Thursday, October 2, 2008

Finding The Best Gemstones For Your Money

By Chris Channing

It is not hard work to find high quality gemstones. Specific Values for these gemstones and their varieties are determined by many different factors. Different sizes and varieties of the same gemstone may be worth more.

Lapis Lazuli is a beautiful mineral that is composed of many other minerals. A very valuable type of Lapis is dark blue, and has golden pyrite mixed with it. Veins and other imperfections that are unsightly make it less valuable, but pyrite can change that. Look for Lapis Lazuli that has pyrite attached. Fake Lapis will typically not have pyrite on it or in the stone at all.

Topaz can come in many colors and varieties making it a very beautiful gemstone. Coating a topaz with chemicals can help make it iridescent and extra dazzling. It has been found as clear large boulders in some places and in smaller varieties worldwide. It's color can be changed to shades of blue and pink easily by using irradiation techniques.

Peridot is common and found in almost every country across the globe, but valuable peridot is what is rare and costly. Some jewelers may try to pass off a specific peridot as valuable, when it may just be rather cheap and worthless. It can form as an olive color, or dark brown, or a green shade.

Finding quality gemstones of these varieties can be as simple as going to a gem dealer, but the best places to find them are at the sources. Going to the various places where they are mined or found can yield larger, higher quality stones than the ones you may find at a gem dealer at your home town. Many of the places where you find high quality gemstones mined have a myriad of other gems and minerals available that you may be interested in as well.

The only other places where you may find great quality gemstone samples are online. There is a high degree of risk behind online trading, especially in gemstones and jewels. This can be avoided if you research where these companies get their gemstones from and if you take care in researching their business practices with the Better Business Bureau.

Closing Comments

No one wants cheap and low quality gemstones, so finding high quality pieces can be important to your collection. Jewelry can look gaudy instead of classy if they use cheap stones. Research qualities online, or in bookstores. Don't be shy about asking jewelers plenty of questions! - 15359

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