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1.What’s the difference between precious and semi-precious, and which stones are which?
2.Is it safe to buy diamonds and other precious gems at the Gem Show?
3.What about quality?
4.What about finished fine jewelry?
5.What’s a carat?
6.What’s the “K” stand for after an amount of gold designation, like
14K, 18K, 22K?
7.I’m concerned about buying a fancy colored stone; it looks fake. Is
it?
8.What are treated gem stones?
  
Make a Comment about the public gem & mineral shows
1.What’s the difference between precious and semi-precious, and which stones are which?
Traditionally, the precious gem minerals are diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Their names alone hold value even if their color is dim or their clarity foggy. All other beautiful stones, most of which are transparent, can be loosely gathered into the category “semi-precious.” Turquoise, lapis lazuli, coral, and amber may also be considered semi-precious. But these distinctions are not hard and fast and shouldn’t guide your buying decision. If you think something’s pretty, you should buy it. Then you can educate yourself about it, collect more pieces, upgrading what you purchase as you become more comfortable and familiar with the particular mineral or substance (amber’s not a mineral, for example; it’s fossil resin from plants).
2.Is it safe to buy diamonds and other precious gems at the Gem Show?
Safe is a relative word, and while it’s true that a lot of fakes exist, Arizona Bead Dog has rarely heard about fakes being sold at the Gem Show. Remember, this is a market that draws not only the uninformed public, but also the expert jewelers from all over the world. Usually, if you ask what something is, you’ll get an honest answer. If the price is too good (another relative term), then you might want to exercise caution. Arizona Bead Dog has found, over the last decade, that you generally get what you pay for. See Interview with Stewart Kuper, Master Gemologist Appraiser.
3.What about quality?
Most of you know that there are many industrial-grade diamonds placed at the ends of powerful machinery to cut or polish other materials or surfaces. The same, essentially, goes for rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. There is the highest gem quality, and there are many lesser grades. So yes, you can buy a strand of ruby rondels or faceted emeralds for $100. You can also find these stones at far cheaper (and far more expensive) prices. And once your $100-strand is made into a necklace, it will retail easily for two to three times that cost. But the finest rubies and emeralds are far more expensive—into the thousands of dollars, and you’ll see the difference in clarity and cut.
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4.What about finished fine jewelry?
There’s plenty of finished fine jewelry, and it’s almost always less expensive than in department stores or jewelry stores. Local businesses probably suffer during the brief two weeks the Gem Show is here, but Arizona Bead Dog believes the gem shows ultimately enhances those businesses’ sales by raising the public’s awareness of what gems are and the differences in quality; the public does and will continue to rely on their jewelers for advice, purchases, and settings. See Interview with Stewart Kuyper, Master Gemologist Appraiser.
5.What’s a carat?
If a vendor is measuring your potential purchase in carats, you’ve probably got a precious stone. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams (.2 grams; 5 carats equals 1 gram). Most other stones and items (like silver and gold) are measured in grams. A gram is 1000 milligrams. (What about 14K? See below.)
6.What’s the “K” stand for after an amount of gold designation, like
14K, 18K, 22K?
The “K” after a number stands for “karat,” which describes the amount of pure gold in an alloy. Each karat is 1/24th of the total amount of pure gold contained in the piece. So 24K is 100 percent pure gold, 10K is less than half pure gold.
7.I’m concerned about buying a fancy colored stone; it looks fake. Is
it?
Brilliant white diamonds shouldn’t be the only item on your precious-stone list. Life’s too short for diamonds alone! One of the most alluring and amazing characteristics about gems is their color and clarity. Mother nature accomplished all the hard work millions of years ago with heat and pressure as the earth formed. So we have emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, of course. But tourmaline is another beautiful stone with its green and pink hues that complement most outfits. There are topazes in multiple colors, rubelites (deep pink-red tourmaline), garnets (many different shades of cranberry to orange), peridots (new-leaf green), and so many others! Take a look at the list under FAQ: About Glass, Pearls, and Other Natural Stones, FAQ 6. It’s a starter list, but more will develop as this site develops. Bottom line: these beautiful, clear stones are not glass; they are creations from Mother Nature enhanced by the human hand. (Of course, there is a lot of glass and crystal at the Shows; confirm with the vendor the nature of what you want to buy, save the receipt or business card.)
8.What are treated gem stones?
Many gem stones are treated to strengthen them (like turquoise; most all of it requires stabilization), to affect color (heating, for example, can enhance or change the colors of some stones), and dyed (to enhance color). These processes are not necessarily intended to deceive, nor do they result in a diminution in value of the stone; however, if you want a completely natural stone, ask about the treatments used on the particular gem you want to buy. Often, completely natural stones of high quality are marketed that way, and you pay more.
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