PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES: DIFFERENCES AND TYPES

We have all heard about precious and semi-precious stones and perhaps you are not entirely clear about the difference between one and the other, right? Both stand out for their beauty. However, there are certain aspects that differentiate them. And the gems? What types of stones are they? Next, we will clarify these terms, so if you also have these doubts, we invite you to keep reading. Characteristics of precious and semi-precious stones To begin with, it is worth clarifying that all gems are both precious and semi-precious stones. For a mineral to be classified as a gem, it must meet three requirements, and depending on them, a gem will be classified as a precious or semi-precious stone: 1. Durability: the higher the value of the gem, the more durable it will be. The scale goes from 1 to 10, with the diamond being the only gem with the highest grade. This quality relates to the gem's resistance to the most common chemical agents or its hardness against impacts and pressure. 2. Beauty: also known as the perfection of a stone. This factor depends on the brightness, purity, transparency, color, and internal inclusions of each stone. 3. Rarity or scarcity: determined by the difficulty of finding it in nature and the demand for that gem throughout history. The harder it is to find and the higher the demand, the higher its market price. In this way, precious stones will be those with greater hardness and rarity, the most perfect and beautiful, and the scarcest. Decades ago, some gems that today are semi-precious were considered precious, such as amethyst, but after immense deposits were discovered in Brazil, it became part of the semi-precious stones, as it is not so unknown and scarce. Another difference between both types of stones is that precious stones have a hardness between 8 and 10 on the Mohs scale, while semi-precious stones are below 8. Below, we show you the Mohs scale, which orders the hardness of ten types of minerals from highest to lowest, with diamond being the hardest and talc the softest: Types of precious stones Precious stones have great value due to their purity and rarity. Currently, there are only 4: 1. Diamond: it is the most popular mineral of all, the most valuable, the hardest on the planet, and the only one made of a single material: carbon. They are so resistant that they can only be cut by another diamond. Originally, its name comes from the Greek adamus, meaning "invincible," "indestructible." Although typically considered colorless, its color spectrum is very wide, with yellows and browns being the most common. The value of the diamond is determined by what is known as the "4 Cs," by their English initials: cut, carat, clarity, and colour. 2. Ruby: its name comes from the Latin ruber, meaning "red." This mineral is the red variety of the corundum mineral (like sapphire) and is the hardest stone after diamond, with a value of 9 on the Mohs scale. Its peculiar red color is due to the metals it contains, a mixture of chromium oxide. 3. Emerald: its name derives from the Persian smaragdos and means "green stone." It is one of the most valued and one of the most beautiful and fascinating stones we can find, as it is the only crystalline green stone. There are other green stones, but none have the color and transparency of the emerald. Its hardness scale is 7.5-8. 4. Sapphire: refers only to blue sapphire unless a color is specified, as there are other shades, with blue being the most valued. Its name comes from the Greek sappheiros, meaning "blue." Like ruby, it belongs to the corundum variety. It has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. Its scarcity increases day by day, as many deposits are depleted and those that exist do not meet demand. Types of semi-precious stones We should by no means despise this type of stones for carrying the prefix "semi," as they have nothing to envy precious stones in terms of beauty. In fact, it is possible that we are talking about a derogatory and false description in this type of gems. What happens is that this denomination is deeply rooted in the jewelry trade. It is true that many of them have a lower value than precious stones. However, there are currently gems that cost as much or more than their precious sisters, except for the diamond, which is the most valuable. For example, a ruby, sapphire, or emerald can be cheap if they are not of good quality, even cheaper than agate, aquamarine, or amethyst. On the other hand, there are semi-precious stones such as alexandrite, paraiba tourmaline, demantoid garnet, and tanzanite that due to their scarcity can reach very high prices in the market. It is easier to obtain large and pure semi-precious stones than precious stones with such characteristics. Their value will depend on the same characteristics that influence precious stones: rarity, beauty, and durability. Currently, there are about 130 types of semi-precious stones, apart from amber, which is not a mineral but a fossilized plant resin. Some of the best-known semi-precious stones are amethyst, topaz, peridot, tiger's eye, tourmaline, opal, onyx, garnet, tanzanite, jasper, quartz, citrine, and zircon. We hope this article has been useful to you and that you have a clearer understanding of the differences between both types of stones. And you, which type of gems do you like the most? We encourage you to leave us your comments and invite you to visit our jewelry online, where you will find jewelry with precious and semi-precious stones in 18-carat gold. 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