mozambique garnet briolettes

Most dealers of gemstones buy and sell in the unit of carats.  In gems, the unit of a carat is 1/5th of a gram.  Sometimes when I am comparison shopping I will look to see what the total net carat weight (weight of the beads only- not the strand, spacers or tassles) of the beads are if it is given.  Carat weight is helpful, but not the only variable concerned in the price of the stones.  You may be comparing gems of different qualities (sometimes but not always evident by the photos), and also, a larger size stone will often cost more PER CARAT, than the smaller stones.  Also things such as the type of cut (labor involved) will play into the price. 

The BEST gems are almost always reserved for cut stones to be set in jewelry,  lesser quality rough material  is cut  into beads.  There are plenty of supremely beautiful gemstone beads that I don't worry about what I am missing out on, but it is something to keep in mind when you do your own reading and research on gems.

Quality/Grading :  There is no absolute universal standard of grading gemstone BEADS.  It is a subjective criteria, and ultimately up to the seller.  I usually only "grade" my beads and include it in the listing if I think they are AAA or AA.  Even then, this is my own OPINION, based upon the clarity I expect from this stone, sometimes modified by the color, size or cut.  For example,  I graded some really nice but visibly included pink tourmaline brios as AAA because the stones were quite big relative to what is commonly available in this stone, the color was an exquisite shimmery pink,  and also because tourmaline often is visibly included,  so overall these were exceptional for what I have seen in gemstone beads .  Another time some amethyst beads my supplier graded as AAA was downgraded to AA by me because they were cloudier than some of the nicest amethyst I had.   I realize that my "grading" is really only an opinion, and I don't want my customers to be dissapointed, so I always try to offer the best closeups possible, so that buyers can judge for themselves.

Pink Tourmaline Briolettes


Some popular gems are almost always treated to get the color or clarity that we expect from them.  For example, Tanzanite as it exists in nature is often a brown or green color.  Heating to  400- 500 C (~800 F) transforms it to the luscious violet blue color associated with tanzanite.   While there are some naturally occurring violet Tanzanite stones that do not need to be heat treated, the majority are, and it is very unlikely that these rare naturals would be used for relatively inexpensive beads.  The same is true for Blue Topaz, which is usually aquired by first irradiating and then heating colorless Topaz.  While the orangey pinks of Imperial Topaz are usually natural, the more true pink or vivid Pink Topaz that has recently become available in both finished jewerly and beads is aquirred by a new process called vaccum deposition.  The delicate green color of Prasiolite or "Green Amethyst" does not exist at all in nature, it is ALWAYS aquired by heat treating violet amethyst or yellow quartz.

Prasiolite

The above examples are given to show that treatments or enhancements are not always a bad thing, and are often neccesary.  Also, these are permanent and stable enhancements.  There are some treatments that are not stable, and should be disclosed. 

I do sell some gems that have been dyed.  I think that since dyes often can fade (or even bleed onto clothing-- yikes!) it is the responsibility of the seller to disclose this treatment.  I always indicate in my description those stones that have been dyed.  Not all dyed stones will fade, but many will over time, or even very quickly if exposed to bright light for prolonged periods of time.  Ideally I would like to avoid dyed stones altogether, but there are some stones such as Chalcedony which are super popular that are ALMOST ALWAYS dyed.  Because dyed Chalcedony is the norm, many sellers may assume that customers know this already, so they don't bother to indicate the treatment in their description.  Natural Chalcedony is usually a blue/grey/lavender shade.  It can also occur naturally in pale pinks or greens, but usually even these colors are aquired by dyeing.  Chalcedony is usually dyed by heating the rough material in the prescence of certain minerals or organic compounds.  Sometimes a dealer may misleadingly use the term "heat treated" for dyed Chalcedony, but any time you see these gems in vibrant colors such as Barbie Pink, or Caribean Blue you should assume they have been dyed.  I think as long as everyone understands that these relatively cheap and yummy colored gems are dyed and may not last forever, there is no harm done.  Fashions change from season to season anyway, so use dyed stones like Chalcedony for trendy fun pieces, and make sure the customers who buy your jewerly understand this too.

Like most companies that sell gemstone beads online or in a brick and mortar store, I do not have the money or facilities to do lab tests on my stones to make sure that the beads that I get from the lapidary are really what they are claimed to be as far as the stone and it's treatment or claim of non treatment.  I do only deal with lapidaries and suppliers who have proven their honesty over the years.  Also, I try to be as informed as possible.  For example, one supplier I had been checking out wanted me to try their Green Amethyst, which he claimed was "totally natural".  I already knew that this could not be.  Now either he had aquired the rough from someone who led him to beleive that it was natural, or he did not consider heat treating to be unatural, or he was fibbing me a little.  I ended up buying Prasiolite from one of my long trusted sources, who acknowledged what I already knew about this gem-- and they were selling it at a much better price!   As a consumer of gemstone beads, whether you consider yourself a "dabbler" or a professional designer, your best protection is to educate yourself.   The following is a list of the common gemstone treatments, a brief definition, and some examples of stones that are commonly treated this way.

Irradiation-- use of radiation bombardment, may be followed by heat treatment.  Usually stable. Common with Blue Topaz, Smoky Quartz.
Heat treatment-- use of extreme heat.  Usually stable.  Common  with  Tanzanite, Blue Topaz, Smoky Quartz, Citrine, Aquamarine.
Vaccum Deposition-- newly patented process, that deposits a permanent coating.  Stable. This is how all "Mystic Topaz", Green Topaz, and most or probably all Pink Topaz available to the average consumer is aquirred.
Dyeing-- introduction of foreign pigment into a stone.  Sometimes stable, but often not, may fade or bleed.  Sometimes you can detect dyed stones by immersing them in warm to hot water and watching for color bleed.  Common with Chalcedony, Quartz, Agate.  Sometimes (not always) also used to intensify the color of Amethyst, Garnet, Iolite and many other stones.
Stabilization-- the use of resin like coatings.  Usually stable, but may attract grime and discolor.  Common with Turquoise.  Sometimes a dealer may incorrectly use this term for chips that have been reconstituted and dyed.



watermelon tourmaline slice beads

If you have found this guide helpful, please visit my store where you can find a large and varied selection of gemstone beads.