Catching Fire

Photography is a hobby and an occupation enjoyed by millions of people. And for good reason. There’s something about capturing a moment in time, an image, an action, or even an idea as it occurs and showing it to the world in a way that can’t be duplicated with words alone. It doesn’t matter how many words you use, you cannot convey precisely the same message as a photograph. Photography is perception, background, history, context, and the message all in one visible word. Photography is also art, communication, and many times photography is proof. It can be proof of an existence, an action, a condition, among other things. Photography is versatile but yet often quite absolute.

In gemstone photography, photography is an image and one of proof, although it is a proof that is difficult to achieve. Gemstones and jewelry might possibly be some of the most difficult subjects to photograph. Rarely is a subject so dynamic and its true color so important as it is when trying to record an accurate image of a gemstone or piece of jewelry. It isn’t often we go through pictures in the family photo album or pictures of last summer’s vacation and scrutinize the color and clarity of the photographs. It just isn’t that important. It is when you’re talking about gems. A small tonal difference can create the perception of a stone that would be worth hundreds of dollars less per carat. The reason for the difficulty in capturing a gem’s true essence is usually a combination of lighting and the camera itself. Both of these problem areas can be improved upon with some investment in professional photography and lighting equipment, but rarely are they overcome completely.

I can imagine the online gem shopper who now might be asking themselves, ‘So… how do I know what I’m buying if the photo may not be telling me the whole story?’ It’s understandable to think that way, but luckily the camera seldom makes a bad stone look good. They’re just stuck looking bad. But for good, fine, and decent stones, without fail, stones appear much better in person than what is shown in the photo because a single still image can’t capture the dynamic fire and brilliance of a stone dancing in the light. So it stands to reason, and generally holds true that if you pick a stone you like from a good photograph, you’ll be even more pleased when you see it in person.

Buying Gems and Jewelery

Buying precious stones has become big business in the United States as people seem to have more disposable income and are trying to come up with interesting jewelry ideas to create unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. This might seem to some to be another vain instance of first-one-on-the-block syndrome, but buying precious stones and valuables such as jewelry is really an excellent and practical idea.

Much like buying certain commodities such as gold and silver or perhaps like buying savings bonds, buying gemstones and jewels is safe way individuals can ‘store’ wealth. And an added benefit of doing so is that you can make use of it at the same time. Very few investments or items we buy can make that claim. Gems and jewelry can be worn giving the individual all the benefits of status, prestige, and a sense of happiness and yet still keep or even increase in value. This really isn’t a new concept. Many governments, or we can even say… civilizations have done this since gold, diamonds, emeralds, and all these fine treasures of the earth were first discovered.

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Loose Emeralds from Embassy Emeralds - An ideal source for emeralds from Colombia

Articles about Emeralds

We recently had two articles published at the website www.ezinearticles.com, inlcuding:

Emerald Treatments

..and...

About Emeralds - Understanding the Four 'C's for Colored Gemstones

We invite you to give them a review; we belive they offer some interesting insight into emeralds.

An individual recently wrote us to inquire about the treatments used on the gemstones offered by Embassy Emeralds. It is true that not all dealers disclose the utilization of treatments, though we certainly believe they should.

As you may know, treatments are used to enhance the visual appearance of the stone by filling minute fissures that exist in all natural emeralds, allowing for less interruption in the transmission of light as it passes thru the stone. Cedarwood oil is one of many available treatments.

How long the treatment will last depends on a number of factors, such as frequency of use (everyday vs. special occasions) and how the gemstones are stored when not in use. In particular, gemstones that are frequently exposed to high temperatures will loose the benefits of the treatment much faster than gemstones stored in a cool, dark, and dry place when not in use. In any case, once the treatment subsides, it can retreated a qualified jeweler.

Cedarwood oil has no effect on the durability of the stone.

The Emeralds Garden

One of the most unique characteristics of an emerald is its inclusions. All emeralds are included, so people accept it, and at times, even value this trait. Inclusions or features within the stone are often referred to as its 'garden'. They are not considered 'a bad thing' unless they negatively impact the stone's integrity or significantly affect its ability to capture, reflect, and manipulate light.

Emeralds with inclusions that would be unacceptable in other gemstones are bought and sold every day at prices well above those of other 'non-included' gems. One has to look at each type of gem as its own distinct, individual species of stone and appreciate the differences, because each gem type is unique.

While on the subject of inclusions, it is also worth mentioning that stones from different sources often have certain inclusion traits that help determine the authenticity of the stone, as well as the origin. Trained eyes may even be able to tell which mine the emerald was taken from. In this way, inclusions can be helpful.