Gemstone Journal

Gemstone knowledge from the source: sourcing insights, care guides, and buying advice to help you choose jewelry and stones with confidence.

Gemstone necklaces and pendants from the Sapphire Row necklaces collection
Jewelry and Gifts
Sapphire Row

Gemstone Pendants: A Buyer's Guide to Choosing the Right Stone for a Necklace

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Gemstone Shapes Explained: oval pink sapphire, cushion bicolor sapphire, pear pink sapphire and emerald-cut purple sapphire in a grid Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Gemstone Shapes Explained: How to Choose the Right One

A shape-by-shape guide to gemstones: brilliant, step and mixed cuts, and how an outline changes color, size and durability.

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Gemstone Origin: blue sapphire from Sri Lanka, red ruby from Mozambique and green emerald from Zambia in white circles on navy Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Gemstone Origin: Why Where a Stone Was Mined Changes Its Value

How Burma, Mozambique, Kashmir, Colombia and Zambia shape a gemstone's value, how labs decide origin, and when it should matter to you.

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Carat Weight vs Size: 0.64 ct blue sapphire, 0.98 ct blue sapphire, 2.01 ct blue sapphire and 3.45 ct cornflower blue sapphire beside the word Carat on navy Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Carat Weight vs Size: Why Two One-Carat Gems Look Nothing Alike

Why carat is weight, not size, how density and cut change what a stone looks like, and why you should buy by millimeter.

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Gemstone Clarity Explained: emerald-cut green emerald, blue tanzanite, blue sapphire and rubellite tourmaline beside the word Clarity on navy Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Gemstone Clarity Explained: Which Inclusions Matter and Which Don't

Which inclusions are normal in which gemstones, what eye-clean really means, and when an inclusion is a sign of origin, not a flaw.

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Gemstone Color Explained: blue sapphire, teal sapphire, yellow sapphire and pink sapphire beside the word Color on navy Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Gemstone Color Explained: How Hue, Tone, and Saturation Set Value

How hue, tone and saturation work together, why saturation moves the price most, and how to judge color for yourself.

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Gemstone Cut Quality: oval blue sapphire, cushion blue sapphire, pear blue sapphire and emerald-cut blue sapphire beside the word Cut on navy Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Gemstone Cut Quality: How to Read Light in a Colored Stone

How to judge cut in a colored stone: brilliance, windows, dark areas, depth and the decisions made before the first facet.

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Lab-Grown vs. Natural Colored Gemstones: blue sapphire and blue sapphire side by side Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Lab-Grown vs. Natural Colored Gemstones: Value, Beauty, and Authenticity

How lab-grown and natural colored gemstones differ in origin, rarity and value, and how to decide which one is right for you.

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Gemstone Resilience: blue sapphire, red ruby, green emerald and pink tourmaline stepped from hardest to softest Buying Basics
Sapphire Row

Gemstone Resilience: A Complete Guide to Durability, Hardness, and Care

How hardness, toughness and stability decide which gemstones wear well every day, and how to clean and store them so they last.

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