Provenance is becoming an important factor in the gemstone industry. Being based at the source of these beautiful wonders of nature has allowed us to build a blockchain system from mine through to cutting and laser inscription which enables us to offer a gemstone's full provenance.
Mozambique has recently started producing some excellent quality aquamarines which rival the famous Santa Maria Aquas from Brazil. These top color gems - known as Santa Maria Afrique to differentiate them from their Brazilian counterparts - have hardly been seen at all for the last several years. Unlike the vast majority of Aquamarines which are quite pale, these have a far more intense blue color.
Defined by its superior quality and elegance, this exquisite Pear Cut Aquamarine g is sipping the scales. The standout feature of this gemstone is its vibrant, highly sought-after 'Santa Maria Afrique' coloration. Possessing a deep, rich hue, its blue saturation is perfectly complemented with subtle undertones of green, producing a truly captivating color that is naturally derived, without any treatment or heat application. This gemstone radiates with an extraordinary sparkle ensuring that it commands attention. Uncompromising in its character and charm, this 3.41 carat Aquamarine is infused with remarkable depth and brilliance, making it an exceptional choice for those who appreciate the finest in gemstone quality.
97 - 100 Investment
91 - 96.9 Exceptional
84 - 90.9 Outstanding
70 - 83.9 Fine
GemRate Score
Investment
Our GemRate system was devised by our GIA Gemologists to provide a snapshot of a gemstone’s pedigree. This report is shipped with the gemstone.
You can view the report in the “Grading and Laboratory Certification” section below.
Gemstone Details
Gemological Grading
GIA Color Grade: vslgB 6/5 (Hue: v.slightly greenish Blue, Tone: 6, Saturation: 5) GIA Clarity Grade: VVS (Type I GIA)Clarity Survey: Flawless Treatments: No TreatmentGemological Reports
These Professional Gemological Reports will ship with the gemstone
This rare, beautiful gemstone has experienced a unique journey from the wilds of Africa to its eventual owner. We catalog this journey from the mouth of the mine to the far reaches of the earth where it finds it way into the hands of its eventual owner.
Your beautiful gemstone will be accompanied with world class professional gemological reports and provenance documentation.
ID # : AQC873
HD VIDEO taken in Natural North Daylight (approx 5500 Kelvin). This movie has been professionally videoed and is of the actual piece represented.
We do not use stock videos.
Micro Laser Inscription
This gemstone has been laser inscribed for security purposes using the latest micro laser technology. The image above is the actual inscription on this gemstone photographed with a specialized micro camera at 45 x. The inscription corresponds with the certificate report number on the accompanying GIA accredited gemologist Gemological Report.
Custom Inscriptions : We can also do personalized inscriptions. contact the gemologist in charge of your account with the inscription you would like and we will custom inscribe the gem for you.
THE STORY OF THIS Aquamarine
Mined on 1st January, 2025 in Mulane Mine, Alto Ligonha, Zambezia Province, Mozambique, Africa
This Aquamarine is over 520 Million Years old. After being removed from the vein and "knocked" to remove the host rock, this Aquamarine weighed 2.2506 Grams. The photograph on the left, shows it as it looked at this stage in its journey. Tests showed it has a Specific Gravity of 2.72, an optic character of DR Unixial - and it formed in the Othorhombic crystal system. Its Chemical Composition is Alluminium Beryllium Silicate and its Cause of Color is Iron
The Co-ordinates of the mining area are Latitude : -15.73649600679702400000, Longitude:38.25358751783941000000. Explore with the map on the right.
Mining Location : Mulane Mine, Alto Ligonha, Zambezia Province, Mozambique
Mined by : Mozambican artisanal miners
Mining Method : Tunneling
Host Rock : Plutonic crystalline igneous rock
Occurrence : Metamorphic
Age of Deposit : 520 Million Years
In the remote area of Macula in the Zambezia province of Mozambique in Southern Africa lies an area of mining claims mined by local artisanal miners. These miners search daily for the much sought after “Santa Maria Afrique” Aquamarine that exists below the surface in pegmatites hundreds of millions of years old.
Pegmatites are igneous rocks which form during the final stages of a magma’s crystallization. In the early stages of crystallization of the magma in this area, the ions that form high-temperature minerals were depleted from the melt. Rare ions that did not participate in the crystallization of common rock-forming minerals became concentrated in the melt and in the excluded water. These ions formed this beautiful Aquamarine. This gorgeous, sparkling gem lay below the earth’s surface for many hundreds of millions of years, its brilliance masked by the tons of rock above it, until finally it was hewed from the earth and sunlight released its inner fire.
Once mined, gemologists from The Rare Gemstone Company negotiated to purchase the finest crystals of which this piece was one. It was then taken to our cutting offices and carefully cut to international standards. Because these gems are highly dichroic (meaning that they have different colors on different axes of the crystal), they have to be carefully cut to get the best color. The aquamarines from this deposit are deep blue on one axis, and light green on the other. If the stone is cut with the green axis facing up, then the blue will be far less prominent, resulting in an inferior stone. Hence the cutter had to be very careful to cut on the correct axis to maximize the color. Often this axis is the smaller axis resulting in a smaller stone than would have been achieved cutting on the greener axis and this was the case with this stone. The result was this spectacular, rare Aquamarine.
So how do we document all this information? We have spent many years developing a unique blockchain system that catalogues a gem's journey right from the mouth of the mine. As we are based at the source, we have developed friendships and business relationships with many of the miners in the region. Each miner downloads our special App which allows them to capture the details of their mine and then capture details and photographs of any special gemstones they discover, each step along the journey is then documented. The video below shows how it all happens
Move your mouse over the different elements of this certificate to read more information.
The light source used in gem photography can affect the way a gemstone appears. LGL uses the standard light for colored gemstone and Diamond grading which is the North Daylight standard (approximately 6500 kelvin)
Image is not to scale
LGL uses the latest micro laser technology to laser inscribe the certification serial number onto the girdle of each gemstone certified. This is a recognized security feature for Diamonds and colored gemstones in today’s market.
This image is an actual photograph of the laser inscription on this particular gemstone. Photography is done using a microscope camera at 45 x magnification to render the image.
We will address the categories of Gemstone Variety and Species together. All gemstones have a scientific nomenclature allocated to them. Gemologists refer to gemstones using this nomenclature.
A gemstone first belongs to a Species in the gem kingdom, just as different animals and insects do in the animal kingdom, then they have a variety name allocated to them within that species.
For example, Tanzanite belongs to the species Zoisite, Ruby and Sapphire to the Species Corundum, Aquamarine to the species Beryl and so on.
Within each species, each different stone has a variety name allocated to it. So in the examples above, Tanzanite is the blue variety of the species Zoisite, Ruby is the red variety of the species Corundum whilst Sapphire is the blue variety of the species Corundum. Aquamarine is the blue variety of the species Beryl whilst Emerald is the green variety of the species Beryl.
When testing gems, each species has clearly defined physical and chemical characteristics which gemologists can identify using gemological equipment. These clearly and positively identify a particular gemstone as a member of its particular species.
We will address the categories of Gemstone Variety and Species together. All gemstones have a scientific nomenclature allocated to them. Gemologists refer to gemstones using this nomenclature.
A gemstone first belongs to a Species in the gem kingdom, just as different animals and insects do in the animal kingdom, then they have a variety name allocated to them within that species.
For example, Tanzanite belongs to the species Zoisite, Ruby and Sapphire to the Species Corundum, Aquamarine to the species Beryl and so on.
Within each species, each different stone has a variety name allocated to it. So in the examples above, Tanzanite is the blue variety of the species Zoisite, Ruby is the red variety of the species Corundum whilst Sapphire is the blue variety of the species Corundum. Aqumarine is the blue variety of the species Beryl whilst Emerald is the green variety of the species Beryl.
When testing gems, each species has clearly defined physical and chemical characteristics which gemologists can identify using gemological equipment. These clearly and positively identify a particular gemstone as a member of its particular species.
Weight in gems is measured in carat. One carat is equal to 1/5th of a gram and the term is derived from the early days of gem trading when the seeds of the Carab tree were used as counter measures to weigh gems as carab seeds are always uniform in weight. Not to be confused with "karat" which is a ratio and a term used to refer to gold.
The carat weight of a gemstone is one of the 4 C’s and hence an important value indicator in its own right. Generally speaking, the higher the carat weight the rarer the gemstone as it exponentially more difficult to come by clean, top color large gem crystals than it is small ones. That is why, with most gems, you will see an increase in price per carat as the carat weight increases in the same quality bracket. Notable examples are Tsavorite, which is very rarely found in high qualities in sizes above 2 carat, hence per carat prices leap more steeply than with many other colored gemstones.
These are the measurements of a gem usually taken in millimetres. They are stated with length first, width second and depth third. Our gems are measured using a digital guage for extreme accuracy.
This refers to the actual shape or cut of the gemstone. Generally speaking, no one particular shape is considered more valuable than another as gems are cut into the shape that their rough state best dictates in order to retain the most weight in the cutting process. However, occasionally, some sellers will sell more wasteful cuts such as trillions at a premium. We do not subscribe to this practice and all shapes are priced on a par. The exception to the rule is matched pairs. Usually in order to cut a matched pair weight is deliberately lost in order to bring both stones to the same dimensions. This is why matched pairs generally command a 20% premium in the marketplace.
There are 2 basic cutting styles - brilliants and step cuts. Brilliants use a variety of facet arrangements on both the table and pavilion to create brilliance. The classic brilliant use less and larger facets than the more modern cuts which are known as "modified brilliants" which use a larger number of smaller facets to create more internal reflection and brilliance,
Step cuts are more simple cuts utilizing a series of long facets in a series of "steps" on the table and pavilion.
Whether a gemstone is cut as a step cut or a brilliant cut does not affect the quality or value of a stone in any way. The quality of the cut itself in terms of symmetry, angles, dimensions, length to width ratios and balance are responsible for this. The cutting style itself is of no consequence as it purely a matter of personal preference.
All minerals reflect light to a different degree. When light enters a gem from some other medium it normally changes its speed and direction of travel. This is refraction. To express the magnitude of the change gemologists use refractive index which is how many times as fast light travels in air as it does in the gem.
Tanzanite for example has an RI of 1.69 which means light travels 1.69 times faster in air as it does in Tanzanite. The slower light moves through a gem the higher the gem’s RI. The refractive index of a gem is measured by gemologists using a Refractometer and RI liquid and is considered to be the most constant and reliable gem property a gemologist can test.
The refractive index of a gemstone isn’t just an identification signature, it also affects the angles at which it is cut/faceted as it is instrumental in calculating the optimal angles for light reflection within a cut stone.
Crystals will have optical properties that vary with the direction of light. The polarization of light determines the direction of the electric field, and crystals will respond in different ways if this angle is changed. These kinds of crystals have one or two optical axes. If absorption of light varies with the angle relative to the optical axis in a crystal then pleochroism results. Anisotropic crystals have double refraction of light where light of different polarizations is bent different amounts by the crystal, and therefore follows different paths through the crystal. The components of a divided light beam follow different paths within the mineral and travel at different speeds. When the mineral is observed at some angle, light following some combination of paths and polarizations will be present, each of which will have had light of different colors absorbed. At another angle, the light passing through the crystal will be composed of another combination of light paths and polarizations, each with their own color. The light passing through the mineral will therefore have different colors when it is viewed from different angles, making the stone seem to be of different colors.
Tetragonal, Trigonal and Hexagonal minerals can only show two colors and are called Dichroic. Othorhombic, Diclinic and Triclinic crystals can show three and are trichroic. A good example is Tanzanite which can have red, blue or violet appearance when oriented in three different ways in three dimensional space.
Isometric minerals such as garnets, cannot exhibit pleochroism and are Singly Refractive meaning that they have only have single refraction of light.
LGL employs the Gemologicaldd Institute of America Colored Stone Grading System. This is generally considered to be the most widely accepted system of grading colored stones and the most advanced.
Color is the main indicator of value in colored gemstones and is the most important of the 4C’s. The GIA has a sophisticated color grading system which is the most advanced and only non subjective system yet developed. The GIA Color Grading system describes color in terms of 3 dimensions — Hue, Tone and Saturation.
HUE is the basic impression of color that we notice immediately. A gem usually has several hues in it and hence it is given a dominant hue and a modifying hue. The vB you see in this example stands for a modifying hue of blue and a dominant hue of violet. Thus the stone is a violetish Blue.
TONE is the lightness of darkness of a color sensation. The GIA divides tone into 11 steps from colorless or white through increasingly darker grays to black. The GIA uses 7 of these steps in grading tone in transparent colored stones.
The optimum range with most gemstones is 4—7 where the stone is neither too light or too dark.
SATURATION is the strength, purity or intensity of the hue. It is assessed on a 7 level scale (0 through 6)
As color can be the most complicated and difficult to understand of the GIA grades, we have developed a set of charts which will help you better understand tones and saturations as they apply to a particular gem type:
Click Here to see the Tanzanite Tone and Saturation Chart
Click Here to see the Tsavorite Tone and Saturation Chart
Click Here to see the Aquamarine Tone and Saturation Chart
Click Here to see the Malaia Garnet Tone and Saturation Chart
Click Here to see the Rhodolite Garnet Tone and Saturation Chart
Click Here to see the Yellow Sapphire Tone and Saturation Chart
These articles in our Article center on Tanzanite color may be useful to those considering Tanzanites.
Gems are graded under 10x magnification. The GIA clarity grades are VVS / VS / SI1 / SI2 / I1-3 / Dcl. Colored stones are not graded by the GIA as flawless or internally flawless, even if they are. This is because a rigid definition of the flawless grade for diamond grading has become established in the trade bolstered by clear FTC guidelines and the vast majority of colored stones simply cannot measure up to these strict definitions for the highest grades of Diamonds. In Type 1, a colored stone that would grade flawless in the diamond sense may sometimes be found perhaps in Aquamarine or Tanzanite but very unusual as virtually any minute inclusion or blemish would disqualify it. Diamonds are graded much more strictly than colored stones as they are harder.
GIA grades are applied to each of the 3 gem types differently (to understand what constitutes a gem type click on the "Clarity Type" category on the certificate.
GIA Clarity Grades as applied to Type 1 Gemstones:
VVS : Characterized by minute inclusions which are difficult to see under 10x and invisible to the unaided eye. Even under a 10x a VVS stone might appear to be flawless. Typical inclusions may be pinpoints, very fine needles.
VS : Characterized by minor inclusions which are somewhat easy to see under 10x but usually invisible to the unaided eye. Typical inclusions might be small included crystals, liquid inclusions, numerous fine needles, small fingerprints
SI1-SI2 – Characterized by noticeable inclusions which are apparent under 10x and in SI1 usually visible and SI2 quite visible to the unaided eye. Inclusions normally have low relief. Typical inclusions may be included crystals, large fingerprints, chips, feathers, dens clouds.
I 1-3 – Characterized by inclusions that have a negative effect on either appearance or durability or both. Inclusions are often large and prominent to the unaided eye and there amy be noticeable loss of transparency.
Dcl – Declasse – Characterized by inclusions so numerous the entire stone is no longer transparent but translucent at best. Dcl stones lack beauty and durability.
GIA Clarity Grades as applied to Type 2 Gemstones:
VVS : Characterized by minor inclusions which are somewhat easy to see under 10x but usually invisible to the unaided eye. Typical inclusions might be small included crystals, liquid inclusions, numerous fine needles, small fingerprints
VS : Characterized by noticeable inclusions of moderate size, which are easy to see under 10x and sometimes visible to the unaided eye. They are still non damaging. Typical inclusions are liquid inclusions, fingerprints small chips, small feathers, clouds.
SI1-SI2 – Characterized by obvious inclusions which are large and/or numerous under 10x and in SI1 apparant and SI2 very apparent to the unaided eye. Typical inclusions may be large included crystals, large chips, feathers, dense clouds.
I 1-3 – Characterized by inclusions that have a negative effect on either appearance or durability or both. Inclusions are often large and prominent to the unaided eye and there amy be noticeable loss of transparency.
Dcl – Declasse – Characterized by inclusions so numerous the entire stone is no longer transparent but translucent at best. Dcl stones lack beauty and durability
GIA Clarity Grades as applied to Type 3 Gemstones:
VVS : Characterized by noticeable inclusions which are easy to see under 10x but usually invisible to the unaided eye. They are still non damaging. Typical inclusions are small included crystals, liquid inclusions, fine needles, small feathers, clouds.
VS : Characterized by obvious inclusions which are very easy to see under 10x but and often visible to the unaided eye. Typical inclusions are small included crystals, liquid inclusions, chips, fine needles, small feathers, clouds.
SI1-SI2 – Characterized by prominent inclusions which are large and numerous under 10x and in SI1 apparant and SI2 very apparent to the unaided eye. Typical inclusions may be easily visible but not extensive feathers and dense clouds.
I 1-3 – Characterized by inclusions that have a negative effect on either appearance or durability or both. Inclusions are often large and prominent to the unaided eye and there amy be noticeable loss of transparency.
Dcl – Declasse – Characterized by inclusions so numerous the entire stone is no longer transparent but translucent at best. Dcl stones lack beauty and durability
This article in our Article Center goes into some depth on Tanzanite clarity:
The GIA grades clarity in transparent, faceted colored stones using a series of definitions which state the typical inclusions and their appearance in each grade. The typical clarity of a given kind of colored stone depends largely on its mode of formation. Different gems can be very different in typical occurrence and they clearly cannot be graded in exactly the same way. The ground rules have to be slightly different. Some colored stones like Aquamarine and Tanzanite are expected to be relatively free of inclusions. Others like Ruby and Tsavorite are acceptable with minor inclusions. And some like emerald, may have numerous inclusions or inclusions very obvious to the unaided eye and still be desireable. To clarity grade emeralds on the same scale as Aquamarines would almost automatically put all Emeralds in the lowest clarity grade. To balance fairness and workability, the GIA divides all transparent colored stones into 3 broad categories or Clarity Types. Each Type is based on the inclusions generally expected to be seen in stones in the market.
TYPE 1 - Stones that are often virtually inclusion free. Include Aquamarine, Tanzanite, Topaz
TYPE 2 – Stones that usually contain inclusions. Include Ruby, Sapphire, All Garnets, Spinel, Tourmaline
TYPE 3 – Stones that are almost always included. Include Emerald, Red Tourmaline
There is a subtly different set of clarity grade definitions for each type
Gem treatment might be defined as any human controlled process that improves the appearance, durability or value of a gem. Treatments can be divided into a few basic categories – temperature, irradiation, chemicals or surface modification. Using high temperature to change the appearance of a gem is known as heat treatment and is one of the oldest and most common treatments dating back to 2000BC. Several gem types are routinely heated in the trade and the treatment is accepted as permanent and stable. For gems such as Tanzanite and Aquamarine, the treatment is applied to virtually 99.9% of all production and is considered normal. In fact, most Tanzanite is mined partially heated in the ground anyway.
See these articles in our Article Center for more in depth information on this :
Gemstone Treatments Heating and Irradiation
This refers to the gem’s origin. In some cases, as with Paraiba Tourmaline, Burmese Ruby, Kashmir Sapphire, the stone’s origin can mean a premium price. Mostly, however, this is not the case and gems are graded, sold and admired on their own merit. Origin is an important category on a gem certificate though as it basically refers to its "place of birth".
Barcode - Each gemstone certified has a unique barcode.
Official Hologram. This is a tamper proof hologram security feature. Attempts to remove it will denature the hologram rendering it useless.
Your hint has been dropped! Thank you, for sending to our website!
Dear _________________,
We heard that this is at the top of _______________'s wish list this year and we thought you'd want to know. Just a little hint from your friends at The Rare Gemstone Company.
MINING, GEOLOGY & PROVENANCE
This report will ship with this gemstone
This appraisal is provided and supplied subject to understanding of the following:
A. This appraisal has been prepared by a GIA Graduate Gemologist using specialist Appraisal Software. This software employs the following:
B. The function of this appraisal is “Retail Replacement Value”. Due to the nature of a free market this value can differ widely depending on the market conditions and the positioning of the selling establishment in the marketplace. Hence this value is not inherently guaranteed but is a fair average of prices seen in the retail marketplace this quarter. Actual prices in the marketplace may differ or be far higher depending on the selling establishment.
C. We estimate the value as listed for insurance and/or other purposes. In making this appraisal we do not agree to purchase or replace this article.The appraisal is made and accepted upon the express understanding that no liability or responsibility is incurred by the appraisor.
This appraisal is a certified document which is useable for insurance purposes.
Gemstone ID Number : AQC873
Gemstone Variety : Aquamarine
Species : Beryl
Refractive Index : 1.579
Treatments :No Treatment
Origins : None
Dimensions : 12.01 x 7.46 x 6.95 mm
Natural Gemstone
Weight : 3.41 Carat
Shape : Pear Long
Clarity Type : Type I GIA
Clarity Grade : VVS (Type I GIA)
Color Grade : vslgB 6/5
This Grading Report is not a valuation or appraisal and contains only the characteristics of the gemstone(s) described herin after it has been tested, examined and analyzed by a GIA Graduate Gemologist in accordance with the GIA Grading System. Examination methodology on back.
This Grading Report is not a valuation or appraisal and contains only the characteristics of the gemstone(s) described herin after it has been tested, examined and analyzed by a GIA Graduate Gemologist in accordance with the GIA Grading System. Examination methodology on back.
Learn about the Gem Grading Certificate
All our gemstones are thoroughly examined, tested and graded by a GIA Graduate Gemologist and a full photo-certificate issued. A sample certificate appears on the left. It contains all the GIA grades and information about a particular gemstone. The certificate’s integrity is protected with several security features including a tamper proof hologram and bar code.Our gemologists use a plethora of techniques and equipment available to them. These include magnification with GIA Microscope with darkfield lighting and Zeiss lens, Electronic carat balance, Spectroscope, Refractometer, Polariscope, Dichroscope, Specific Gravity Immersion Liquids, Ultraviolet lamps, Chelsea filter, Digital guage. This virtual learning center has been designed to help you learn about the different grades and terminology on the certificate. Simply click on any of the grades, terms or icons on the certificate and a full, detailed description will appear below. If you have an older version of our certificate click here
OFFICIAL GEMOLOGICAL HISTORY AND REGISTRATION REPORT
Prepared for Gemstone ID# AQC873
Registered on https://www.theraregemstonecompany.com worldwide gemstone registration service. Registration information only available by password to account holder.
PHOTOGRAPHIC LOGS AND QUALITY GRAPH
AQC873 BEFORE AND AFTER CUTTING
Quality Report
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The gemstone here described has been identified as a natural gemstone and has the following description:
Please register for a member's account, you will allocated a GIA Gemologist who will answer your questions. All questions and answers are stored in a forum-like thread system in our account and you can open as many threads as you like at any time.
Thank you for your interest,.
Color Quality is the main indicator of value in colored gemstones. The GIA describes color in terms of 3 dimensions — Hue, Tone and Saturation.
GEMSTONE GIA COLOR CHART This chart has been formulated to help you better understand how tone and saturation works with regards to gemstones and hence how the GIA color grades apply to them. The vertical axis of the chart demonstrates how as tone increases, the darkness of the stone increases. Similarly, the saturation factor is demonstrated on the horizontal axis illustrating how as saturation levels increase, so does color quality. The two factors combined make up the tone and saturation grade of the GIA Colored Stone Grading System. The outline box indicates the optimum grade for this gem type.
The GIA grading system is the only universally recognized grading system for colored gemstones and is based
upon years of scientific research and study of color and its vagaries in gems. It is the answer to ambiguity in
communication of gemstone colors and is not a subjective system like most you will find on the internet.
All gemstones at The Rare Gemstone Company are graded by GIA Graduate Gemologists in strict accordance with this system.
HUE is the basic impression of color that we notice immediately. A gem usually has several hues in it and hence it is given a dominant hue and a modifying hue.
TONE is the lightness of darkness of a color sensation. The GIA divides tone into 11 steps from colorless or white through increasingly darker grays to black. The GIA uses 7 of these steps in grading tone in transparent colored stones.
The optimum range with most gemstones is 4—6 where the stone is neither too light or too dark.
SATURATION is the strength, purity or intensity of the hue. It is assessed on a 6 level scale (1 through 6)
All 3 components are graded by a gemologist and then combined as a grade. An example would bevB 6/6 where the hue is violetish (modifier) Blue (dominant), the tone is 6 (medium dark) and the saturation is 6 (vivid hue). The charts below show the colors for the different gem types.
Why would two pink tourmalines of identical color, size, and cut vary significantly in price? If they are fairly priced, the answer is; they vary greatly in clarity. Stones full of inclusions are lower in clarity, less pleasing to the eye, and less suitable for use in jewelry. So how do gemstone dealers evaluate the clarity of a cut gem?
Most use some variation of the colored stone clarity grading system developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). This system is a sophisticated scheme somewhat similar to that used by the GIA to grade diamonds, albeit a scaled down version.
Unlike with Diamonds, where you are always comparing “apples with apples”, a complication in grading colored stones arises from the fact that the absolute definition of the above grades varies with the type of gem material.
The GIA categorizes colored gemstones into three classes (or Types) depending upon the likelihood/propensity of a particular gem material being included, namely TYPE I, TYPE II, TYPE III.
Commonly faced Type I colored gemstones most often seen in the marketplace:
VVS—Very, Very Slightly Included: Characterized by minute inclusions, which are difficult to see under 10X and invisible to the unaided eye. Even under 10X, a VVS stone may at first seem to have no inclusions, only blemishes (in exceptional stones this may in fact be true).
Typical inclusions: pinpoints, very fine needles, tiny hairline feathers. minor color zoning, very faint clouds, and percussion marks.
VS—Very Slightly Included: Characterized by minor inclusions, which are somewhat easy to see under 10X but usually invisible to the unaided eye.
Typical inclusions: Small included crystals, liquid inclusions, numerous fine needles, small fingerprints, and small feathers.
SI1 - SI2—Slightly Included: Characterized by noticeable inclusions, which are apparent under 10X. In Sll they are usually visible, and in Sl2 quite visible, to the unaided eye. Inclusions normally have low relief.
Typical inclusions: included crystals, large fingerprints, chips, feathers, considerable color zoning, and dense clouds.
I1 -12 - I3—Included: Characterized by inclusions that have a negative effect on either appearance or durability, or both. In I1 there is a moderate effect on either factor; in I2, a severe effect on either factor; in 13, a severe effect on both factors.. Inclusions are often large and prominent to the unaided eye, and there may be noticeable loss of transparency.
Del—Declasse: Characterized by inclusions so numerous the entire stone is no longer transparent but translucent at best. Dcl stones lack the beauty and/or durability of faceted gemstones.
Yellow Beryl (Type I) VVS 
Green Beryl (Type I) VS 
Topaz (Type I) SI1 
Aquamarine (Type I) SI2 
Aquamarine (Type I) I1 
Aquamarine (Type I) I2 Commonly faced Type II colored gemstones most often seen in the marketplace:
VVS—Very, Very Slightly Included: Characterized by minor inclusions, which are somewhat easy to see under 10X but usually invisible to the unaided eye.
Typical inclusions: small included crystals, liquid inclusions, fine needles, fingerprints, tiny feathers and minor color zoning.
VS—Very Slightly Included: Characterized noticeable inclusions of moderate size, which are easy to see under 10X and sometimes visible to the unaided eye. They are still non-damaging.
Typical inclusions: liquid inclusions, fingerprints, small chips, small feathers, moderate color zoning, and clouds.
SI1 - SI2—Slightly Included: Characterized by obvious inclusions, which are large and/or numerous under 10X. In SI1 they are apparent, and in SI2 very apparent, to the unaided eye.
Typical inclusions: large included crystals, moderate feathers, large chips, considerable color zoning, and dense clouds.
I1 -12 - I3—Included: Characterized by inclusions that have a negative effect on either appearance or durability, or both. In I1 there is a moderate effect on either factor; in I2, a severe effect on either factor; in 13, a severe effect on both factors.. Inclusions are often large and prominent to the unaided eye, and there may be noticeable loss of transparency.
Del—Declasse: Characterized by inclusions so numerous the entire stone is no longer transparent but translucent at best. Dcl stones lack the beauty and/or durability of faceted gemstones.
Amethyst (Type II) VVS 
Amethyst (Type II) VS 
Amethyst (Type II) SI1 
Spessartite (Type II) SI2 
Spinel (Type II) I1 
Amethyst (Type II) I2 Commonly faced Type III colored gemstones most often seen in the marketplace:
VVS—Very, Very Slightly Included: Characterized by noticeable inclusions, which are easy to see under 10X but usually invisible to the unaided eye.
Typical inclusions: small included crystals, liquid inclusions, fine needles, and tiny feathers.
VS—Very Slightly Included: Characterized by obvious inclusions, which are very easy to see under 10X and are often visible to the unaided eye.
Typical inclusions: liquid inclusions, fingerprints, chips, and small feathers.
SI1 - SI2—Slightly Included: Characterized by prominent inclusions, which are large and numerous under 10X. In SI1 they are Prominent, and in SI2 very prominent, to the unaided eye.
Typical inclusions: easily visible but not extensive feathers, and dense clouds.
I1 -12 - I3—Included: Characterized by inclusions that have a negative effect on appearance or durability, or both. In I1 there is a moderate effect on either factor; in I2, a severe effect on either factor; in 13, a severe effect on both factors.. Inclusions are often large and prominent to the unaided eye, and there may be noticeable loss of transparency.
Del—Declasse: Characterized by inclusions so numerous the entire stone is no longer transparent but translucent at best. Dcl stones lack the beauty and/or durability of faceted gemstones.
Pink Tourmaline (Type III) VVS 
Pink Tourmaline (Type III) VS 
Pink Tourmaline (Type III) SI1 
Pink Tourmaline (Type III) SI2 
Pink Tourmaline (Type III) I1 
Pink Tourmaline (Type III) I2 Clarity refers to the number and size of inclusions within a gemstone. This clarity survey is a description of the exact type of inclusions, if any, contained in this gem.
Whereas with Diamonds, inclusions are regarded as impacting the quality of the gem significantly, the same is not true to the same extent with colored stones. The existence of small and minute inclusions are often welcomed in some types of gem such as Ruby as it identifies it as a natural stone as opposed to a manmade synthetic.
Whilst numerous and large inclusions will impact the value and clarity grade of a colored gem, minute and insignificant ones are tolerated and do not impact the clarity grade in the same way as they would with Diamonds.
Some of the most common inclusion types are: Feathers - small hairline cracks, Crystals - small to large sugar-like crystals of minerals, Clouds - small to large clouds of minute pinpoints and crystals, Fingerprints / Veils - small to large liquid inclusions that resemble fingerprints. Needles - different mineral (often Rutile)growing within a gemstone in the shape of a needle.
ingerprint / Veil inclusion. These
Needle Inclusions. Can be very
Included Crystal. These are tiny mineral
Feather. Can be hairline and minute through
Crystal Cloud. This photograph is taken at veryAnyone who has an interest in gemstones and a passing knowledge of the trade will know that there exist many forms of treatment and enhancement devised by man to make lower grade gems look better. Sometimes, these treatments can transform a gemstone completely. Some treatments are permanent, others are not. Some are accepted as normal practice in the trade and are a routine part of a gem type’s route to market and others are unscrupulous attempts to misrepresent lower grade gemstones as fine pieces. You can read more about the many types of gem treatments in our Article Center.
At The Rare Gemstone Company we specialize in natural, untreated rare gems and you won’t find this sort of thing amongst our highly selected gemstones. The only treatment you will find on some gems is heating:
HEATING There are some treatments which are routine with certain gem types - Tanzanite is the most notable case and heating is accepted by the GIA as part of the natural process for Tanzanite.
TANZANITE Tanzanites are always heated as they are usually brown in their natural state a shown in the photo of the rough Tanzanite below before and after heating.
If a Tanzanite is blue or violet (not brown) then it is heated. All Tanzanite in the market is heated at a low heat for a few minutes. That is a simple fact, and anyone trying to sell you a blue “unheated” Tanzanite is not being truthful. The treatment is permanent and would have happened naturally in the ground in time anyway.
Heating simply removes the brownish red component, leaving the blue and violet. In no way does heating improve the quality or grade of a Tanzanite. Deeply saturated Tanzanites are deeply saturated browns in their unheated state and heat to deep blues. Lighter browns heat to lighter blues and/or violets. Heating has no impact on the quality or grade of the stone.
AQUAMARINE Aquamarines are another gem which is routinely heated. Heating removes the yellow element which can make Aquamarine look green as shown in the photos of a piece of rough Aquamarine before and after heating. It is unusual to find Aquamarines that have not been heated. However, unheated stones do command a premium in the market as successful heating does improve the color and change the color grade of an Aquamarine. pieces.
RUBY & SAPPHIRE Heating corundum (Sapphires, Rubies) does have an impact on the value of the gems. Heating is an accepted treatment for Ruby & Sapphire but unheated stones command a premium in the market. Unlike Tanzanite, Rubies and Sapphires are heated at high temperatures (above 1800 degrees centigrade) and the final grade of the stones is improved by heating.
It is used to improve the clarity and color of Rubies and Sapphires. The heat dissolves rutile inclusions and “silk” inside the stones which has the effect of improving the clarity. Additionally it can improve the color grade - alot of Burmese Rubies from the Mong Hsu region are heated to remove the bluish colors and improve the red. No other additives have been added to the process and the Ruby is as strong and durable as the unheated version.
Unheated Rubies and Sapphires do command a significant premium in the marketplace as they represent the vast minority of stones mined.
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