There’s nothing quite like looking at a precious stone up close and personal. At Christopher Evans, we have dozens of precious gemstones for customers to examine and choose.

Ultimately, the colour, type, size and shape of the precious stone you choose will depend on what you like — and what will go best with the design of your chosen piece of jewellery.

But there are a few pointers to follow when looking for the perfect precious stone.

Colour

For every gem variety, colour is the factor which most affects value. Vivid and bright gemstones of a medium tone are the most sought after.

The colour of a precious stone is also affected by light sources. Examine your prospective gem stone under different lights, for example fluorescent and natural light, to see the effects each type of light has on it.

Clarity

Like diamonds, precious stones can vary in value depending on the number of inclusions and blemishes they have, although some stones, such as amber, actually benefit from having unusual inclusions. Paler gem stones are more likely to show up inclusions than darker stones, so bear this in mind when selecting your precious stone.

Carat

Unlike diamonds, precious stones are only sold on weight, rather than size as well. Different gem stones have different densities which affect their size and thus their value. For example, a one-carat emerald and a one-carat ruby will weigh the same but will not be the same size.

Cut

Cut is the term used to describe both the shape into which the precious stone has been cut and the quality of the cutting to produce the brilliance and beauty of the stone. The more symmetrical the cutting, the more light is returned across the surface of the gemstone and the more brilliant it will be.

selection of gemstone cuts

Here’s a guide to help you: http://www.gia.edu/howtobuyagemstone/00_enter.html