With more than 30 popular varieties, gemstones have long been a part of treasured fine jewelry pieces. Gemstone quality is evaluated in several ways: color, clarity, cut, and size.

Color

Color is the most important criteria to a gemstone’s value. Color is graded in three ways:

• Hue: The color you immediately notice (such as blue or red).
• Tone: The depth of the color, ranging from colorless to black.
• Saturation: The purity of the color, or the extent to which it is free of brown or gray hues.

Clarity

Different types of gemstones have different standards for clarity. While diamonds are more valuable when they have little if any inclusions, many gemstones are expected to have inclusions. Some gemstones, such as aquamarines, tend to have fewer inclusions, while other gemstones, such as emeralds, tend to have more. In general, a gemstone with a moderate number of inclusions is a good value.

Cut

The standards of a quality cut for a gemstone are different than for a diamond. Gemstone cuts are not judged on hard geometrical standards. A good cut showcases the gemstone’s color and clarity and has good overall symmetry and proportion. One sign of a good cut is brightness across the entire gemstone surface.

Size

Different gemstones are different densities, so carat weight does not always convey a gemstone’s apparent size. For instance, a diamond is less dense than a ruby, so a 1-carat ruby will appear smaller than a 1-carat diamond. When you need to match a certain size of gemstone, use the physical size in millimeters.

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