Diamonds like all gemstones are normally found as rough crystals or rolled pebbles. They must be cut and polished by professionals before being sold as jewellery or ornaments. These professionals are called lapidaries, and it is their job to make the diamond as attractive as possible without losing too much of the original weight of the stone.

The lapidary must know the exact properties of each stone being dressed before he or she commences cutting an polishing. These include hardness and dispersion, as well as any weaknesses such as cleavage spots. They must also look carefully for any flaws or inclusions in the diamond. It is vital that the end product has the stone orientated in such a way that it shows the best color of the stone and hides as many flaws as possible.

Amethysts generally come in the color purple, and are used as an ornament. In fact, the Amethyst was one of the first gemstones that man used for jewelry. Ancient people believed that Amethysts have the power to prevent intoxication, protect travelers, assure victory and give business success to the wearer. The word “Amethyst” comes from the Greek “a” meaning “not” and ” methuskein” meaning “to intoxicate”. According to Greek myth, the goddess Diana turned a nymph into amethysts because Bacchus, the god of wine loved her which caused Diana to be jealous.

While most diamonds are a clear color there are some special colored ones found. Blue colored diamonds are becoming quite popular lately in our society. The color is actually the result of various impurities in the diamond but they are more expensive than clear diamonds because they are quite rare. Only about 1% of all diamonds are blue colored. This makes them the second rarest diamond color available in the world (red is the first).

The emerald is one of the most beautiful, popular and highly prized gemstones in the world. These fascinating radiant green stones are used in top of the line jewelries. Some of the finest emeralds can even cost more than diamonds.

For many mystics and energy healers, emerald stones are believed to help heal relationships and good for the heart and one’s health. The beautiful green color is said to bring about harmony, love and joy of life. It is also the birthstone for the month of May.

Sapphire is a highly precious gemstone which is the single-crystal form of aluminum oxide, a mineral known as corundum. Gemstone enthusiasts favor the sapphire for its brilliant and magnificent colors, constancy and durability. Being in the corundum group, the sapphire has excellent hardness which is exceeded only by the diamond. It is worth mentioning that the diamond is the world’s hardest stone!

The early people of the world believed that the Earth was embedded in a huge blue sapphire firmament which may explain why blue is associated with anything long term like friendship and feelings. Many women prefer sapphire rings for engagement because sapphire symbolizes love, longing and loyalty.

Ruby is one of the four precious gemstones along with Sapphire, Emerald and the Diamond. Ruby as a mineral is hard; it only comes second to the diamond when it comes to hardness.

The color of the Ruby comes in different shades of red – from light pink to blood red. This color is due to chromium. The word “Ruby” come from “rubber”, the Latin word for red.

Having grown up immersed in south Asian culture, I came to be familiar with jewelry as a standard accessory and essential part of a woman’s expressive identity. In my culture, women adorn themselves with precious jewels as readily as one would put on their wristwatch here in the west. Upon moving to the United States as a young woman, I discovered that jewelry is looked upon as a luxury, usually bestowed upon a woman by her significant other, and only on special or rare occasions.

Guys, this guide’s for you! So you’ve finally decided to take the plunge and propose to your sweetheart. Now comes the hard part: choosing her engagement ring.

An engagement ring is probably the second-most important purchase you’ll ever make (your house being the most important), so you need to choose wisely. This guide will help you make that choice and will hopefully result in you wooing her with the perfect engagement ring.

Insuring your diamond is not quite like insuring other items that you own, but as when shopping for auto or home owners insurance, shop around and compare.

Diamond insurance may also vary depending on where you live.

Three types of diamond insurance:

1. Actual cash value policy for diamonds

This type of policy will replace your diamond at the current market value, despite what you may have paid for your diamond at the time of purchase. Needless to say, this type of policy for insuring diamonds is rare.

2. Agreed value policy for diamonds

A diamond is an extremely precious gem that has taken many years to form. It is also one of the hardest materials known in the natural world.

Because of its property of hardness, one of the ways to judge the quality of a diamond as jewelry is through its cut. There are actually four Cs in judging a diamond - Color, Carat, Clarity and Cut.

Cutting diamonds to become jewelry is a delicate and highly regarded craft. It is both science and art – science in that certain angles must have to be precisely followed and art in that the final shape must have to exude high class beauty. A diamond cut should not be confused with its shape which refers to the general outward appearance of a diamond.