Gemstones are valuable minerals.
The difference between gems and minerals is a value judgment. The values are financial, historical and sentimental. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance with a specific chemical composition and physical properties. Minerals can be pure salts, crystals, and igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. In geological terms, gems are naturally occurring minerals and some are aggregates of minerals, such as lapis lazuli. Gems are also a human creation because societies through history regarded these stones as valuable.
Beauty
If a gemstone is not beautiful, it cannot be a gem. This beauty may be potential rather than immediate. Cut and polished diamonds with fire and luster qualify as gems. This is a discernible quality in raw diamonds. Stones whose appearance cannot be improved by cutting and polishing find applications in industry, such as cutting tools in drilling bits.
Durability
A resistance to scratching and indentation is essential for a gemstone to maintain its beauty and its value. A sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum - itself a form of aluminum oxide - which is the hardest material on Earth after diamond. It has a greater value than amethyst, violet-colored quartz that scratches easily.
Organic Gemstones
The earliest gems that adorned human beings were organic material. These included amber, coral and pearl. These gems have no crystalline structure but have an attractive color and shine that improves with smoothing. Their value falls over time because they can deteriorate. Pearls damage when in contact with substances like perfumes.
Rarity
Gemstones increase in value when they are rare. Beautiful stones that are common in nature have a lower value than medium-quality rare stones. Topaz, a silicate of aluminum and fluorine, has a lower value than a dull emerald. Diamond companies maintained high prices in international markets by withholding gemstone supplies to dealers.
Tradition
Gemstones have been part of human history for over 20,000 years. They have adorned sacred objects, weapons, crowns, clothes and books. The historical association established a gem's value. In the Middle East, lapis lazuli has been a magical and holy stone for over 6,000 years.
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