Any gemstone that is not a diamond, ruby, sapphire or emerald is
considered a semiprecious stone. This is not to say these gems are less
valuable or desirable than precious stones, but in most cases, they are
considered “semi” precious simply because they are more abundant. In
fact, this terminology was started in the West for marketing purposes
and is no longer in favor—now it is more common to refer to semiprecious
and precious stones as “gemstones.”
What are semi-precious stones?
A semi-precious stone is also known as a gem or gemstone (also a jewel, a
gem, a precious stone), which is a portion of mineral, which, in
refined and cut form, is used to create jewelry or other embellishments.
There are also organic resources or precise rocks that are not minerals
(for example jet or amber) that are also used for jewelry and would
also be considered to be gemstones, as well.
What are gemstones?
A gemstone is a precious or a
semi-precious stone used in jewelry. Gemologists identify gemstones.
They label gems in the arena of gemology using practical language and
their features. A gemologist uses the gemstone’s chemical arrangement to
classify it. For instance, diamonds are made of carbon (C). Many gems
are categorized by a crystal system because they are crystals. Gemstones
are classified into different varieties, species, and groups. They are
also characterized in terms of dispersion, hardness, specific gravity,
refractive index, luster, fracture, and cleavage. Flaws in a stone are
known as inclusions.
