Any rough mineral or other material natural or synthetic, which possesses the necessary attractiveness, brilliance, beauty, rarity, color dispersion, refraction, color or colorless, flawless, portability, fashionably, and durability for use in gem industr
The quality of resistance or property of minerals, gemstones, etc., which is determined by reference to an empirical scale of standard of minerals. Hardness is the resistance of a mineral offered to abrasion or scratching (scelerometric). The absolute har
First and foremost, we need to look at the quality and strength of the color change. A strong change where the colors are bright and attractive under any kind of light is most desirable. Many stones are either a beautiful green in daylight or a nice pinki
This is a technique used to make certain synthetic gemstones such as emerald, ruby, spinel, quartz, Alexandrite, YAG, etc., man-made crystals growing in a high melting solvent or flux. The material or composition of desired synthetic crystal (beryllium an
There are four major methods of changing the colors of gemstones. These are surface painting or foiling the back, oiling, coating, impregnating, staining of porous stones, heat treatment, and irradiation by particles of atomic size and X-rays. The color c
The classification of fashioned gemstones or diamonds according to their clarity using the standard nomenclature of terms: flawless, pure, clean, perfect (for top grade). VVS (very very slightly included), VS (very slightly included), SI (slightly include
Named after Russian Tsar Alexander II. A highly dichroic, rare variety of chrysoberyl. Emerald green in natural daylight, reddish in violet by artificial light, due to its unusual absorption properties. One of the hardest and most important gemstones. A f
A light-colored, coarse-grained igneous rock from granite clan containing orthoclase, quartz, microline, mica, gemstones, and many ferromagnesian minerals resulting from slow solidification. Pegmatite is occurring place of many uncommon gem minerals such
A special optical occurrence, or circumstance observed or are visible in certain gemstones such as chatoyancy, asterism, or play of color, adularescence, girasol, labradorescence, opalescence, schiller, etc.
A very hard, light-gray, ductile, malleable, metallic element of the group V of the Periodic System with the symbol V. It is one of the 8 pigment metals responsible for color in gemstones such as beryl, sapphire (natural or synthetic). Used as a component
A device for cleaning dirt and other foreign particles from gemstones and jewelry articles by subjecting them to ultrasonic vibrations immersed in water or other solvent. The articles must be free of stress flaws. Glass lenses and other bodies can be poli
To result something of a genuine article or natural gemstone or simulate it from any material that imitate by its color, the appearance of a natural gemstone. Imitation gemstone having wholly different physical properties and chemical composition, and hen
The most well known gemological laboratories are listed below and all of them are equipped to test alexandrite. Most gemological laboratories only identify gemstones, they do not appraise them.
Fine alexandrites or alexandrite jewelry can be purchased from jewelers specializing in colored gemstones, at trade shows, from TV sellers, at high end jewelry auctions, or online from websites specialized in alexandrite. You would be unlikely to find a h
An optical effect, possessed by certain translucent gemstones in reflecting light, in which a movable, wavy or silky sheen is concentrated in a narrow band of white light that changes its position, when the gem is turned. This is a characterized of cat's
With a hardness of 8.5, Alexandrite is a tough, hard, and durable gemstone that doesn't require any special attention. Still, even the hardest gemstones can shatter with a single well-placed blow so caution is always a good idea. Washing dishes with your
Although Russian alexandrites have the most historical value, fine stones are occasionally available from deposits in Brazil, India, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, there has been little production of alexandrites from any deposit in r