It is always important when you are buying any kind of jewellery that you buy from a trusted jewellery dealer. This is especially pertinent when you are buying gemstones. It is less important when you are buying plain gold and silver jewellery as this will be hallmarked with the gold or silver weight and purity. Unfortunately as a rule gemstones are not hallmarked in this manner! Genuine gemstone jewellery should come with a certificate and make sure you request one to ensure that you are buying the genuine article.

On the whole gemstones are largely recognisable from colour alone. Deep blue coloured stones are sapphires and red stones are rubies. However, this is a very simplistic categorisation process. The value of the gemstone will depend on several characteristics, such as clarity, carat,
cut and colour.

The clarity of the gemstone relates to its purity. Some stones have tiny inclusions or flecks in the stone which depending on the stone type can either add to the price or detract from it. The carat value of the gemstone relates to the carat weight of the stone. All gemstones are measured in carats, however it doesn’t always follow that the larger the stone the higher the carat weight! The cut of the stone also has a bearing on the price with some cuts being more desirable than others and then there are stones that are not cut into shapes but finished and polished into cabochons. Just make sure whatever gemstone you settle on that you are buying a genuine stone and receiving a certified valuation to prove this. Any hesitation on the part of the jeweller to provide this should give an indication of the authenticity of the product.