUAMARINE works with precious stones that have documents confirming their authenticity. And each diamond in our products also has an evaluation certificate from a gemological laboratory.

A Brief History of Diamonds

It was the Hindus who first began to impart precious properties to stones. Several thousand years BC, Indian rajahs adorned themselves with diamonds found throughout the country. In those days, people did not yet know how to change the original shape of crystals.

According to popular belief, diamonds were brought to Europe by the soldiers of Alexander the Great from the campaigns. Local residents did not appreciate the beauty of uncut stones, and after several decades, kings across the continent began to decorate weapons and armor with cut diamonds. In the 15th century AD, the fashion for wearing diamonds appeared among court women and men.

Since then, thanks to deposits around the world, diamonds have become valued in every corner of the Earth.

What is a semi-precious stone

Manufacturers, sellers and buyers give different names to stones that are slightly cheaper than precious stones. Two equivalent terms are popular: semi-precious and jewelry stones.

Some consider the term "semi-precious stone" to be outdated. Because of the prefix, the half-value of the mineral becomes discredited. The buyer may perceive the stone as inferior and not buy a product with it. Therefore, the term “jewelry stone” came into use. Professionals will understand you if you use any of these terms.

Jewelry (or semi-precious) stones are less beautiful, rare and durable than precious stones. At the same time, they have wonderful properties to decorate your product.

Let's sum it up

1. The weight of gemstones is measured in carats.
2. 1 carat is equal to 0.2 grams.
3. Gemstones have three evaluation criteria: beauty, rarity and durability.
4. From 1 ton of diamond ore you can get no more than 4/100 of a gram of diamond.
5. Leading jewelry manufacturers only use stones with certificates of authenticity.
6. Jewelry and semi-precious stones are equivalent concepts.

Now you have clear knowledge about precious and semi-precious stones, their characteristics, differences and, we hope, appreciate them.

Stay tuned for our next article. In it we will tell you how precious stones are held in jewelry.