Gemstones For Jewellery People are fond of gemstones partly because they are valuable and partly because they are beautiful. Gemstones have the particular quality of being able to reflect and sometimes even refract to make the stone glitter. Precious stones are also intended to demonstrate love and esteem. People also use them as a method of keeping wealth rather than putting the money in the bank, particularly in Third World countries. However, investment jewellery and costume jewellery are not necessarily the same. People have their own favourite gemstones, but emeralds and diamonds are the most expensive stones and so are among the most well-liked. However,deep blue sapphires and opals are also hugely popular. The most prevalent jewellery are engagement and wedding rings, followed by earrings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches. Brooches often have many small stones arranged in a pattern that will reflect light and twinkle brightly. Strangely, brooches in the shape of animals like cats, butterflies and even lizards are very well-liked. Flowers and bouquets of flowers are also common. Pendants and necklaces tend to have a larger stone or not so many small stones as a brooch. Tiaras are experiencing a revival after decades in the wilderness; hair grips are also popular articles of jewellery for women. Men tend to go for tie pins and watches. In some parts of southern Europe, diamond-studded, retractable toothpicks are popular. The setting or mounting of the gemstone is almost as vital as the precious stone itself, although not normally as costly, particularly with rarer stones. Gold, platinum and silver are the most widespread metals used for setting the precious stone in jewellery. If you are not purchasing gemstones for their value, you might opt to purchase your birthstone. If this is your aim, but you do not especially like your birthstone, bear in mind that there are three or four different lists of birthstones from different countries and different eras. if you do not fancy your birthstone from say the American list, you might like your birthstone from the Ayurvedic or the Tibetan lists. There is some overlap, but in general the lists are completely different giving you more choice. If you would like something different again, you could took a look at amber. Amber is not stone, but has comparable properties. It is in fact ancient to prehistoric tree resin. Some pieces have insects trapped inside them and can be very valuable. If you wanted an unusual vacation, you could travel to Poland's Baltic shoreline where a lot of Europe's amber is washed up onto the beaches. Wouldn't it be fantastic to find your own 'gemstone' and then have it polished and mounted by a jeweller?
However, the stone does not have to be valuable. When my brother was twelve, he found a beautiful little pebble on the beach and, with my Dad's assistance, had it polished and mounted. My mother thought almost as much of that unique article of jewellery as she did of her wedding and engagement rings. Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, and is now involved with Good Diamond Quality. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Jewellry and Watches.