Gemstone  any of various minerals highly prized for beauty, durability, and rarity. A few noncrystalline materials of organic origin (e.g., pearl, red coral, and amber) also are classified as gemstones.

Gemstones have attracted humankind since ancient times, and have long been used for jewelry. The prime requisite for a gem is that it must be beautiful. The beauty may lie in colour or lack of colour; in the latter case, extreme limpidity and “fire” may provide the attraction. Iridescence, opalescence, asterism (the exhibition of a star-shaped figure in reflected light), chatoyance (the exhibition of a changeable lustre and a narrow, undulating band of white light), pattern, and lustre are other features that may make a gemstone beautiful. A gem must also be durable, if the stone is to retain the polish applied to it and withstand the wear and tear of constant handling.

What is gemstone used for?

A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments.

Why are gemstones so valuable?

As the cost of mining rises, these natural gemstones are harder to come by. Their value is constantly rising due to their scarcity, so one can make a profit from selling them as well. There is a lot of information that goes into the grading process of all gemstones.

How do gemstones affect the body?

It also helps to improve cardiac health and blood pressure related issues. Wearing Diamond helps to improve financial conditions, and to stabilize peace of mind while it also helps to cure diabetes and skin disease. Using gemstones also helps minimize the past karmic reactions.

What stone symbolizes?

The longevity of structures made of rock and stone often means that they are associated with the divine and the eternal. Homes are not only built for the living, but for the dead as well. Stone formations often symbolize the passage from one life to the next.

What are gemstones made from?

Although gemstones are commonly made from minerals, material such as jet or amber or rocks like lapis lazuli can also be utilized in the creation of gemstones. The majority of gemstones will be hard to the touch but depending on the piece of jewellry that is being created, some soft minerals are also utilised.

Where are gemstones found?

Most gemstones form in the Earth’s crust, approximately 3 to 25 miles beneath the Earth’s surface. Two gemstones, diamonds and peridot, are found much deeper in the Earth. Diamond forms in “kimberlite pipes” that originate in the Earth’s mantle (>125 miles) and end at the surface.

What is a natural gemstone?

A natural gemstone is a mineral, stone, or organic matter that can be cut and polished or otherwise treated for use as jewelry or other ornament. A precious gemstone has beauty, durability, and rarity, whereas a semiprecious gemstone has only one or two of these qualities.

Are all gemstones crystals?

Gems are beautiful stones that are used in making jewelry. Crystals are pure substances that have molecules arranged in a regular geometric pattern. A gem can be a crystal whereas a crystal will not always be a gem. Gems can have mineral bases such as ruby or diamond and an organic base such as amber.

How are gemstones mined?

The gemstones are usually extracted using a hydraulic suction system or a continuous-line bucket system. The latter is the preferred method and operates like a conveyor belt running from the sea floor to the surface where the ship or mining site extracts the desired gems and returns the trailing back to the ocean.