Colored Jewelry: Determining the Value
The noticeable physical characteristics of a gemstone that grants it its value are color, clarity, cut, unusual internal optical phenomena (e.g. color zoning), and asteria (star effects). Ever since humankind first had gotten hold of these precious stones, the gemstone’s alluring aesthetic features never failed to charm us – even until now. The Ancient Greeks, for example, greatly valued asteria in gemstones–which were believed to be a powerful love charm. Although there is no scientific process of grading colored jewelry, it has factors of which one can determine its value – it’s called water. Water is an ancient term referring to the combination of color and transparency in gemstones; used hierarchically: first water (gem of the finest water), second water, third water and bye water. Historically, gemstones were classified into precious stones and semi-precious stones but because such a definition can change over time and vary with culture, it has always been a difficult matter to determine what constitutes as precious or semi-precious stones.