A gem, also known as a precious stone, is a rock or mineral that is characterized by being cut and polished, it can be used to make jewelry or objects related to art. In the same way, there are organic gems, such as amber, which is a precious stone made of fossilized plant resin and that originates especially from those remains of trees classified as conifers, on the other hand there are those of natural origin such as pearl (produced by an oyster) and coral (formed by small aquatic polyps). Among the characteristics that give gems their valuethey are mainly three and they are the following: beauty, hardness and scarcity. Beauty for its part could be considered a subjective concept, but it is defined from the following physical elements, such is the case of color, brightness, transparency and special optical effects.
Some stones are artificially crafted to mimic other gemstones. However, it is important to note that synthetic gems are not necessarily to be considered imitation. For example, diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald, which are created in laboratories, have the same physical and chemical properties as the original element. Small size artificial diamonds have been created en masse for several years, although only recently have large diamonds been created with good quality standards, especially those of varied and striking colors.
The value of a gem is given primarily by its beauty and perfection. In fact, appearance is the most important aspect. For its part, beauty must also be durable; since if a gem is damaged in any way, it will lose its value immediately. The characteristics that make a stone beautiful are its color, an unusual optical phenomenon, an inlay as with a fossil, the rarity that it presents and on certain occasions, the particular shape that the crystal presents.
The gems can be of different types, but among them some of those mentioned below stand out: sugilite, tiger's eye, chrysocolla, carnelian, tourmaline, hematite, pyrite, malachite, turquoise, rose quartz, feldspar, ruby, agate, obsidian, jasper, lapis lazuli, blue agate, jade, amethyst, topaz, opal, diamond, emerald, sapphire, among others.
