Gemstones
The difference between a natural and synthetic gemstone
Natural gemstones are either a mineral (found in rocks, pebbles) or organic (found in animals and plants) Synthetic gemstones are from laboratories and are man-made.
Imitation gemstones look like precious or semi-precious but made from cheaper materials e.g. glass or paste. Cubic zirconia, rock crystal and moissanite are imitation diamonds
The main difference between all three is price. Natural stones are more expensive. (e.g. cultured pearls are more expensive than freshwater pearls).
How do you compare the hardness of a gemstone?
Looking to buy a new gemstone piece of jewellery? You may want to take into consideration the hardness of the stone. Your gemstone jewellery is an investment that needs protection from harm; scratching in particular.
Gemstones hardness are measured against a scale called the Mohs hardness scale. The hardest gemstones get a rating closer to 10 on the Mohs scale while the softer gemstones are placed closer to 1
A low Mohs hardness value increase the risk of damage which results in a loss of value and can necessitate expensive repairs.
Hardness of a gemstone on the Mohs hardness scale
- Diamond 10
- Ruby 9
- Sapphire 9
- Topaz 8
- Aquamarine 7.5 – 8
- Emerald 7.5 – 8
- Morganite 7.5 – 8
- Iolite 7 – 7.5
- Tourmaline 7 – 7.5
- Rock crystal 7
- Quartz 7
- Smoky quartz 7
- Amethyst 7
- Citrine 7
- Garnet 6.5 – 7.5
- Chalcedony 6.5 – 7
- Peridot 6.5 – 7
- Tanzanite 6.5 – 7
- Rhodolite 6.5 – 7.5
- Kyanite 6 – 7
- Amazonite 6 – 6.5
- Marcasite 6 – 6.5
- Jade 6 – 6.5
- Moonstone 6 – 6.5
- Opal 5.5 – 6.5
- Sodalite 5.5 – 6
- Lapis Lazuli 5 – 6
- Turquoise 5 – 6
- Pearl 2.5 – 5.5
- Jet 2.5 – 4
- Amber 2 – 2.5
The difference between cultured and freshwater pearls.
Cultured pearls (Sometimes known as saltwater pearls) Japanese Akoya pearls and Southsea pearls are created in saltwater environments. The oyster forms a pearl around an irritant that is delicately inserted into the shell without killing the oyster. The longer the irritant is in the shell, the brighter the lustre and the more expensive the pearl.
Akoya are the roundest and most lustrous pearls in the world.
Freshwater pearls on the other hand are the product of mussels that inhabit freshwater lakes and rivers. Freshwater pearls can be round or irregular in their shapes and exhibit unusual colours.
Freshwater pearls of grey, gold, black, pistachio, mocha, dark cream and blue are colour enhanced with a dye.
This difference is why freshwater pearls are much more affordable.
