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A semi-precious gem stone is considered a piece of mineral used to make jewellery and ornaments after going through its cutting and polishing state. Several other rocks can also be used to make these adornments such as lapis lazuli and several other organic materials like amber. Gemstones are generally hard so some soft minerals are incorporated during the jewellery making processes due to their aesthetic look and lustre. Another characteristic feature of a real gem stones is its rarity which adds to the value of gemstones

Characteristics and Classification of Gemstones

The ancient Greeks started the traditional classification with differentiation between precious and semi-precious. Today, modern usage considers precious stones to include diamond, ruby sapphire and emerald, counting all other gemstones in the category of semi-precious.  These distinctions are based on the rarity and quality with their translucent appearance and fine colour (not inclusive of the colourless diamonds of the different stones back in the day. Classifications of other r stones are also done by colour, their translucent look and form (hardness). Gems are generally identified by gemmologists who adopt the technical terminology to describe and characterise gems. Firstly, a gemmologist characterises a gemstone using its chemical composition.  Typical examples are with diamonds which are made of carbon and rubies which are made of aluminium oxide. More so, many gems are classified using the crystal system.  Examples of crystal forms some of these gems can have are cubic, monoclinic and trigonal. Gemstones are also classified by habit which is usually the form in which the gem is found in. Diamonds for example have the cubic crystal system, and in terms of habit, they are found as octahedrons. Other ways to classify gemstones are in groups, species and varieties. A typical example is ruby which is a red variety of the corundum species. Other colours in the same species of Corundum are considered as sapphire. Another example is given with Emerald which is the green variety of the species aquamarine. Another form of classification of gems is in terms of their water look, which in a broader concept is in terms of their brilliance, transparency and /or lustre.

In terms of the value of gemstones, there is no grading system that is universally accepted. Diamonds for example are graded through a system formed by Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) which was in the early 1950s. in those days, gemstones were graded using the eyes.  The colour of a gemstone, its clarity, cut and carats are used today to grade any gemstone, to help the consumer.

Colour and clarity remain some of the important characteristics that make gemstones valuable. Emerald for example has a number of cuts and uneven colour distribution and attractive star effects, one of the characteristics Greeks look out for in gemstones which they consider powerful love charms. It is also believed that Helen of Troy wore this particular corundum.

The rate at which Gemstones are sought and valued, Getting these gems in their original forms can sometimes be tricky. However, there is a reliable source from which you can get your semi-precious gems.one of the sources I know you can get your gems from is based in India. His name is Harish Tokas. You can contact him on +91965013680. He deals on silver and all manner of assorted jewelleries too. Just few weeks of setting up this business, he has received numerous offers from distributors all over the world wanting to partner with him, which means, both retail and wholesale interests are free to contact him. In the mean time here is his face book page. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harrys-Gems-and-Silver/255090157990820