Birth Stone Colors
Historically, birthstone jewelry was given to new born babies as a way to welcome them into this world. According to legend, these gems guide the wearer’s ruling planet and influence its motion so as to produce favorable effects on him. It was believed that zodiac gem stones corresponding to a particular month has a heightened power when that month comes thus the tradition of wearing one’s gem never ceased. It is a fun past time even though the healing references are often discounted.
Quality
Like diamonds, birth stones are judged on the same 4 C’s: cut, clarity, color and carat.
Cut is how the stone is faceted. When one has a stone that is proportianally cut, the light will reflect more making the stone appear more vibrant. Cut is not only the shape of a stone. Shapes range from round, pear to heart-shaped. How well gem is facetted affects price more than the actual shape.
Clarity is often thought of as the absense of flaws and cracks. It measures the amount and size of inclusions inside the stone as well as the imperfections on the surface. We have heard of emerald being prone to flaws thus the usual treatment of it with oil.
Carat weight is simply how heavy a gem is. The higher the carat, the more valuable a gem gets.
Gemstone Color
Color, being a readily available aspect of scrutiny of a gem’s quality, is an important consideration when choosing what gem to purchase. A good color makes the gemstone much more desireable to wear and as such increases ithe gems value. Our attitude towards a particular gem might be changed positively or negatively depending on how the gem’s color appeals to us. After all, when we plan to wear our birthstone jewelry, the color is the first to be evaluated by the people around us. When examining a ruby, verify that it’s color is red (not pink). Is it truly red? Often, people determine whether a gem is natural by looking at it’s color.
Birth stone colors are an effect of the gemstones’ absorption of select wavelengths of light labeled as body color. This selective absorption is a result of the presence of impurities and defects on a gem’s physical structure. The color of gemstones consists of three important components, namely: hue, tone, and saturation. Much like how it is taught in art classes, hue is our initial perception of the color. It is the actual color. This is whether a gem is green, red, blue or some other color. Tone, meanwhile, is the lightness or darkness of the color that ranges from light to medium to dark. Thus, we have dark green emeralds or light red rubies. Last component is the intensity with which the color presents. This ranges from dull to strong to vivid. For colored diamonds, the higher their saturation, the greater the value they command.
The chemical composition of a gemstone will determine it’s color. Generally, the presence of Boron in a gemstone affects its conductivity which results to a blue color while the occurrence of Nitrogen yields a yellow one. The presence of metals like iron and manganese produce a purple color in gemstones. Exposure to radiation meanwhile, often makes a gems color more intense.
Other Factors
For synthetic gemstones, there are also various factors that affect their colors. The exposure to fluorescence is one. Other factors include high temperature, high pressure and irradiation, a process which is used to actually change the color of gemstones.
Possible Birthstone Color Meanings
According to legend, each birth stone helps in a different way. Garnet often is used to mean friendship. Amethyst has been used for both spirituality and royalty. It also keeps the wearer quick-witted and light-headed. Aquamarine, the birth stone for March, cools the temper resulting to calmness in feeling. Its light greenish blue color reminds the wearer of spring and the sea. Emerald, with its green color, symbolizes rebirth and good fortune. The redness of Ruby signifies love and passion, thus it is a favorite among makers of engagement rings.
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