2) WHAT CREATES THE VALUE OF A GEMSTONE?



The value of Gemstones is related to both supply and demand. For a Gemstone to be in demand it must be both beautiful and durable. If there is little demand the value of the Gemstone will never be high. Some of the demand is created by fashion which may be short lived after which the value of the Gemstone may decrease.

On the other hand, if the supply is unlimited, market competition will keep the price from rising. Larger Gemstones are more costly per carat than smaller stones as they are more rare. In most mining sites less than 5% of the Gemstones recovered are of high quality, so that the better clarity and color escalates the price. Many Gemstones are found only in places where the climate, (physical, economical and political) is hostile or unstable. This directly affects the supply and if the demand remains constant the prices will increase.



3) WHY IS THERE SUCH A SPREAD IN THE VALUE OF SOME GEMSTONES?



The spread in the price of a Gemstone most often signifies a difference in quality as determined by the color, the clarity, and the cut of the stone. A higher price may have been affected by an increase in world prices at the time of purchase. A relatively low price could indicate a fortuitious purchase. We try to keep our prices relative to our costs.



4) WHAT ARE CALIBRATED STONES?



Historically, Gemstones were always cut to retain as much of their weight as possible. This meant that almost every stone was a different shape and size so that jewelry had to be individually hand crafted. Most jewelry manufacturers wanted stones of standard shapes and sizes so that they could produce identical pieces. Ultimately the shapes and sizes in the accompanying table were agreed upon.

If you require matching pairs or sets you should confine your order to calibrated sizes as they are more readily available. Non calibrated sizes are usually less expensive per carat since less weight is lost in their shaping. However, they are usually not available in matching pairs or sets. Very high priced gemstone rough such as Diamond or fine Ruby and Emerald are not often cut into calibrated sizes because of the loss in weight.

Many of the stones in our inventory are non-calibrated and are one of a kind . The stones that are of calibrated sizes as described in the following table are usually available in matched sets for size and color.

If necessary, for your convenience we can place a five day hold on any of our unique pieces. Just Contact Us.

Diagram	Shape	Formula	Examples
	Round	Length=Width	2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, etc.
	Oval	Length=Width+2mm.	5x3mm, 6x4mm, 7x5mm etc.
	Antique Cushion	Length=Width+2mm	5x3mm, 6x4mm, 7x5mm etc.
	Emerald Cut,Octogon	Length= Width+2mm	5x3mm, 6x4mm, 7x5mm etc
	Rectangular,Cushion	Length= Width+2mm	5x3mm, 6x4mm, 7x5mm etc.
	Baguette	Length=2x Width	3x1.5mm, 4x2mm.
	Heart Shape	Length=Width	4x4mm,5x5mm,6x6mm,etc.
	Pear Shape	Length=Width+2mm	5x3mm, 6x4mm, 7x5mm etc.
	Marquise	Length=2x Width	4x2mm, 5x2.5mm, 6x3mm. etc.
	Trilliant	3 Equal Sides	4x4x4mm, 5x5x5mm, etc.

5) WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TECHNICAL DATA AT THE TOP OF EACH PRODUCT PAGE?


Moh's scale of hardness --- Quartz, Moh's hardness #7, is the most common hard mineral in the surface of the earth so it is usually present in most dirt or dust. A Gemstone that is less than #7 in hardness will usually be scratched if you wipe dirt or dust from it. If you are using a stone of hardness less than #7 you should gently soak and brush away the dirt when cleaning the gemstone.


Refractive Index - (R.I.) --- Is the measure of how much the Gemstone refracts or bends light passing through it. A stone with a low R.I. (i.e. below 1.55) should be left deeper when cut in order to return the maximum amount of incoming light to the viewer and therefore be more brilliant and more intense in color . If your mount requires a shallower stone, use one with a higher R.I.


Specific Gravity --- is the measure of the weight of the Gemstone relative to the weight of an equal volume of water. The higher the Specific Gravity the more a gemstone of a certain size will weigh. By the same token a stone of a given weight will be larger if the Specific Gravity is lower.

6) ARE THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWN ON YOUR WEBSITE ACTUAL STONES FROM YOUR STOCK?

The group pictures of stones at the top of each product page are of actual stones from our stock. The pictures of the single stones on each price table are also from our stock but some have been colorized to represent the various species. The photographs cannot match the beauty of seeing the actual Gemstones.


7) WHAT DO THE STOCK NUMBERS SUCH AS "AMOV7.0x5.0b" MEAN?

a) The first two letters denote the Species as follows

b) The third and fourth letter denotes the cut or shape of the Gemstone.

c) The four letters are followed by the size in millimeters from column one of the Price Tables. Sizes are usually within 0.1 mm. Lenghts of bracelets and necklaces are given in inches.

d) If the size is followed by an a, b, or c, etc. it signifies that there are various qualities of this item which are graded by price.

e) All stones are well cut and eye clean unless specified otherwise.

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