Inclusions are like a gemstone’s “fingerprints.” They are tiny bits of other minerals or liquids trapped inside the stone while it was growing underground millions of years ago. Common inclusions include:
Many people confuse these terms, but they are very different: Hardness: Measures a stone’s resistance to scratching (using the Mohs scale). Toughness: Measures a stone’s resistance to breaking, chipping, or fracturing from a hard blow. Example: A Diamond is the hardest (10), meaning it won’t scratch easily, but it is not the “toughest.” A hard…
Though they sound exactly the same, they measure completely different things in the jewelry world:TermWhat it MeasuresCarat (ct)The physical weight of a gemstone. (1 carat = 0.2 grams).Karat (k)The purity of gold. 24K is pure gold, while 18K means it is 75% gold and 25% other metal alloys.
Criteria Description Color The hue, tone, and color saturation of the gem. For colored stones, this is usually the single most important factor. Clarity The absence of internal flaws (inclusions) or surface blemishes. Clearer stones reflect light better and are more valuable. Cut How skillfully the stone has been shaped and faceted to maximize its…
Opals are unique because they don’t have a single solid color. When light hits the internal structure of an opal—which consists of tiny silica spheres—the light bends and splits, creating flashes of every color of the rainbow that seem to jump and dance as you rotate the stone. This phenomenon is strictly called “Play-of-Color.”
This magical-looking trait is caused by the way certain stones absorb different wavelengths of light depending on the light source. The most famous example is Alexandrite, which looks green or bluish-green in natural sunlight, but turns purplish-red under incandescent indoor lighting. This is known as the “Alexandrite Effect.”
Some gemstones, particularly diamonds, have a fascinating property where they emit visible light when exposed to invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays. If you place a diamond under a UV light (often called a “black light”), it might glow a soft blue, or occasionally yellow or green. It’s like the stone has a secret glow-in-the-dark hidden life!