expert answers to common gemstone questions covering quality, authenticity, certification, pricing, treatments, value, and gemstone care tips.
Yes, a gemstone that is poorly cut can be helped a lot by a process called recutting, which may boost its sparkle, its colour, and also its symmetry in a noticeable way. Still, the recutting part, which is unavoidable, means material gets taken away. Because of that, the stone’s overall carat weight will be permanently…
A qualified jeweller, with proper gemmological training, can generally spot most gemstones with the usual testing gear. But a retail jeweller without training cannot really nail down tricky synthetics or newer, upgraded treatments, unless they have specialised lab instruments on hand. Simple checks, like telling a sapphire from plain glass or a diamond from cubic…
Yes, gemstone certificates can be and often are forged by unscrupulous sellers to represent synthetic, treated, or plain low-quality stones as extremely valuable natural gems. In other words, buyers should always confirm the certificate straight from the issuing gemmological laboratory, not just trust the paper. There are also high-quality fake reports that look like they…
Yes, high-quality, untreated gemstones are incredibly rare, and they make up a very small share of what the global gemstone market moves every year. Actually, finding a raw, earth-mined stone that shows strong natural colour saturation, plus clear optics without any human intervention in the process, well, that feels like a geological anomaly. Since nature…
Treated gemstones are usually worth less than the natural, untreated versions with the same shade, size, and clarity. Even though normal heat treatment is pretty accepted across the trade, stronger kinds of processing really slash the stone’s resale value. Nearly 90% of sapphires and rubies go through routine heat treatment to boost the colour and…
Yes, Sri Lankan rubies are quite valuable, though they are usually a bit lighter in tone than the well-known deep-red Burmese rubies. You often see bright purplish-red or pinkish-red, and with high clarity, untreated Sri Lankan rubies can fetch very strong prices in the gem market. Sri Lanka is much more famous for sapphires; still,…
Yes, Sri Lankan gemstones are seen as among the most ethically sourced in the world; at least that’s what many people say. Sri Lanka keeps firm rules on the environment and labour, and the industry leans heavily on artisanal, low-impact digging, where heavy machinery is usually not used, and child labour is prevented. In Sri…
Yes, most of the spinels you see in the global gem market are completely natural and untreated. Unlike sapphires and rubies, spinels usually do not handle heat treatment well, so their vivid colours and strong clarity are mostly earth-mined traits. This limited enhancement pathway makes spinel especially valued by gem collectors and serious connoisseurs, who…
Sapphires are really outstanding for daily wear because they have exceptional strength and a tough surface. Like rubies, they come in at a 9 on the Mohs scale, so they are very resistant to scratches, chipping, and the daily rigours of life. Since they belong to the corundum mineral family, sapphires are structurally sturdy, and…
Yes, rubies are a really excellent option and also quite durable for engagement rings. If you look at the Mohs hardness scale, they score a 9, and they are second only to diamonds, so they stay pretty protected against scratches and the usual daily wear. Besides the strong physical toughness, rubies do not have cleavage,…