INTRODUCTION TO GEMOLOGY

Gemology is the science of those minerals and other

materials

which

posses

suffi cient

beauty

and

durability to make them desirable as gemstones. It is

concerned

with

the

evaluation,

fashioning,

identifi cation,
and

other

grading,

aspects

of

gemstones. In this project I personally learned about

varied gemstones, diamonds and gem minerals which
are

of

great

importance

in

jewellery

trade

and

industry.

NINE GEMSTONES
Diamond: It is the most precious and
rare, gemstone. Most attractive to the
eye, the diamond is famous for its play
of

colours:

It

is

the

most

hardest

gemstone. A fi ne diamond is radiant &

delightful. It has a self luminous quality of a clear
crystal.
Diamond is a gemstone for the planet "Venus".
Emerald: This gemstone is rare because it is very
diffi cult

to

fi nd

fl awless

emerald.

Aquamarine,

morganite goshenite & heliodor are also members of

the beryl family
beryl

family)

(Emerald is a member of

and

have

same

chemical

constituents, except from chromic oxide

which gives emerald green colour.

Emerald is a gemstone for planet "Mercury".

Ruby : The ruby is found in a variety of crimson and
scarlet red colours ranging from pink
to

deep

ruddy

violet

colour.

The

gemstone is solid and possesses high

specifi c gravity. The red tint in ruby
comes

from

light

combination

of

iron

and

chromuim. The fi nest quality ruby has a delicate rose

colour.
Ruby is a gemstone for the planet "Sun".
Yellow Sapphire : Yellow sapphire is found in yellow,
golden and orange colours as well as in a colourless
variety known as

white

The best gem is

said

lemon-yellow

colour.

in

sapphire is due to

the

yellow
presence

Yellow

of

Sapphire

sapphire.
to
The

be

of

colour

iron and titanium.

is

gemstone

for

the

planet

"Jupiter".
Blue Sapphire : Some times blue Sapphire, rubies
and white sapphires are found in the same
mine and that is why there is a mixture of
colours

in

the

crystals

of

these

gems.

Except red all other colour are consider as Sapphire.

Blue Sapphire Crystals are also found as twelve sided
prisms.
Blue Sapphire is a gemstone for the planet "Saturn".

Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye : Cat's eye is an aluminate of

beryllium

having

araces

of

oxide

of

iron

and

chromium which serve as colouring agents

and give it brownish and greenish tinges. The
chrysoberyl mineral produces three types of
gems :
a. Alexandrite
b. Cat's eye
c. Chrysolite
It contain a chatoyancy eff ect in which a light ray
move in a particular direction.
Chrysoberyl cat's eye is a gemstone for the planet
"Ketu".
Hessonite Garnet (Gomed) : A good quality gomed
gemstone is one

that

colour

the

urine of a cow. That

is, having a nice

honey colour. It is a

silicate

zirconium

of

of

refl ects

the

and

is

commonly found in igneous rocks but is fairly rare as

a gemstone. It also comes in blue, green & white
colour.
Hessonite

Garnet

is

gemstone

for

the

planet

"Rahu".
Coral : Coral is an organic gemstone which is obtain
from

the

sea.

The

fi nest

quality

is

obtained

in

bulk

form

the

coasts

of

Algeria

and

Tunisia. It is very smooth and silky. It also comes in

deep red, white, black and orange colours. But the
"Angel Skin" or pink is the most rare and fi ne colour.
Coral is a gemstone for the planet "Mars".
Pearl : Pearl is also an organic gemstone which is
obtain from the sea. The formation of a pearl inside a
pearl
because

oyster
of

is

thought

to

occur

the

presence of foreign

material inside the

body of the oyster.

To save itself from

the

material

mollusk

the

undesired
coats

the

object with layer off er layer of nacre. It takes many

years for a mollusk to produce a pearl of substantial
size. The fi nest pearl is that which has no foreign
matter in its core.
Pearl is a gemstone for the planet "Moon".

iamond is the most precious and rare in all

the gemstones. Due to its rarity and beauty it
is very expensive then other gemstones. The

cost is depending upon the 4 c's which provide a

standard for evaluating diamonds :
Colour : Diamonds can cover the entire spectrum of
colours. The majority range from a perceptible yellow
or brownish tint up to the very rare
diamonds
Colourless

described

as

diamonds

colourless.

are

the

most

desirable since they allow the most

refraction
absorb

of

light

light,

(sparkle).

inhibiting

Off

white

brilliance.

You

diamonds
can

best

observe diamond colour by placing the stone table

side up on a fl at white surface or grading trough, and
examining it from diff erent angles. Next, place it
table-side

down

with

the

culet

facing

you,

and

examine it from diff erent angles. Next, place it tableside down with the culet facing you, and examine it
through the pavilion facets.
Cut : Cut has the greatest infl uence on the diamonds
fi re and brilliance. A round, brilliant-cut diamond has
57 facets. When well proportioned, this
shape best shows the stones brilliance
because it allows the most light to be
refracted

back

to

the

eye

of

the

observer. Stones that appear lifeless or stones that

appear dark in the center are poorly cut. When the

angle relationship between the crown and pavilion

facets is correct, rays of light entering the diamond
strike the rear facets at an angle greater than the
critical angle. (24.5 degrees for diamond), and refl ect
back to the eye of the observer. If the stone is cut
too deeply the light strikes the rear facets at an
angle less than the critical angle and the light is lost
through the sides of the diamond. If the diamond is
cut too shallow, the light passes through the diamond
without being refl ected back (no sparkle).
Clarity : Most diamonds contain minute traces of
non- crystallized

carbon

in

internal

stress

factors

called inclusions. Most of these are not apparent to

the naked eye but can be seen under magnifi cation.
Perfect

clarity

means

that

no

inclusions

are

discernible when the diamond is examined under a

10x magnifi cation lens. Inclusions greatly eff ect the
beauty and value of a diamond because they absorb
the light rather than allowing it to be refl ected back
through the front side of the stone. How much they
reduce the value of a diamond depends on their size,
number

and

position

throughout

the

stone.

An

inclusion in the center of the diamond beneath the

tables is more visible than one near the edge. The
inclusion

may

also

be

mirrored

many

times

by

adjoining facets.
Carat Weight : The term "CARAT" comes from the
ancient practice of weighing diamonds against the
seeds of a carob tree. The system was eventually

standardized, and one carat was fi xed at 0.2 grams.

One carat is divided into 100 points, so a quartercarat diamond is 25 points or 0.25 carat. Although
carat is a unite of weight, not size, the carat weight
of a diamond has come to refer to particular sizes. If
properly cut, diamonds of the same weight should be
about the same size.