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By Gavin Clarke
Reviewed By Andreas Zabczyk
Jewelry Gemstones![]() Sapphire Diamond Ring
A huge variety of minerals - 200 or more - have been used as gemstones at one time or another. But not all of these are suitable as jewelry gemstones, since many are too soft, too brittle or are too easily damaged by environmental factors. Some gemstones are best reserved for collectors rather than jewelry. Jewelry gemstones have varying requirements depending on the type of jewelry. Gemstones set in rings get the hardest wear, since they often come into contact with hard surfaces. Gems set in earrings are less likely to be subjected to daily wear and tear, and the same is true for pendants. It is generally recommended that colored gemstones set in rings have a hardness on the Mohs scale of 7 or greater. Rings worn everyday, such as engagement rings, are usually made with stones such as ruby and sapphire, which have a hardness rating of 9. Rings worn only occasionally, or set in protective settings such as bezels, can be made with softer stones. Some very popular gems, such as tanzanite (hardness of 6.5 to 7) and opal (5.5 to 6.5), are often set in rings, though neither are particularly hard. Browse through our list of jewelry gemstones for sale. ![]() Tourmaline Earrings
However, hardness is not the only measure of a gem's suitability for jewelry. Some quite hard gems, such as emerald (with a hardness of 8), have internal fractures that render them more fragile. Nephrite jade, by contrast, is extremely durable, despite having a hardness of 6 to 6.5. Its strength is due to an internal structure of interlocking, matted fibrous crystals. Despite these practical constraints, the variety of gemstones used in jewelry is actually increasing, as jewelry designers seek out rarer gemstones for making distinctive jewelry. Gems such as prehnite and andalusite were once rarely found in jewelry. Today, one will also find apatite, Mali garnet, charoite and seraphinite used as jewelry gemstones due to their unique colors and textures. At one time the choice of jewelry gemstones was restricted by the selection of mass-produced jewelry available. Now it is possible to select from a vast range of gemstones, and have custom jewelry created by a jeweler of your choice.
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Overall Rating -> 10 I found what I was looking for...had to look up millimeters to inches. It would be nice to see something, like a quarter, in the pix to show relative size. I plan on buy loose gemstones for every month in the calendar Posted By TheP in January, 2025 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 Very fast navigation and purchase, which is good. I need to strike while the iron is hot. Posted By Tim G. in February, 2025 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 Ive been looking for a place to buy loose gemstones for years and was thrilled when I found this site Posted By Bern in October, 2024 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 I have bought many stones from GemsSelect and have been very satisfied with all!I will continue to buy and recommend this site! Posted By DG in July, 2024 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 I loved the range of selections offered. Posted By Riirii in May, 2024 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 I really liked the email, and the link that help return me to the site. I didnt have access to my card info while checking out and I had to put my phone away so I lost the tab. Fortunately, since I did give an email- they sent me a link that brought me back to where I was. Greatly appreciated Posted By Jag in January, 2025 Source: Bizrate Overall Rating -> 10 Site is easy to navigate and the variety is great and how often new products are added is also great. Posted By Jhidron in March, 2025 Source: Bizrate Related Articles Sapphire Info Sapphire Gemstone: What is Sapphire? Sapphire Color and more Opal Information Opal Information - More to it than a dazzling play of colors Orthoclase Info Orthoclase Gemstone Information: Unveil Its Natural Beauty Pyrope Garnet Info Pyrope Garnet Information - A gemstone of fiery brilliance Quartz Info Quartz Info - Enviable durability in an array of enticing colors Ruby Info Ruby Information - The gemstone of passion and seduction Spessartite Garnet Info Spessartite Garnet: The Best Orange Garnet, A Detailed Guide Spodumene Info Spudomene Information - An attractive gemstone with many names Star Sapphire Info Star Sapphire Gemstone Information - GemSelect Refractive Index Chart Refractive Index Chart of Gemstones - What does it mean and how do... Singly Refractive Gems Singly Refractive Gems Gem Buyer's Guide Advice Buying Loose Gemstones: Buyers Guide to Online Gem Shopping; GemSelect Art Nouveau Jewelry Art Nouveau Jewelry; Nature Against the Machine Art Deco Jewelry Art Deco Jewelry; Modernity in Metal: Gemstone Jewelry Info GemSelect The Joy of Jade Jewelry The Joy of Jade Jewelry Jackie O's Jewelry Jackie O's Jewelry Animal Motif Gem Jewelry Animal Motif Gemstone Jewelry GemSelect Jewelry GemSelect Jewelry |
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