Gemstones
Buying gemstone jewelry? Learn about the characteristics of gemstones including hue, tone and saturation.
Color
Hue, tone, and saturation are the three characteristics used to evaluate gemstones.
Hue: Used to describe the primary color in a colored gemstone including any slight variations or tints of additional colors.
Tone: Used to describe the ‘depth’ of color, in degrees of lightness to darkness in a gemstone.
Tone is defined as:
• light
• medium-light
• medium
• medium-dark
• dark
Saturation: Used to describe a gemstone’s purity, or the color’s intensity. The saturation of a color ranges from dull to pure (vivid). A good gemstone with a vivid color will be free of most brown and grey hues.
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Clarity
All gemstones are formed under extremely unique conditions. Trace elements are interspersed in each stone during formation leaving behind identifying marks or inclusions. Unlike with diamonds, these marks do not always detract from gemstones, but give them personality.
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Cut
Though cut is not as significant a factor when evaluating gemstones, a well-cut stone can maximize the display of color and minimize inclusions. With gemstones, shallow cuts give a deeper saturation of color and symmetrical facets and a smooth polish to give maximum reflection and quality.
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Carat Weight & Size
Like with diamonds, the carat weight of a gemstone does not always correlate with the actual viewable size. In addition, gemstones have different densities so two stones that are of the same weight may appear to be different sizes.
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