Gemstones

Gemstones

Putting a little sparkle in your life

The value of most gemstones is pretty steady compared to commodities like coffee and gold, changing no more than 10 or 15 percent in a given year. But like any commodity, their value is tied to the vagaries of the global marketplace – a mine strike can send prices up as suddenly as a glut can send prices down. Keeping that in mind, a few guides talk about wholesale gem values. Those guides can give you a feel for how gems are priced across a wide spectrum of quality. The numbers are accurate and reflect retail prices.

Stones: Ruby, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, pink tourmaline, green tourmaline, peridot, aquamarine, rhodolite garnet, tanzanite, etc.

Rings. Illustration by Elena

Diamonds: The Gemological Institute of America has developed a grading system for diamonds. The best diamond would be an ideally cut DIF. Color is graded from D (the best) to Z (D to M is the general range, though). Clarity ranges from best to worst as follows: internally flawless (IF), very, very slightly included (VVS1), VVS2, very slightly included (VS1), VS2, Slightly included (SL1), SL2, imperfect (I), I2 and I3. Cut can range from ideal cut to poorly cut. Well-cut is a good standard.

GIA Standard: Diamond (Well-cut)