Gemstone Properties
Knowledge of gemstone properties is of utmost importance to a gem cutter, and to the one who sets the
stones.
It is also very helpful to know about the properties for collectors as well as the one who wears the stones,
in order to properly handle and care for them.
Gemstone properties of hardness refers to hardness and cutting resistance. All minerals and gemstones are
measured by the Mohs scale of hardness,1 to 10, number 1 being the softest, and number 10 is the hardest.
The harder minerals will scratch the softer ones. Gems below 7 on the scale can loose their polish and luster
by dust and other small particles. Gems with the same hardness do not scratch each other.
Another one gemstone properties is cutting resistance. Almost all minerals grow in crystal form with a
lattice of molecules, atoms and ions, and their outer shapes are flat surfaces called crystal faces. Crystal's
structure called lattice, determines the physical properties; the outer shape, hardness, density, fracture,
cleavage and optical properties. Hardness plays an important role for a Lapidary, because there are no
absolute values as to hardness scale for cutting stones. The cutter has to have a lot of experience and depend
on his own abilities.
Some stones are of different hardness, in different directions on crystal faces, and if
it's a softer stone, it takes a lot of skill to cut sharp even edges. For gemstone properties of softer stones,
cutting is a real art form and requires experts to cut them.
Density and specific gravity are gemstone properties, however specific gravity has been replaced by the
term density, which is grams per cubic centimeter. If you had several stones of identical shape and size,
they could all have a different carat weight, because some stones are denser than others. Diamond, sapphire
and ruby are denser than quartz and feldspar.
Cleavage and fracture are gemstone properties, cleavage is where a gemstone can be split along flat plains.
Breaking a stone by hitting it , producing irregular surfaces, is called fracture.
Of all the gemstone properties, the optical property is one of the most important. They produce color, fire,
luster and a play of light. Color is the most important factor of gemstone properties.
Refraction of light, double refraction, dispersion, absorption spectra, transparency, pleochroism, luster,
luminescence and inclusions are all gemstone properties.
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