Friday, November 16, 2012

Precious and Semi Precious Gemstones


Precious and Semi Precious Gemstones: Myth and Reality

The idea that some gemstones are precious and others are only semi-precious is familiar to every buyer of colored stones. Precious stones -- diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald -- traditionally command a premium price in the market due to their extraordinary color or brilliance and extreme rarity.

While the precious stones are deservedly famous, the conventional distinction between precious and semi-precious gems is laden with myth and misconceptions. Lets try to sort out some of the myths from the reality.

One common misconception is that the distinction between precious and semi-precious gemstones is traditional, going back many centuries. In fact it is a recent innovation, dating only to the nineteenth century. The first use of semiprecious to mean "of less commercial value than a precious stone" can be traced back only to 1858.

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