Gemstone Articles

Mineral specimens are nature's sculptures found in an infinite variety of shapes, colors and arrangements.

Discover the beautiful differences between natural and artificial gemstones.

With some good tips, you can build the best rare gemstone collection for your budget.

Gemstone shape and gemstone cut are often confused. What most people call cut is actually the stone's shape. So what exactly is the difference?

Learn how luster, brilliance, dispersion, refraction and scintillation all attribute to a gemstone's overall beauty.

Gemstone colors can be amazing, yet most people are unable to explain why we see these rich, vibrant hues.

It's difficult to differentiate zircon from cubic zirconia so here are a few facts to help.

When it comes to describing a gemstone’s appearance, luster refers to how a gem’s surface looks when it reflects light.

Determining whether your gemstone is transparent, translucent or opaque will help you catalogue your gemstones.

Morganite, the sister stone to emerald and aquamarine, didn't always have a special name. For many years morganite was known simply as pink beryl.

Dispersion is the display of color in a gemstone and may be classified as not observable, moderate, strong or very strong.

Phenomenal gemstones exhibit unique and stunning optical characteristics like cat's-eyes, color change and more.

Discover the difference between gemstone weight and gemstone size.

Learn how multiple gemstone materials can be combined into beautiful new creations that can be worn and appreciated with doublets and triplets, inlays, mabe pearls and reconstructed gem materials.

Spinel is one of the best-kept secrets for avid gem lovers and collectors.

Learn the optical properties of gemstones including play of color, star and cat's eye.

Investigate the 4 Cs of diamond grading, diamond carat weight, diamond clarity, diamond color and diamond cut to help you buy the best diamond for you.

Discover how to identify gemstones with this gemstone identification guide.

Look at a loupe and learn all about its optical and interesting qualities!

Learn about chrome diopside, a bright green gemstone that has an extreme story.

Discover phenomenal color change gemstones such as alexandrite, fluorite, sapphire and garnet, and learn all about gemstone phenomena and gemstone color change.

Learn the story of petrified wood: a unique fossil that transitioned from wood to stone joined by unique minerals.

Marvel at moldavite, a gemstone that has captivated humanity for millennia. Discovered again in 1908, this gemstone from space is truly out of this world.

The hardness of gem materials is an important measurement we can easily understand through the Mohs Hardness Scale. Austrian geologist and mineralogist, Friedrich Mohs, created this standard comparison of the hardness of one gem material against another 200 years ago.

At a quick glance, lapis lazuli and sodalite can be mistaken for each other, but here we’ll tell you more about each of them and how to tell them apart.

Learn how the word jade refers to two different gemstones, jadeite and nephrite. Although jade refers to both, jadeite and nephrite have their own story to tell.

Ruby and rubellite almost sound the same and have similar shades of red. The truth is they are two different gemstones altogether.

Spinel is one of the best-kept secrets for avid gem lovers and collectors.

Learn all about garnet, the birthstone for January, including the meaning, properties, history and varieties of this gemstone of many colors.

Learn all about amethyst, the birthstone for February, including the meaning, properties, history and more.

Learn all about aquamarine, the birthstone for March, including the meaning, properties, history and varieties of this gemstone.

Learn all about the birthstone for April, including the meaning, properties, history and varieties of this gemstone.

Learn all about emerald, the birthstone for May, including the meaning, properties, history and more.

Learn all about pearl, the birthstone for June, including the meaning, properties, history and varieties of this gemstone.

Learn all about the birthstone for July, including the meaning, properties, history and more.

Learn all about peridot, the birthstone for August, including the meaning, properties, history and more.

Learn all about sapphire, the birthstone for September, including the meaning, properties, history and varieties of this gemstone.

Learn all about opal, the birthstone for October, including the meaning, properties, history and varieties of this gemstone.

Learn all about citrine, the birthstone for November, including the meaning, properties, history and varieties of this gemstone.

Learn all about blue topaz, blue zircon, tanzanite and turquoise.