Posts Tagged ‘nephrite’

Green Gemstones, Options For Green Gems.

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

Green Gemstone Options, About Green Color Gems

The color green has been very popular for decades, this not only for green gemstones. The word green is today related to environment conciousness and conservation too. It is therefore no surprise that many gem and jewelry lovers choose green stones for their jewels. In the next few paragraphs we will explain a few issues related to how you should choose a green stone.

When it comes to green stones, there are some common gems that are known to most gem buyers. Peridot and emerald are the most common green stones. Infact early in history, most green stones were considered to be emeralds. It was not just the ordinary man who got confused regarding the true identity of some green stones. Cleopatra was an avid lover of emerald stones, her collection included some of the most expensive jewels. And yet when the knowledge of gemology spread, it was found that many ‘emerald’ gems owned by her included peridot and not emerald!

Many people wear a birth stone ring, in this case there is not much you can do about green stone options. Emerald that we just spoke of is a variety of (green) beryl. It is also the birth stone for the month of May. An interesting thing about emeralds is that, they will also include inclusions and fissures. This natural occurence reduces the clarity of this green gem, it also reduces the durability of the gem by a certain degree. The other green stone peridot, can be a rich green or contain color tones of yellow. Peridot is the August birth stone and has better clarity and lustre as compared to emerald. It is also much cheaper than emerald but, cannot be called a cheap gem since prices are in the medium price range.

One very interesting green stone is bloodstone, it is a dark green jasper with a scarce springling of red spots. If you wondered why a gem stone that is dark green should be called a bloodstone, there is a very interesting answer to your query. The Christians believe that a piece of green jasper that lay at the foot of Lord Christ during crucifixtion, got stained with the blood  of the Lord. It was this belief that gave the stone it’s name. Though not a primary birthstone in modern birth stone charts, many charts list it as a March birthstone.

Jade is one more green stone and can include both jadeite and nephrite. A significant portion of the jade that you come across will have a green color. Most of the green jade is today dyed to enhance color. The color treatment is permanent and gives the stone a uniform green color. There is always a big debate regarding whether you should choose a natural green jade or a piece that has been dyed. The conclusion for this debate is quite simple and mainly involves the price factor. If you had to get a 4 carat green jade that was dyed, you might pay in the range of 20 U.S$ to 35 U.S$. Compare this to a jade piece that has not been dyed but, has the same color quality as the dyed piece. You could pay around 1,000 U.S$ to 1,500 U.S$ for the natural color stone. But if you wanted a green jade and did not worry about the color saturation or spread, then check an undyed green jade gemstone. You can find one in the 100 U.S$ to 200 U.S$ price range.

When it comes to green stones, it is often believed that these gems are not suitable for mens jewels. There is no technical reason for this, so some notes and suggestions are in order. If you need a mens ring with a green gem and do not want a bright green stone, bloodstone and green tourmaline might be a good choice. Green tourmalines have one advantage, it is a sturdy stone and will withstand daily wear and tear. The color is a very dark green and surely not bright.

The above suggestions are surely not the only green gems that you will come across. Your jeweler can provide more information but equip yourself with the information given in this article. You can then make the right queries and ask the right questions to allow you make the right decision. Australian Chrysoprase, demantoid garnet, tsavorite garnet, aventurine and green apatite are a few more names of gems with a green color. Get more information on green stones at http://www.directstones.com/green-gems-ds-th-01.htm