It’s a reasonable question, and one we hear a lot here at GNJ Pawn Big. Why are diamonds often worth more than other gems, but not others? Does it have to do with supply and demand, or the natural availability of the gems? It’s an interesting subject, so let’s dive right in.
Precious vs. Semiprecious Gems
A few centuries ago, people classified gems using the term precious and semiprecious, with the former being the more valuable ones. These are antiquated terms, though, and gem experts no longer use them because they can be confusing terms. While diamonds are usually considered precious, but there are garnets, which have always been considered semiprecious, that are worth ten times the amount of diamonds.
Diamonds vs. Colored Stones
A more modern way of differentiating between gems is to categorize them as diamonds vs. colored stones. The reason they can be separated this way is because diamonds are particularly hard gems, so special tools are required to cut them. Colored gems are less difficult to manipulate. Again, though, this is a somewhat problematic classification system because there are colorless sapphire and topaz gems, as well as colored diamonds. There’s an almost endless supply of diamonds in the world (despite what their company marketing teams lead you to believe), whereas colored gems are often much more rare.
Natural vs. Man Made
Gems can also be classified as natural and man made. Those that are man made have been generated laboratories—for example, emeralds, sapphires, and spinel often are made from synthetic materials. The synthetic versions imitate the natural ones, and often look exactly the same. The difference is their rarity—a natural gem is usually millions of years old, whereas a man made one is much younger and therefore, less valuable. It often requires scientific testing to be able to distinguish between natural and man made gems.
Organics vs. Inorganics
Classifying gems based on their organic or inorganic nature is also helpful. Organic means that the gem’s creation was associated with living organisms. For example, amber begins as tree sap, and pearls are formed in oysters. Inorganic gems are all other gems that are formed as minerals. There is one important exception in the U.S., though—gems made in labs, even though they are formed with organic materials, are still considered inorganic, because their creation didn’t occur in nature.
Crystalline and Amorphous
The last way of classifying gems is separating them into crystalline and amorphous categories. Crystalline means that the gem follows a uniform, repeating pattern of crystals, whereas amorphous gems don’t have a set form or shape. Amber and opals are amorphous gems.
How We Determine Gem Value
Now you know that there are so many variables that determine a gem’s value—it’s rarity, size, whether it’s natural or man made, it’s condition, and so much more. The only way to know for sure what your gem is worth is to bring it in to our appraisal experts at GNJ Pawn Big. Gems are our specialty, so we’d be happy to take a look and give you a fair, honest appraisal. Stop by our store today—557 East Palmdale Blvd., Palmdale, CA 93550.
