Wide Range of the Precious Natural Gemstones at Unbeatable Prices

Prins & Prins – Engagement Ring Specialists since 1982

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MOISSANITE

FAQs

Today, moissanite is romanced and marketed by many jewellers as; “a gem from the stars,” “a celestial gem,” “a stardust gem, “ even; “the world’s most brilliant gem,” and, “consisting of carbonsilicate from the Meteor Crater in Arizona.” This is just deceptive and clever marketing.

In the past, the term “precious” was reserved for diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald, while gems of lesser value, such as tourmaline, garnet, etc., were called “semi-precious.” But can a garnet like tsavorite or tanzanite be described as semi-precious when they cost thousands of dollars? Of course not.
When gemstones are of poor quality and the only way to enhance their beauty is to polish their surface by tumbling them in a rotating drum with a polishing compound, then they should be termed “semi-precious.”

When can a mineral be called a precious gem?

To be called a precious gemstone, a mineral must have three characteristics: beauty, rarity, and durability.

BEAUTY: A beautiful gem is one that delights the senses and stimulates the mind. The color, sparkle, absence of inclusions, luster of its surface, and symmetry of its facets make a gemstone visually appealing.

RARITY: Some gems are rarer than others, but rarity alone does not make them valuable. There should be general awareness and a reasonable demand for a specific gem for it to be valuable.

DURABILITY: Durability is determined by three factors: hardness (the ability to resist scratches and abrasion), temperature, and material.
Toughness: the ability to withstand chipping and breaking.
Stability—i.e., how a gem resists the influence of light, heat, and chemicals The color of some gems fades under prolonged sunlight; others, like pearls, lose their luster due to perfumes and hairsprays.


There is a gemstone with specific meaning for you. It depends on which month you were born.

A gemstone that is associated with a specific month in the Gregorian Calendar is called a “birthstone.”

The tradition of birthstones stems from the 12 gems set in the breastplate of Aaron, the Hebrew high priest. These gems were associated with the 12 tribes of Judea and later with the 12 zodiac signs.
In the eighth and ninth centuries, religious leaders associated a particular gemstone with each of the 12 apostles, and it became the norm to keep 12 stones and wear one a month. Centuries later, it became a practice to wear only one birthstone. Different cultures use different gemstones, and some believe that a specific gemstone imparts specific human emotions and characteristics to the wearer.
 
In 1912, in an effort to standardize birthstones, the US Association of Jewellers published a list of birthstones that was accepted by most western cultures. The list was updated on a regular basis to reflect changing fashions and new gem discoveries.The latest was the addition of tanzanite as a birthstone for December.
  

 

The tradition to celebrate wedding anniversaries dates from Roman times, when husbands crowned their wives with a silver wreath on their 25th anniversary and a gold wreath on the 50th. 
 
 In1937, the Jewellers of America Association compiled a gift list for each year up to the 25th and for every fifth anniversary thereafter.   These gifts may vary from country to country and have changed over the years as fashion and lifestyles varied.

    Suggested modern Anniversary gift list 
            YEAR                GIFT                 YEAR          GIFT 
    1st    Paper    
    2nd    Cotton, China
    3rd    Leather, Crystal, glass
    4th    Linen, silk
    5th    Silverware
    6th    Iron    
    7th    Wool, copper
    8th    Bronze
    9th    Pottery, Leather goods
    10th    Diamond jewellery
    11th    Steel, Fashion jewelry
    12th    Pearls, colored gems
    13th    Lace, Textiles
    14th    Gold jewelry
    15th    Crystal, Watches
    16th    Silver hollowware
    17th    Furniture
    18th    Porcelain
    19th    Bronze
    20th    China, Platinum

PLEASE NOTE: We carry a large selection of certified coloured gems and our jewellery collections contain birthstone and wedding anniversary gems set in beautiful designs. 
Click here and discover our collections, Or call 021 422 1090 for advice on anniversary gifts.


FACT OR FICTION ?
Since the beginning of recorded history, almost every culture – Indian, Egyptian, Mayan and Greek… and many Native peoples, has placed an extraordinary amount of value on precious gems. Gems came to be used in astrology as well, to counteract the negative influence of the planets.  In ancient eastern medicine, gemstones and gem elixirs played an important role in the healing process. 
 Even today, some cultures and certain spirited individuals attach metaphysical properties to gemstones. They generally believe, rather unscientifically, that gemstones are made up of minute crystals which are always in constant motion, and that each gemstone emits a specific energy frequency (vibration) that can heal specific ailments of the human body and/or influence a person’s state of mind.
This is achieved by what they call ‘crystal therapy’. Crystals can be carried or worn on the person and must be in contact with the naked skin, or they can be placed where their ‘healing vibrations’ can be felt by whoever comes close. Crystal elixirs are made by soaking crystals for a few hours in water or other drinkable fluids.

Healing stones, also known as ‘Chakra Stones’, combine a specific vibration with a colour, and are believed to heal, or bring to balance the seven major chakras and thousands of minor chakras that make up the human energy field. Some gems can heal more than one chakra and there are many different gems for each chakra.

Sounds confusing? For the uninitiated, yes, but very real to those who believe in the healing power of gems. INTERESTED? – Read More ……….
Jyotish – The art of Vedic healing.
Since 3000 BC, a number of Vedic texts mention the use of gems, both in terms of astrology and healing.  In these texts nine Vedic astrological gemstones are mentioned. Each represents one of the nine major planets: See Table below.
Jyotish is a high art form of ancient Asia which combines the beliefs of mineralogy, planetary science and gemmology. It is the result of both Hindu and Indian sciences infused with the concepts of Vedic astrology. In India and elsewhere, the awareness of Jyotish beliefs are so vast that a non-profit organization known as the Planetary Gemologists Association (PGA) has been assigned to ensure its proper regulation.
The Jyotish gemstone list can be compared to the western world’s Birthstone list, but, when it comes to gem standards, the Jyoish gems must be completely natural, unenhanced and exceptionally clean (except for ruby and emerald) and must be of excellent cut, colour and clarity, and most importantly, they must possess a sweet ‘sattivic’ feeling. Jyotish gems must also be very large, weighing more than 5 carats.  
If you’re interested in knowing your Jyotish planetary association, you should consult with a reputable and certified planetary gemmologist.

PLEASE NOTE : Prins & Prins and its gemmologists, unfortunately, cannot help you with these esoteric beliefs. We prefer to take a more scientific approach to the beauty and rarity of gems and regard them as valuable wonders of nature, to be appreciated and, above all, to be symbols of life’s important milestones.
If, for some people, gems do help to stabilize mind and body, that’s an extra wonder.

Pearls have been imitated for centuries. Most pearl imitations are made by first producing a spherical glass or mother-of-pearl bead. The bead is then coated by a substance called pearl essence” which is made by mixing guanine (extracted from fish scales) with glue and a colouring agent. After a few layers of “essence” have been applied, the bead is polished and dipped in a chemical which hardens and protects the surface from chipping and discolouring.
Imitation pearls are normally sold under specific brand names such as “Majorica pearls”.

⦁ A famous test is done by gently rubbing the pearl on your front teeth – if it feels gritty, it is a cultured pearl; if it feels like plastic on your teeth, it is an imitation. This is not conclusive as some imitations are produced with a gritty surface.

⦁ Through a jeweller’s loupe the drill hole of a cultured pearl shows the thin, often dark layer of conchiolin that separates the bead nucleus from the nacre. The edge of the drill hole is sharp and well-defined. The presence of blemishes and the specific orient of cultured pearls are diagnostic.
⦁ On the other hand, the drill holes in pearl imitations show the ragged edges of the coating and often no separation between the glass nucleus and coating can be seen.

The drill hole of a cultured pearl is normally smooth and the thin layer of nacre that covers the bead can be seen (left). On the right, the ragged edges of the drill hole in the imitation bead is obvious.

⦁ The surface of an imitation pearls is normally smooth and without blemishes.
⦁ Imitation pearls are not as hard as cultured pearls. They also feel warm on the lips compared to the cold feel of cultured pearls.
⦁ Pressing a needle on the surface of a fake pearl will leave a small
hole while a cultured pearl will show no needle mark.

You may have heard that gemstones are treated to look better. Here care the facts:

Most gemstones have been heated to improve their colour. In fact, when a miner discovers a gem, he will immediately heat it to about 500 degrees Celsius, and if its colour improves, he will get a better price. This is acceptable in the gemstone trade because heat-improved colour is permanent.

However, there are many other processes whereby man can improve the appearance, i.e., colour and clarity, and thus the value of a gemstone. Such as:

TYPES OF GEMSTONE TREATMENTS

High pressure and temperature;
Are used to change the colour of natural as well as man-made diamonds.

Bleaching.
Chemicals are used to lighten or remove the colour of pearls, ivory tiger’s eye or jade.

Dyeing.
Porous minerals such as lapis lazuli, jadeite, pearls, agate and turquoise readily absorps a dye that improves their colour.

Fracture Filling.
Surface reaching cracks can be filled with glass or plastic to improve the stone’s clarity. Diamond, ruby and emerald can be treated as such.

Colour impregnation.
Melted wax or resins are sucked under vacuum into pores or cracks to stabilize or improve the colour of a gem.

Heat treatment.
The colour of most sapphires and rubies has been improved permanently by heat treatment. Jewellers accept this and often do not inform clients. Tanzanite, tourmaline, morganite and many other gem varieties have undergone such treatment. Amber is regularly heated to improve its translucency and to transform large cracks into sun spangles.

Lattice diffusion
. A polished gem like sapphire and ruby can be “cooked” in a soup containing beryllium, chrome or titanium. These diffuse into the outer layer to give the stone a different colour.

Irradiation.
Bombardment with X-Rays or sub-atomic particles can change the colour of a gem.
The dark blue (right) of London topaz is due to such a treatment.


Sugar and Smoke.
When opal is heated in a concentrated sugary solution, the sugar is absorbed by the porous structure. After cooling, treatment with sulphuric acid converts the sugar to carbon creating a beautiful “black opal.”

Painting.
The pavilion facets of gems can be painted to improve its colour. Or a thin layer of metallic titanium can be deposited on colourless quartz to create the rainbow colours of “Mystic Quartz.” Tanzanite can be coated with a layer to improve its colour.

Reconstruction.
Low-grade turquoise or lapis lazuli are crushed, the powder mixed with dye and a bonding agent and the paste molded in the shape of a polished gem.

IMPORTANT : Your jeweller should tell you whether the gem you buy has been treated to improve its characteristics. Sadly, some jewellers are not aware of all gem enhancements. And a goldsmith must be able to identify treatments that are not stable, before he starts to work on a piece of jewellery.

Can you afford to buy a coloured gem from someone who is not a qualified gemmologist?
Call for advice today: 021 422 1090 or email your request to consultants@prinsandprins.com

REST ASSURED: All gems from Prins & Prins are supplied with a Grading Report issued by a qualified gemmologist.

Men are becoming bolder and are making fashion statements in wearing ‘manly jewellery’ set with relatively inexpensive gemstones.
Traditionally, the most popular gems worn by men were neutral coloured such as black onyx or agate, grey moonstone and mother of pearl. However, the more adventurous gentlemen today, wear bold coloured gems such as dark red garnet, blue lapis lazuli, spinel of all colours, Jadeite and especially black diamonds.
Jewellery for men is often made with stong coloured gems and unconventional materials such as ceramic, cement, stainless steel, titanium, silver, and even leather.
Garnet
Red is only one of the colours of garnet. The most popular varieties are: Almandine (red), Rhodolite (purplish), Tsavorite (green), Spessartite (yellow-brown). Garnet has a good hardness, ranging from 7-7.05 on the Mohs Scale of hardness, and the better stones show excellent brilliance.
Garnet is commonly used as an industrial abrasive and when mixed with water under high pressure, is used for sand-blasting and steel cutting. It’s tough – no wonder it is popular with men.

Lapis Lazuli
This opaque gem has a vivid blue colour with gold-like specs (in fact, the specs are pyrite, also known as ‘fool’s gold”) ‘Lapis’ without white streaks of calcite are the most valuable. Polished slabs set in yellow gold make exquisite cufflinks or signet rings and have been a favourite gem for men over many decades.

Jadeite
In the gem trade “jade” could be one of two minerals. The one, Jadeite, or ‘true jade’ is the most expensive and can be found in different colours with emerald green the most valuable. The other ‘jade’ mineral is called Nephrite, which is inexpensive and often used to carve statuettes from.
Jadeite is not the hardest of gems but its composition makes it one of the toughest gems on earth. (Note: hardness refers to how easily a mineral scratches, while toughness implies that it will not break easily. For instance; ceramics are hard but break easily, while leather is soft but tough) Men can thus wear jadeite without fear of breakage.

Other Gems for Gents

A few other ‘masculine’ gems such as: Black Spinel, Black Tourmaline, Black opal and of course, black diamond have made their appearance recently.

Cabochon cut star sapphire which comes in colours ranging from black, burgundy, grey brown and blue, (because of their extreme hardness and affordable price, have also surged in popularity.

Dr Petre Prins has been collecting fine gemstones since his university days. You are invited to visit PRINS & PRINS for the widest selection of beautiful and rare coloured gemstones in Cape Town.

Phone a consultant Today : 021 422 1090
or email your request to consultants@prinsandprins.com

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