Royal family of gems. The Fab Four: What the Most Valuable Jewelry Is Made of Gemstone 4
“And stones, an enthusiastic hymn, like a radiance, will rise above the world.”
V. Bryusov
There are many legends around precious stones, according to which they can bring both trouble and happiness to their owners. Since ancient times, people have attributed healing and other magical properties to precious stones, each individual stone has a set of qualities with which it has a beneficial effect on a person. Each sign of the zodiac is assigned "his" stones, which serve as talismans for a person of this sign.
What are gemstones physically? These are natural minerals, which in most cases, after cutting and polishing, acquired the beauty and brilliance that occurs during light refraction. The key properties of precious stones also include rarity and high value, due to which they are often used as banking assets by rich people. An important criterion for a precious stone is wear resistance, which will allow it to retain its distinctive properties for a longer time. In the West, the quality of gemstones is evaluated using the "Rule of four" C ": color (color), clarity (clarity), cut (cut), carat weight (carat weight).
There is no generally accepted classification separating precious stones from semi-precious, jewelry and ornamental and ornamental. But all classifications recognize the diamond, sapphire, emerald and ruby as the top of the hierarchy of precious stones. We will also add alexandrite to them, especially since these five stones are defined as precious by the federal law of March 26, 1998 N 41 “On Precious Metals and Precious Stones”. These stones are used in the production of jewelry by SOKOLOV.
"Sounds rushed and screamed,
Like visions, like giants
And rushed about in the echoing hall
And they dropped diamonds...
K. Balmont
"Maestro"
natural diamonds
A diamond is a cut diamond. The key indicators of the quality of a diamond are clarity and defectiveness, they reflect the transparency of the stone and the number of defects. A perfect diamond, without any flaws, is called a pure diamond. This proverb originated from the method of checking the authenticity of a stone: it was thrown into plain clean water, and if it was not visible in the water, as if it had dissolved, the diamond was recognized as genuine.
They are also divided by color into traditional - colorless and yellow colors of any shades, and fantasy - all other colors, for example, pink, blue, blue, green. The most rare and valuable diamonds are colorless. Diamonds are generally one of the most expensive gemstones, and this is explained, among other things, by their durability: the diamond from which they are made is recognized as the hardest mineral on earth. In addition to quality and color, the cost of a particular stone is influenced by its shape, weight and cut parameters.
"Sapphire-light eyes,
As in anger, or flashing in the heat,
The Goddess looked up to me "...
G.R. Derzhavin
"Vision of Murza"
Sapphires
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. Traditionally, the image of sapphire is bright blue or azure blue, but in the jewelry industry, corundums of any color other than red are called sapphires, they are called fantasy.
Separately, it is worth highlighting star-shaped sapphires, which have the property of asterism (when the crystal is illuminated, the figure of a star appears on it). Star sapphires are called "stones of fate", and the rays from which a star is built are considered lines of faith, hope and love. Very rare in nature, leucosapphire is a colorless stone. When evaluating the qualities of sapphire, the same indicators serve as a guideline as for diamonds; in terms of hardness, sapphire ranks second among precious stones. The most valuable sapphires have long been considered cornflower blue or royal sapphires, a symbol of justice, wisdom and supreme power. If we talk about the origin of the stone, then Kashmir sapphires are recognized as the most beautiful and high-quality, they are most highly valued.
"And I believed that the sun had risen for me,
Shining like a ruby on a gold ring...
N. Gumilyov
"Ballad"
Rubies
Ruby, like sapphire, is a variety of corundum, but already exclusively red in various shades. Star rubies are also very rare.
Rubies were very popular in Russia, they were called "yakhonts", from this word "yakhontovy" was formed, which meant "beloved". Another ancient name for ruby is carbuncle. Ruby is the first gemstone in history that could be obtained artificially. Natural rubies of the highest quality are considered one of the most expensive stones in the world, even more expensive than diamonds. Burmese rubies are recognized as the highest quality rubies. Ruby is as hard as sapphire.
"The squirrel sings songs,
Yes, he gnaws all the nuts,
And nuts are not simple,
Nuclei are pure emerald..."
A.S. Pushkin
"The Tale of Tsar Saltan"
emeralds
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, from which it is distinguished by a rich velvety green color. In assessing the cost of an emerald, inclusions do not play a dominant role, color saturation is much more important, and only in second place in importance is the transparency of the stone.
The color of the emerald is due to the admixture of chromium. In terms of hardness, this gemstone is slightly inferior to all the previous ones, therefore, emeralds without cracks are very rare, and cutting an emerald requires special responsibility. The highest quality and most highly valued emeralds are mined in Colombia. Emeralds of rich green color and without flaws are extremely rare and are valued no cheaper than the highest quality rubies and sapphires. The ancient name for emerald is emerald.
The main characteristics of gemstones are their rarity and aesthetic appearance after cutting. For several centuries, this area has been dominated by the magnificent four - diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire. Their palette makes up the main artistic jewelry compositions in the collections of connoisseurs of luxury and art, despite the fact that today the so-called semi-precious stones (tanzanite, spinel, tourmaline and others) can cost more. Tradition is an important part of choosing jewelry, and classic gemstones are proof of that.
High jewelery art is not subject to trends, but there is no doubt that there is a fashion for stones. Echoing her, some stones lose their value, while others rise in value to heavenly heights. As, for example, black diamonds, which became the symbol of the French brand Korloff, and fifteen years ago were the guiding star of the Italian brand De Grisogono, which increased the cost of stones of this color by almost 20 times. However, the charm of sapphires makes them always desirable in jewelry.
Sapphire outplays its competitors, bowing only to diamonds. The main color range of the stone that made it popular is blue, although it has a rich natural palette. The purer the blue color of a natural sapphire, the higher its price. "Fantasy" sapphires are colored with iridescent shades: orange, yellow, green and pink, there are also colorless "leucosapphires". "Star-shaped" varieties of sapphire with a well-defined asterism effect are highly valued (an optical effect in minerals that is formed in the "cabochon" cutting method in the form of a star-shaped figure when the crystal is illuminated).
Sapphires are a wonderful material for jewelry designers. Their hardness is second only to diamond, and their value and colors allow them to create exceptional jewelry. The highest value are saturated blue sapphires, which are mined in the region from Kashmir (India) to Myanmar (Burma), they are called - Kashmiri or Burmese, the price for them can reach several thousand dollars per carat. Rare and expensive stones are also found in Sri Lanka. Otherwise, popular locations for sapphires include Thailand, Cambodia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Australia, and the US state of Montana.
Legendary jewelry brands have long appreciated the prospects of sapphires and their price potential, which only increases over the years. Thus, the French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels owns one of the largest pure sapphires with a considerable weight of 114 carats - the Blue Princess. The former court jeweler of the British Royal Court, Asprey released a Majestic sapphire ring. This stone holds the title of one of the most beautiful and largest square-shaped sapphires (cushion cut) and weighs an impressive 66.11 carats. But its main advantage - sapphire has a natural and very bright blue color. Famous brands working with sapphires include Damiani, Boucheron, Rodney Rayner, Adler, Cartier, Chaumet, Bvlgari, Jewelery Theater and many others.
The traditional green gemstone is the emerald. He, like no other, is filled with legends and symbols. According to Muslim traditions, the Garden of Eden was covered with emeralds, in the Middle Ages alchemists used them to predict the future, on the Holy Grail there was a large emerald that broke off the crown of Lucifer, who was expelled from paradise, even the wizard from Oz lived in the Emerald City. Its official history began in Ancient Egypt, where on the shores of the Red Sea there were mines called Cleopatra deposits, near Kosseir they are still being mined. At the other end of the world, the emerald was considered sacred: among the Indians there was a myth about the Emerald Goddess, under whose wing countless treasures lie. And this information was accurate. Today, Colombia is the most important place for the production of emeralds (Tunja Valley).
The main deposits of precious stones are also South Africa, New Granada, the Urals, Austria, India, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Pakistan. Emerald, despite some fragility (harder than quartz, but softer than ruby and sapphire), attracts jewelers because of the depth of its color and value (the largest stones cost about $ 1,000 per carat). Today, emerald is not as popular as sapphire, but it has never lost its position, it is consistently used to create jewelry by many well-known jewelry manufacturers, including Tiffany & Co, Lombardi, De Grisogono, Piaget, Chopard, Palmiero, even Angelina Jolie in her line Style of Jolie created a necklace with 103 carats of emeralds.
A rare but well-aimed ruby these days is considered not so much a trendy gem as a collectible gem that adorns vintage items. And this is connected, first of all, with the depletion of ruby deposits. Today, pure rubies weighing more than 30 carats are rare, their cost can reach several thousand dollars per carat. The most valuable ruby is the color of pigeon blood - deep red with a slight purple tint. Such stones are mined in the famous Mogok mines in Burma. Their prices have increased by 20% in recent years.
These large-sized cut rubies are comparable in market value to large top-quality diamonds and may even exceed them. So, for example, the price of a ruby weighing 4 carats in some cases reaches $50,000 per carat. There are also ruby deposits in Thailand and Sri Lanka. A little is also mined in countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, Madagascar, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Greece, Switzerland, Afghanistan and Cambodia. The rich red color of the ruby is a great tool for expressing jewelry sensibility in brands such as Stephen Webster, David Morris, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels and other companies.
Crowning the four precious stones, without a doubt, a diamond. The fashion for fancy diamonds is going through ups and downs, but "pure water" diamonds always remain classics. It is colorless diamonds that are the most expensive. It is almost impossible to meet a structurally perfect diamond, it must be completely transparent, without any shade. Depending on the intensity of the color, the diamond will also change its monetary value. The evaluation of diamonds is made up of a set of "4Cs" - Carat, Color, Clarity, Cut, that is, the parameters of weight, color, transparency and cut quality.
The diamond world has its own kings - companies that have made this precious stone the cornerstone, it is he who is the basis of all the jewelry they create. Harry Winston, Graff, De Beers, Diamanti and Korloff brands can be considered such crowned persons. Frequent guests are diamonds in the collections of Cartier, Damiani, Favero, Victor Mayer, Carrera y Carrera and many others. Everyone knows that diamonds are the best friends of jewelers in their difficult business.
gem
Alternative descriptionsAuspicious stone for Taurus, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius
Bulgarian cigarettes
Precious stone, it is also called noble and fiery
Short-fruited cucumber hybrid prone to parthenocarpy
Mineral, gemstone with iridescent play of colors
For a man, this word personifies both cigarettes, and a stone, and an accident.
Both boulder and cacholong
Mineral with iridescent play of colors
. "stone of lies" among the ancient Greeks
The name of this minaraloid comes from the Greek "precious stone"
What type of mineral is hyalite?
Fiery stone, if noble
. "mineral" cigarettes
Stone, symbol of October
Mineral, silica hydrate
vitreous stone
sparkling stone
Pale looking stone
Pale Gem
pale stone
Milky white stone
Harlequin among the stones
fire stone
noble stone
rainbow stone
Rainbow stone
Pale vitreous stone
Mineral with play of colors
Hydrophane as a mineral
Gem
ornamental stone
Both hydrofan and hyalite
mineral, stone
And cigarettes and stone
. "stone of false hopes"
. "stone cigarettes"
Bulgaria cigarettes or gem
The drooping name of Bulgarian cigarettes
. "withered" Bulgarian cigarettes
. "drooping" gem
jewelry stone
silicon hydroxide
. "cigarette" gem
Gem from which "the air was released"
. "drooping" mineral
Girasol
. "drooping" gem
Bulgarian cigarette brand
Gem with a "drooping" name
. "drooping" cigarettes in Bulgaria
. gemstone cigarettes
And a stone and a brand of cigarettes
Valuable ornamental stone
Gem or brand of cigarettes
Gem of Secret Passions
Rainbow colored stone
Stone symbol of Australia
fire mineral
rainbow mineral
Stone, silica hydrate
What stone clouds the mind with empty hopes?
noble mineral
Semiprecious stone
Stone of secret passions
Cigarettes from Bulgaria
semi-precious mineral
Amorphous silica
Gemstone
Stone of impermanence
Smoky Gem
Amorphous Gem
Mineral milky bluish vitreous stone
Amorphous Gem
gemstone
mineral, gem
Type of mineral related to oxides and hydroxides
. "Precious" cigarettes
. "Stone Cigarettes"
. "Stone of lies" among the ancient Greeks
. "Stone of false hopes"
. "drooping" cigarettes in Bulgaria
. "drooping" gem
. "drooping" mineral
. "drooping" gem
. "Cigarette" gem
. "Withered" Bulgarian cigarettes
Precious. stone
What stone clouds the mind with empty hopes
M. a valuable stone, whose best type is noble or milky opal, milky white, with a fiery, iridescent tint; girasol, harlequin. Plain opals are cloudy, dark and without play. Opal necklace. Opal game, multi-colored, with a spark. Opalic m. feldspar stone with tint, labradorite, often called opal
The name of this minaraloid comes from the Greek "precious stone"
Gem with a "drooping" name
Gem from which "released the air"
Cigarettes and embarrassment for a man
What type of mineral is hyalite?
. "mineral" cigarettes
Brand of cigarettes
Gem, from which. "let the air out"
Gem and cigarettes
Bulgarian cigarettes or drag. stone
The drooping name is Bulgarian. cigarettes
Rainbow Gem
