Many people don’t know the difference between a semi-precious stone and a precious stone and it is no one’s fault because it is very easy to confuse the two, after all, they all look like stones, just with different colors and cuts. This article is here to inform of the difference and then some.
In the middle of the 1800s when these two were placed under different classifications, people began to marvel over one and the other according to their preference. The ones that were rare and harder to find or mined was dubbed the precious kind while the ones found in abundance were named semi.
Not the most popular terms in the Jewellery and stones industry, nevertheless they are still being used to differentiate from each other.
Semi-Precious Stones
Let’s look at the first of the two, the semi-previous ones, which as the name states, these are prized, yet halfway there.
There is no real scientific or researched answer to the differences between the two, however, the main aspects that counted for or against them were in regards to their rarity or value.
We will start by listing some of the many common ones on the market and have been popular in Jewelry stores, agate, tourmaline, pearl, amethyst, aquamarine, garnet, moonstone, opal, peridot, tanzanite, spinel, alexandrite, turquoise, lapis lazuli, rose quartz, and zircon.
In the past there was a distinct difference in price between the two, however, nowadays even the semi-precious ones are just as expensive, if not more expensive than the costly kind.
Pearls, for instance, are far valuable than diamonds, which we think are the priciest. However, natural pearls, especially those found from sea beds, including the black pearls are worth a lot more than any other stones, be it ruby, sapphire or emerald even.
The idea of tumbled stones or polished also came about not long after, which comprises a mixture of semi-precious stones sold in bulk for purposes of arts and crafts or decoration of any kind including Jewelry making. These are the smaller pieces of the rocks that are rounded and polished with magnificent different colors, all bundled together and are very popular with those who like some DIY handcrafted pieces such as bracelets, necklaces, pottery and much more. You can read all about all of them here.
Precious Stones
This category comprises of four well-known and high-end minerals, namely, diamond, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. some go so far as to say that pearls belong in this group too, this is still debatable it seems.
In any case, the difference lies with a few fundamental aspects such as grading, cutting, and polishing, treatment, colors, value to name a few. Separating the two has given one precedence over the other, yes you guessed it. Precious stones are now revered as the most pricey and valuable, however, this is not true for all of them.
These four have indeed had a lot to do with the dollar value, seeing as they cover almost over 98% of the value in comparison to the semi-versions when it comes to their exports and imports. It is no wonder they are considered more lucrative to the market.
Calling something valuable has a two-fold effect. One example is the case of the Aurora Opal that was sold for $1 million back in 2004, which is a whopping $5500 per carat. This just goes to show that this semi-precious had more value than most precious types on the market, so if you think one is more valuable than the other, think again.
Diamonds Are Your Best Friend
A diamond is nothing more than a solid form of carbon element which is naturally flourished into a crystalline structure formation called a “diamond cubic”. What makes it so special is that the characteristics are like no other, for instance, it is the hardest mineral element found in nature, it has one of the most stable chemical forms and its thermal conductivity makes it a very useful material to use in many industrial sectors.
But because it is such a highly-traded product, society has been careful when selling them. One good piece of advice is not to pawn them, you will never get their worth. Some reputable Jewellery stores offer a good price for them and antique stores may have a market for them. Some people may opt to sell them directly to customers on platforms such as craigslist or eBay. However, make sure you know what it’s worth before you go out and sell it.
To curb the illegal trading of diamonds, a few organizations have been established just to grade and certify their authenticity via what they call the “four c’s”:
1. Clarity. How clean and clear the rock is i.e. if there are any internal defects found inside or on the surface, it may lessen the value. Sometimes foreign materials and imperfections can be found on them, which makes each one unique and sometimes even more desirable to its owners. The color orientations and visibility are factors considered here.
2. Carat. This is the term that describes its weight in mass. One such carat is defined as 200mgs in other words 0.01 carat or 2mg is a common measurement used for diamonds that are less than a carat. To see the price of diamonds, as dictated by a reputable source, the “Rapaport Diamond Report” is published every week and updated every Thursday with the prices that merchants set for its customers.
Possible one of the most complicated things about this is that there are mathematical calculations and lengthy ratios for which every piece is meant to be cut.
3. Color. The best ones have no color, they are transparent. Which is to say it is structurally sound and chemically pure. They come in various grades such as the more transparent they are they will be graded as G or H and often known as white diamonds, whereas if they do have some hue in them, they could be a K or J.
4. Cut. When these minerals are mined, they come I all shapes and sizes as per nature intended. The cut is the art and the science of the methods used to create form up to the result of when it put to market to sell. This art of cutting the stone is not the shape, but rather than workmanship of the end-product.
In the case where you own a Jewellery store or a diamond cutting business, all of the above information will be familiar with you including all the other practices that are involved when you sell diamonds of any kind, as well as further secondary knowledge such as looking at the shape, quality, fluorescence, cleaning processes to name a few.
If, however, you’re new to the business and still getting started, the above starting pointers may be a way to go but will help you point in the direction of which preference you choose, the value of the semi-precious.
