Top 5 Underrated Gemstones

Coloured gemstones have been a symbol of power and beauty since the beginnings of recorded history. Given as gifts of friendship, romance, power and protection, coloured gems have a special place in the hearts and minds of us all. That being said, the world of coloured gemstones can be both fascinating and confusing. Apart from renown favourites such as Opal, Ruby, Sapphire, Aquamarine and Emerald, the variety of coloured gems sold in mainstream jewellery shops, if any, are only a fraction of what is actually out there. Stones such as Amethyst, Citrine, Peridot, Topaz, Quartz, Amber and Agate have been given the tag of “semi precious” which completely underrates the stunning and often extremely valuable examples of these earth-made natural beauties. Due to lack of marketing they often go overlooked. So here I give you a list of my top five underrated gemstones: 

1.     Zircon- Zircon has to be one of the most misinterpreted coloured gems out there. Unfortunately its name is quite close to that of the synthetic diamond stimulant “Cubic Zirconium” and this has tainted its reputation greatly. Recently a piece of Zircon was discovered in Western Australia that was found to be over four billion years old! Definitely natural…and old.  Zircon is most commonly seen in an earthy brown colour but it also comes in pink, blue, yellow and green. It also has a very high refractive index, which means that when cut well the light that shines from it is seen in dazzling spectrums of flashiness.

2.     Tourmaline- To call Tourmaline a stone of many colours would be an understatement.  It is the most colourful gemstone in the world. The sheer amount of colour varieties that Tourmalines can exhibit is an astonishing fact in itself. Add to this the varying hues and you can see where it gets it reputation. Legend has it that the Ancient Egyptians believed that Tourmaline got its colour by passing through a rainbow on its way down to earth. A neon blue-green variety called “Paraiba Tourmaline” is considered the most valuable, with stones being valued as high as 10k per carat! Stones can also be “Bi-Colour”, a popular example of this being “Watermelon Tourmaline”. A mixture of Pink and Green and a personal favourite of mine.

3.     Spinel- Spinel can also be found in a wide range of colours however its most popular and need I say infamous colour would have to be red. For hundreds of years red Spinel was mistaken for Burmese Ruby.  A famous example of this is the “Black Princes Ruby” which sits in the British crown jewels. The royal family seem to have had a hard time distinguishing Ruby from Spinel with another example of confusion being the famous 361 carat “Timur Ruby”, owned by Queen Elizabeth. Advances in gemmology after the 19^th century have put a stop to this confusion. Fine red Spinel is actually rarer than Ruby and way more affordable.

4.     Sphene- Sphene is a very rare yellow-green gem that exhibits an extreme brilliance unrivalled by most. When polished well, Sphene is said to equal and even surpass the brilliance exhibited from Diamond. Despite it being around since the 1700’s, this gorgeous gem is virtually unknown to the general public. Unfortunately its rarity has made it impossible to sell in large commercial quantities. Sphene is still quite popular among hard core gem enthusiasts.

5.     Oregon Sunstone- Oregon Sunstone is relatively new on the gemstone market however its popularity is increasing in leaps and bounds due to larger quantities being excavated in the last couple years. It is found exclusively in the state of Oregon, USA. This gorgeous stone comes in colours of champagne, golden yellow, red, green and sometimes mixtures of all of the above. Large stones of high clarity are often found but It can also sometimes display an effect called “shiller”. This appears in the form of a shimmery copper presence within the stone and can add to its beauty. Oregon Sunstone is often associated with its lesser Sunstone counterparts that are found in other places around the world. A man made material called “goldstone” that is sometimes wrongly sold as a natural material has also been given the title of Sunstone. This has caused much confusion however due to its astonishing beauty, Oregon Sunstone is slowly overcoming its mistaken reputation.

The names above are some of my personal favourites and are only a fraction of the amazingly beautiful natural gems that are available out there. For more info on a plethora of different gems check out: http://www.thegemstoneco.com/buying-guide