Gemstone guide

As a family, Gemmology is very dear to our hearts and is a huge passion for us, which is why we specialise in coloured gemstones. We are proud to have 3 Generations of fully qualified gemmologists in the family and a huge collection of coloured gemstones and rough crystal examples in-house, collected by my grandfather over the years. We have a well equipped gemstone testing area which we also use to pass our knowledge on to our staff. 

When selecting a gemstone a few factors come into play when it comes to the value of a coloured gemstone.

Colour: The more intense, vivid and richer the colour the more valuable, some particular colours of certain gemstones fetching a high price per carat, for example, the famous ‘pigeon blood red’ Burmese Rubies or the warm intense green colour of the Colombian Emeralds. 

Clarity: For gemologists inclusions are a fascinating and well adored part of a coloured gemstone, known as its individual fingerprint, every inclusion tells us a bit about the gemstone whether it be the likely origin, identity or determining if the stone is synthetic or treated. These inclusions are a fascinating part of what nature produces through the stone. Some gemstones are more often than not relatively inclusion free like Aquamarines, and some are almost always included like Emeralds. This being said it is harder to determine a value as easily with clarity in coloured gemstones as opposed to diamonds which is simply the less inclusions the more valuable.

Cut: Certain cuts of gemstone lend themselves well to specific stones, for example the rectangular step-cut known as an ‘Emerald cut’ was developed around the 1500’s by lapidaries to prevent accidental chipping or breakage in the cutting process. A stone may also be cut in a specific shape to either showcase or hide inclusions, or to bring out a richer colour in the stone. So each cut will have been carefully considered for each individual stone to bring the best out of it. 

Carat Weight: A larger gemstone weighing more will add to the value however, colour clarity and cut must also be considered.  If you are looking to purchase a piece and would like to know more about a coloured gemstone please do not hesitate to use our contact page and give us a message.