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.