Amethyst - Gemology and Buying guide
(c)Copyright 2009, CaratExchange.com
Gemology and Color: Purple amethyst is the most precious stone within the quartz group. The color agent of amethyst is iron. The colors range from purple, violet to pale red-violet. Unlike most other gems, the value per carat of amethyst doesn't rise exponentially with weight, as it is readily available in large sizes. The value of purple amethyst depends almost entirely on color
Sources: Siberian mines once produced the world's finest stones with particularly rich purple color that glowed with reddish and/or bluish highlights. The most important deposits today are in Brazil, namely the "Palmeira" amethysts of Rio Grande do Sul and the "Maraba" amethysts of Para. Other deposits are found in Bolivia, Canada, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka, United States (Arizona), Uruguay and Zambia.
Treatments and Care: Purple amethyst is commonly heat treated to produce yellow, red-brown, green or colorless varieties. At a hardness of 7 on the Moh’s scale, and with no particular warnings on care necessary, amethyst makes a fine jewelry gem for all purposes. Clean with mild dish soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone where dust can collect.
Buying Guide: Amethysts from Africa tend to be darker and smaller than South American amethysts, and the richer color intensity tends to make them more valuable. Since amethyst is so plentiful, you can expect to find affordable stones of excellent quality that are ‘eye clean’ - with no flaws visible to the naked eye.
Color is the major deciding factor in the value of amethyst with the deeper shades claiming the most value. The most valuable amethysts are medium to dark tones, transparent and pure violet with no shading toward red or blue. Amethysts from Africa tend to be darker and smaller than South American amethysts, and the richer color intensity tends to make them more valuable. Since amethyst is so plentiful, you can expect to find affordable stones of excellent quality that are ‘eye clean’ - with no flaws visible to the naked eye.
Carat Exchange is a one-stop online marketplace for fine jewelry enthusiasts. It offers high quality gemstones and the lowest prices. Carat Exchange is a safe and trustworthy website that goes to great lengths to ensure that all its suppliers are legitimate and credible merchants. http://www.CaratExchange.com
Possibly related posts:
Related Articles
- [WATCH]: Fashion Photo Video Shoot Part 4 of 7 …
Trackbacks
- Mule Deer Hunting: THE FINEST CUTS DVD a hunter's guide to processing deer …
- Wholesale gold jewelry …
- gadget tips buying a perfect point shoot camera …
