Gemstones

Gemstones

Industry: Jewelry

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Gemstones

Pigeon's blood

Fashion; General jewelry

Refers to the most prized colour of red in rubies. Pigeon's blood red is thought to be a pure red with a hint of blue. It is associated most with rubies from Burma, though any ruby could be this ...

Pleochroism

Fashion; General jewelry

The ability of certain gems to display two or more colours when viewed from different angles. This is a term also used for Dichroism and trichroism.

Moissanite

Fashion; General jewelry

Lab-created diamond simulant based on the structure of natural moissanite. On Mohs' scale of hardness, moissanite is 9.5. It has more brilliance, fire and lustre than any hard jewel on earth, ...

Iling infuses colourless oils, resins or waxes into tiny surface-breaking fissures to hide them and give certain gemstones a cleaner appearance. This long-practiced clarity enhancement is used mainly ...

Opaque

Fashion; General jewelry

Term used for gemstones that you cannot see any light passing through the gem. Lapis and malachite are an example of this.

Organic gemstone

Fashion; General jewelry

Most gemstones are minerals with a crystal structure but some gems, such as amber and pearl, are organic rather than mineral, being formed by plants and animals. See also Amorphous gemstones.