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Contact Details :
Bhagawati Gems
“Munshi Mahel”
Ramganj Bazar, Jaipur (India)
Direct :+91 9828155773 / +91 9414077732
Off. : +91 141 2606078, 2606496
Fax : +91 141 2608821
info@bhagawatigems.com |
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 AMETHYST -
a transparent purple variety of quartz,is one of the most popular of colour
gems. The birthstone of February, it was once believed to prevent the wearer
from getting drunk, and if the circle of the sun or moon was engraved thereon,
it was believed to prevent death from poison. Available in shades from light to
dark purple, it is relatively hard, fairly brilliant, and overall a good,
versatile, wearable stone, available in good supply even in very large sizes
(although large sizes with deep colour are now becoming scarce). Amethyst is
probably one of the most beautiful stones available at a moderate price,
although one must be careful because "fine" amethyst is being produced
synthetically today. It frequently exhibits colour zoning (often looking like
chevrons). Amethyst may fade from heat and strong sunshine.
 AQUAMARINE- a universal symbol of youth, hope, and
health, blesses those born in March. (Prior to the fifteenth century it was
thought to be the birth stone for those born in October.) Aquamarine is a member
of the important beryl family, which includes emerald, but aquamarine is less
brittle and more durable than emerald. Aquamarine ranges in colour from light
blue to bluish green to deep blue, which is the most valuable and desirable
colour. It is a very wearable gem, clear and brilliant, and, unlike emerald, is
available with excellent clarity even in very large sizes, although these are
becoming scarce today. One must be careful not to mistake blue topaz for
aquamarine. While topaz is an equally beautiful gem, it is usually much less ex
pensive since it is usually treated to obtain its desirable colour. For those
who can't afford an aquamarine, however, blue topaz is an excellent alternative
- as long as it is properly represented ... and priced. Also, note that many
aquamarine-colored synthetic spinels are erroneously sold as aquamarine.
 CITRINE -often called quartz topaz, citrine topaz, or topaz,
all of which are misleading. It is yellow, amber, to amber brown. While a
pleasing stone in terms of colour, and fairly durable, citrine is slightly
softer and has less brilliance than precious topaz. It also lacks the subtle
colour shading, the pinkier yellow or pinkish amber shades, which lend to
precious topaz a distinctive colour difference. (Much citrine is made by
heat-treating purple amethyst.) Citrine is also much less expensive than
precious topaz. It should never be represented as topaz, which technically is
"precious" or "imperial" topaz. Citrine is plentiful in all sizes, and can be
made into striking jewellery, especially in very large sizes, for a relatively
small investment.
 EMERALD- is the green variety of the mineral beryl and one
of the most highly prized of all the gems. Aside from being the birthstone for
May, it was historically believed to bestow on its wearer faithful ness and
unchanging love, and was thought to enable the wearer to forecast events. The
finest-quality emerald has the colour of fresh young green grass an almost pure
spectral green, possibly with a very faint tint of blue, as in the "drop of oil"
emerald from Colombia, which is considered to be the world's finest. Although a
hard stone, emerald will chip easily since it tends to be somewhat brittle, so
special care should be given in wearing and handling. Because of emerald's
popularity and value, imitations are abundant. Glass (manufactured complete with
"flaws"), doublets or triplets such as "aquamarine emeralds" and "Tecla
emeralds," which are clever imitations made by inserting layers of green glass
(or, more frequently, a green cementing agent) between pieces of aquamarine or
quartz "crystal" are often encountered. Also, fine synthetic emeralds have been
produced for many years with nearly the same physical and optical properties
(colour, hardness, brilliance) as genuine emerald. Techniques to enhance colour
and reduce the visibility of flaws are also frequently used. A common practice
is to boil the emerald in oil (sometimes tinted green), a practice that goes
back to early Greek times. This is a widely accepted trade practice, since it is
actually good for the stone in light of its fragile nature. Oiling hides some of
the whitish flaws, which are actually cracks, filling the cracks so they be come
less visible. The oil becomes an integral part of the emerald un less it is
subjected to some type of degreasing procedure. The development and use of the
ultrasonic cleaner has brought to light the extensiveness of this practice.
Never clean emeralds in an ultrasonic cleaner.
 SAPPHIRE-
is the birthstone of September. The finest sapphires are considered to be the
blue variety - specifically those from Burma and Kashmir, which are closest to
the pure spectral blue. Fine, brilliant, deep blue Burmese sapphires will surely
dazzle the eye and the pocketbook, as will the Kashmir, which is a fine
velvety-toned deep blue. Many today tend to be too dark, how ever, because of
the presence of too much black and poor cutting (cutting deep for additional
weight), but the deep blues can be treated to lighten the colour. The Ceylon
sapphires are a very pleasing shade of blue, but are a less deep shade than the
Burmese or Kashmir, often on the pastel side. We are also seeing many Australian
sapphires. These are often a dark blue, but have a slightly green undertone, as
do those from Thailand, and sell for much less per carat. They offer a very
afford able alternative to the Burmese, Kashmir, or Ceylon, and can still be
very pleasing in their colour. Blue sapphires also come from Tanzania, Brazil,
Africa, and even the U.S.A. (Montana and North Carolina). They also come in
other colours, especially yellow and pink, and in smaller sizes some beautiful
shades of green. These are known as fancy sapphires. Compared to the cost of
blue sapphire and ruby, these stones offer excellent value and real beauty.
Techniques have been developed to treat natural sapphires to remove a certain
type of flaw (needle type) and to change the colour for example, to create a
"Ceylon" sapphire that never came from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) but whose colour looks
like that of a Ceylon.
 TANZANITE - a variety of the mineral zoisite was not
considered a gem material until 1967, when a beautiful, rich, blue to purple
blue, transparent variety was found in Tanzania (hence tanzanite). Tanzanite can
possess a rich, sapphire blue colour (possibly with some violet red or greenish
yellow flashes). This lovely gem can cost over $2,000 per carat today in larger
sizes. But one must be cautious. It is relatively soft, so we do not recommend
tanzanite for rings (unless it's set in a very protected setting) or for
everyday wear in which it would be exposed to knocks and other abuse. One must
also be aware that a very inexpensive, dull, brownish zoisite can become a
beautiful, expensive tanzanite after heat treatment.
 TOPAZ - symbol of love and affection is the birthstone for
November. It is one of nature's most wonderful and least-known families. The
true topaz is rarely seen in jewellery stores. Unfortunately, most people know
only the quartz (citrine) topaz, or glass. In the past almost any yellow stone
was called topaz. True topaz is very beautiful and versatile. Topaz occurs not
only in the transparent yellow, yellow brown, orangy brown, and pinky brown
colours most popularly associated with it, but also in a very light to medium
red (now found naturally in fair supply, although many are produced through heat
treatment), very light to light blue (also often the result of treatment,
although it does occur naturally on a fairly wide scale), very light green,
light greenish yellow, violet, and colourless. Topaz is a hard, brilliant stone
with a fine colour range, but it is much rarer and much more expensive than the
stones commonly sold as topaz. There are many misleading names to suggest that a
stone is topaz when it is not, for example, "Rio topaz," "Madeira topaz,"
"Spanish topaz," and "Palmeira topaz." They are types of citrine (quartz) and
should be represented as such. Blue topaz has become very popular in recent
years; most of it treated (there is no way yet to determine which have been
treated and which are natural). It closely resembles the finest aquamarine
(which is very expensive today) and offers a very attractive, and much more
affordable alternative.
 TOURMALINE - is a gem of modern times, but nonetheless
has found its way to the list of birthstones, becoming an "alternate birthstone"
for October. Perhaps this honor results from tourmaline's versatility and broad
color range. Or perhaps to the fact that red-and-green tourmaline, in which the
red and green occur side by side in the same stone, is reminiscent of the
turning of October leaves. Whatever the case, tourmaline is one of the most
versatile of the gem families. It is available in every color, in every tone,
from deep to pastel and even with two or more colors appearing in the same
stone, side by side. There are bicolored tourmalines (half red and the other
half green, for example) and tricolored (one-third blue, one-third green, and
one-third yet another color). The fascinating "watermelon" tourmaline looks just
like the inside of a watermelon-red in the center surrounded by a green "rind."
Tourmaline is a fairly hard,durable, brilliant, and very wearable stone with a
wide choice of colours.
 TSAVORITE- is a member of the garnet family and is often
mistaken for other (usually more expensive) gems. It is one of the most
beautiful, and all but a few would assume it was an emerald of the finest
quality. In fact, it is "clearer," more brilliant, and more durable. There is
also a rarer green garnet, called demantoid, which costs slightly more than
tsavorite but which, although slightly softer, has more fire. These gems offer
fine alternatives to the person desiring a lovely green gem who can't afford
emerald. While still rare, expensive gems themselves, they are far less
expensive than an emerald of comparable quality.
 GARNET -
belongs to one of the most exciting families in the gem world. A hard, durable,
often very brilliant stone, available in many colours (greens, reds, yellows,
oranges), it offers far greater versatility and opportunity for the jewellery
trade than has yet been capitalised upon. Depending upon the variety, quality,
and size, lovely garnets are available for under $20 per carat or more than
$3,000 per carat. Garnet also occurs in certain shades of red that have been
taken for some varieties of ruby. And in yellow it has been confused with
precious topaz. Garnet can be found in almost every colour and shade except
blue. It is best known in a deep red variety, sometimes with a brownish cast,
but it is commonly found in orangish brown shades, and brilliant wine red shades
as well. Other colours include orange, red purple, violet, and pink.
 OPAL - whose brilliance and vibrant colours resemble the
colours of the fall, is certainly appropriate as a birthstone for October. When
we try to describe the opal, we realise how insufficient the English language
is. It is unique among the gems, displaying an array of very brilliant miniature
rainbow effects, all mixed up together. Its most outstanding characteristic is
this unusual, intense display of many colours flashing out like mini-rainbows.
This effect is created by opal's formation process, which is very different from
that of other gems. Opal is composed of hydrated silica spheres. The mini
rainbows seen in most opals result from light interference created by these
spheres. The arrangement of the spheres, which vary in size and pattern, is
responsible for the different colours seen. Opal is usually cut flat or in
cabochon, since there is no additional brilliance to be captured by a good
faceting job. Colour is everything. The more brilliant the colour, the more
valuable the gem. It is probably truer of opal than any other stone that the
more beautiful the stone and its colour, the more it will cost.
 PERIDOT - is the birthstone for August. Peridot was also a
favourite of the ancients. This lovely transparent yellowish green to deep
chartreuse stone was quite a powerful gem. It was considered an aid to
friendship and was also believed to free the mind of envious thoughts. (Which is
probably why it was an aid to friendship.) Because of its yellowish green
colour, it was also believed to cure or prevent diseases of the liver and
dropsy. And, if that's not enough, if worn on the left arm it would protect the
wearer from the evil eye. It is also popular today, but probably more for its
depth of green colour than its professed powers. While not particularly
brilliant, the richness of its colour is exceptional. It comes in shades of
yellowish green to darker, purer green colours. It is available in small sizes;
larger sizes are becoming scarce. It is not a hard stone and may scratch easily.
Also, some stones may look like peridot (green sapphire, green troumaline) and
be mistaken for peridot and be misrepresented.
 RUBY- is the birthstone for July. Ruby is the red variety of
the mineral corundum. Historically, it has been symbolic of love and passion,
considered to be an aid to firm friendship, and believed to ensure beauty. Its
colour ranges from purplish or bluish red to a yellowish red. The finest colour
is a vivid, almost pure spectral red with a very faint undertone of blue, as
seen in Burmese rubies, which are considered the finest. The ruby is a very
brilliant stone and is also a very hard, durable, and wearable stone (a hardness
of 9 on Mohs' scale). Because of these characteristics, ruby makes an unusually
fine choice for any piece of jewellery. As it is true for other popular gems -
the greater the value and demand, the greater the use of techniques to "improve"
or to simulate. Again, examples of almost every type of technique can be found:
colour enhancement, synthesis, substitutes, doublets, triplets, misleading
names, etc. The newest synthetic rubies - the Kashan ruby and Chatham ruby - are
so close to natural ruby in every aspect that many are actually passing for
genuine. When getting a very fine, valuable ruby certified, make every effort to
select a gemmologist with both many years' experience in coloured gems and an
astute knowledge of the marketplace today.
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