A gemstone is the naturally occurring crystalline form of a mineral, which is desirable for its beauty, valuable in its rarity and durable enough to be enjoyed for generations.

There are more than 40 popular gem varieties and many rarer collector gemstones. Although some gemstone varieties have been treasured since before history began and others were only discovered recently, they are all nature's gifts to us. Learning some tips for shopping gemstones will definitely be beneficial for you.

Four essentials in choosing a gemstone are Cut, Color, Carat and Clarity. We have introduced them separately but here we would like to share some practical tips when shopping for Gemstones.

Choosing Gemstone Cut

Gemstone Cut is one of the most important traits when buying a gemstone since the way the stone is cut will in many cases determine its brilliance and fire. Most gemstones are mined and found in the rough and certain ways of cutting will maximize their beautiful colors and sparkle by showcasing the gemstone's color, diminishes its inclusions, and exhibits good overall symmetry and proportion.

A well-cut gemstone is symmetrical and reflects light evenly across the surface, and the polish is smooth, without any nicks or scratches. In other words, a well-cut gemstone has the right angles and proportions to release the inner brilliance of the stone and project its maximum amount of fire and sparkle while a poorly cut gemstone is a "dull" stone that may even have some "dead" spots inside

Usually, Asymmetrical crystals lend themselves to a Fancy Cut style which can follow the best attributes of the rough stone while eliminating or avoiding cleavage planes, internal flaws, and inclusions. Popular fancy cuts include Baguette, Marquise, Princess, Square Brilliant, "Heart", Briolette, Pear, and the Trillion. Besides, Concave gem faceting cuts are a relatively new trend invented in the early 1990s.The unique conical-shaped faceting creates a high amount of brilliance by refracting and dispersing more incident light than a conventional gem facet cut.

Choosing Gemstone Color

Color is the spectrum that a gemstone shows in a natural light. Gemstone color is usually the defining trait of a gemstone since most often gemstones and minerals are chosen above all else for their color. While some gemstones come in many varieties of color, others come only in one or two colors at most. While tastes and fashion sensibilities change throughout the years, certain colors are always popular. Usually the most popular colors are the primary colors; they include red, blue and green.

When shopping for gemstones, make sure you understand how the color is rated and if the color has any effect on price or value of the stone. When deciding upon gemstone color, examine it from the aspects of hue, tone and saturation:

Hue --- the most valuable gemstones are those that exhibit a pure color and only "slight" hues of other colors in addition to their primary color;

Tone--- is described as "light," "medium-light," "medium," "medium-dark," and "dark", represents the depth of color, ranging from colorless to black;

Saturation---or color purity, refers to the degree to which the gem is free from brown or gray hues.

Besides of the above mentioned deep consideration, you may first identify the colors that you wear the most, and that make you look and feel your best. Then you may choose gemstones that match your previous colors, or you can use gems to add brightness or contrast.

Choosing Gemstone Carat

One of the terms that you will surely come in contact with if you are shopping for a gemstone is the word carat. Carat is a unit of mass and weight that gemstone weight is usually measured in is used. One "Carat" equals to 0.2 grams (200 milligrams or 3.086 grains) or 0.007 ounce. One carat can also be divided into "points" with one carat being equal to 100 points, and with each point being 2 milligrams in weight. This measurement of weight is only for the total mass of the gemstone and has nothing to do with the gem's quality or color.

Since the collection value of Gemstone lies in its weight, carat is a good indicator of gemstone size when comparing jewelry items that contain the same type of gemstone. Of the same type and quality, the gemstone with a bigger carat weight values higher. But remember that carat may not be as useful when comparing different gemstones with different densities. By the way, when a single piece of jewelry has multiple stones, the total mass of all diamonds or gemstones is referred to as "Total Carat Weight" or "T.C.W."

Is it always the bigger the better? Maybe it is. However, it is always the more proper the better.

Choosing Gemstone Clarity

The term "Clarity" refers to the presence or absence of tiny imperfections (inclusions) within the stone, and/or on the surface of the stone caused during its formation or during the cutting process. When the marks occur on the surface, they are known as blemishes while when these marks occur internally, they are called inclusions.

Even though these imperfections serve as the "fingerprint" of a stone and make each one unique. However, inclusions and other flaws can interfere with the passage of light through a stone, diminishing its sparkle - therefore, the fewer (or smaller) the inclusions, the more valuable the gemstone.

At Legend Blue, we offer Clean, Eye Clean and Slightly Eye Visible colored gems.

Clean--- Few, very small inclusions or finish faults, difficult for a trained eye to see under 10x magnification.

Eye Clean--- Small inclusions or surface blemishes easily seen using 10x magnification, but not visible face-up to a naked trained eye.

Slightly Eye Visible--- Inclusions or finish faults visible using 10x magnification, but hard to see or see only slightly with the naked human eye.

Always, choosing the grade suitable for your wearing weighs more than the grade itself is.