WHAT IS A GEM?

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WHAT IS A GEM?
by Don Clark CSM Emerald, ruby, opal, gems and jewels !"ese words "a#e been $n our #ocabulary %or t"ousands o% years Howe#er, de%$n$ng w"at a gemstone $s "as pro#en to be a major c"allenge &ot %or e#eryday people w$t" common sense, but %or t"ose le'$cograp"ers w"o "a#e a need to prec$sely de%$ne eac" work $n our language Most gems are minerals that have been chosen for their beauty and durability, then cut and polished for use as human adornment. !"$s de%$n$t$on co#ers t"e #ast major$ty o% t"e t"$ngs we regard as gems !"e problem $s, t"at %or e#ery de%$n$ng %eature, t"ere $s an e'cept$on Most gems are m$nerals but some, notably pearls and amber, are organ$cs !"at means t"ey were created by l$#$ng organ$sms !"e coat$ng o% a pearl $s m$neral w"$c" $s con%us$ng some %olks (y de%$n$t$on t"oug", a m$neral must be created $n t"e eart" Hence, pearls %all $nto a d$%%erent category Amber began l$%e as tree sap A%ter m$ll$ons o% years $t "as undergone a trans%ormat$on $nto a polymer, a natural plast$c !"$s most de%$n$tely $sn)t a m$neral, but $t "as been regarded as a gem %or *,+++,s o% years

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!"e ne't 1ual$%$cat$on $s t"at t"ey are c"osen %or t"e$r beauty It would be redundant to say t"at beauty $s $n t"e eyes o% t"e be"older !"ere are gems I don)t t"$nk are beaut$%ul, l$ke t"e 2epto ($smol p$nk and ol$#e green o% unak$te Howe#er, I lo#e some brown gems w"$c" are o%ten used $n t"e eart" tone jewelry t"at $s so popular today !o ot"er %olks, brown $s not a beaut$%ul color, br$ng$ng up $mages o% d$rt Durab$l$ty $s usually a "$g" pr$or$ty $n c"oos$ng a gem, but two o% "$stor$es most popular gems are part$cularly del$cate 2earls are generally cons$dered to "a#e a l$%e span o% about a century !"at $s because t"ey are so%t and t"e s$mple act o% w$p$ng t"e dust o%% o% t"em slowly wears t"e sur%ace coat$ng away And woe be to t"e woman w"o puts "er pearls on be%ore us$ng "er "a$r spray and atom$3ed per%ume !"ese can ser$ously sta$n and damage pearls 4pals "a#e been one o% t"e most pr$3ed gems t"roug"out "$story, but t"ey are notor$ously del$cate !"ey "a#e a water content and as t"ey dry out t"ey may crack !"$s $s usually done be%ore t"ey are cut and put $nto jewelry, but many a tear "as been s"ed o#er t"ose t"at cra3ed long a%ter t"ey were pa$d %or 4pals are also %rag$le and can break w$t" t"e sl$g"test bump &ot to ment$on "eat sens$t$#e I knew one poor lady w"o "ad a pr$3ed opal set $n a brooc", w"ere $t wasn)t l$kely to be damaged 4ne n$g"t s"e wore $t to a C"r$stmas party As s"e went %rom t"e warmt" o% "er "ouse $nto t"e cold w$nter n$g"t, $t s"attered w$t" an aud$ble crack So muc" %or beauty and durab$l$ty, "ow about cutt$ng and pol$s"$ng/ &ow, more so t"an a decade or two ago, us$ng w"ole crystals $n jewelry $s 1u$te popular &atures crystals can be e'cept$onally beaut$%ul and some people bel$e#e t"ey "a#e spec$al propert$es t"at are en"anced w"en le%t w"ole So, let)s not $ns$st t"at our gems be cut and pol$s"ed e$t"er !"e last 1ual$%$cat$on t"at $s usually assoc$ated w$t" a gemstone $s t"at $s be used %or "uman adornment !"ere are about 5,+++ m$nerals t"at "a#e been cut and pol$s"ed and adm$red %or t"e$r beauty 4% t"ese, only about a "undred

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WHAT IS A GEM? - International Gem Society IGS

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s"ow up $n jewelry !"e rest are s$mply too del$cate to wear well !"ey are str$ctly $n t"e doma$n o% t"e collector I %eel sorry %or t"e le'$cograp"ers w"o "a#e struggled to de%$ne w"at a gemstone $s !"ere s$mply $sn)t a conc$se de%$n$t$on t"at co#ers all t"e elements t"at "a#e been regarded as gems t"roug"out t"e centur$es 9or t"e a#erage person t"oug", you can recogn$3e a gem at %$rst glance< !o "eck w$t" t"e de%$n$t$ons, $% $t makes your eyes l$g"t up, $t $s a true gem<

WHAT IS IT? $y Don "lar+ "SM

!"e allure o% gemstones $s t"e$r %antasy o% color and l$g"t 2eople "a#e been $ntr$gued by beaut$%ully colored stones s$nce t$me $mmemor$al !"e lo#e o% gems "asn)t c"anged, but we now "a#e a #ery sc$ent$%$c element to contend w$t" As muc" as I lo#e t"e sc$ence o% gemology, $t "as t"e un%ortunate s$de e%%ect o% "a#$ng taken muc" o% t"e myst$1ue and romance out o% our stones Gemology only became recogn$3ed as a sc$ence $n t"e *=5+, s Up unt$l t"at t$me all transparent, red gems were cons$dered rub$es, blue ones sapp"$res and green ones emeralds !oday, as a pro%ess$onal, t"e only t"$ng I can call an emerald $s a crystall$3ed beryll$um, alum$num s$l$cate w$t" trace amounts o% c"rom$um >"oopee< !oday)s pro%ess$onals call beaut$%ul green gems names l$ke tsa#or$te, tourmal$ne and d$ops$de I% t"ey look l$ke emeralds to you, t"at)s wonder%ul< >"$le t"at may not %$t today)s prec$se sc$ent$%$c descr$pt$on, you st$ll "a#e t"e poet$c and romant$c sense o% t"e word correct<
See related articles /y cate-ory1 An Introduct$on to Gemology2 Gemology2 ?e%erence .$brary

*+8 .oupe, !"e Gemolog$sts (est 9r$end Center:%used Color !reated Gemstones ;

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