Gemstones are usually purchased by individuals as birthstones, for their favorite colors and to keep up with fashion and color trends. They are also chosen for their astrological reasons and their healing properties. When graded, Gemstones are graded based on COLOR, SHAPE, CLARITY and CARAT weight.

COLOR

Every gemstone has a range of color ranging from light to dark and from more vivid to less vivid. Gemstones are graded based on color saturation and a variety of gemstones are available in nature in a wide range of colors. Below is a list of just a small selection of the most popular colored gemstones.

COLOR	GEMSTONES
RED	Ruby, Mozambique Garnet
PINK	Pink Sapphire, Rhodolite Garnet, Pink Tourmaline, Morganite
YELLOW	Yellow Sapphire, Imperial Topaz, Citrine
GREEN	Emerald, Peridot, Green Tourmaline, Tsavorite Garnet, Jade
BLUE	Blue Sapphire, Aquamarine, Blue Zircon, Lapis
PURPLE	Amethyst, Tanzanite
WHITE	Pearl, White Topaz, White Sapphire, Opal
BROWN	Smoky Quartz
BLACK/GRAY	Tahitian Pearl, Onyx

SHAPE

Gemstones are cut in a variety of shapes just like diamonds.

CUT

Gemstones are cut in a variety of ways to maximize their color and shine.

CLARITY

All gemstones like diamonds are unique and each have internal characteristics called inclusions and are graded for clarity.

CARAT WEIGHT

Gemstones are weighed in carats like diamonds. Since each type of gemstone has a different density, they weigh differently. For example, a one carat round diamond would not weigh the same as a one carat round sapphire with the same size dimensions.