This book is all about Oh My God gemstones and the simple people who love gemstones. Our compassionate boss and his team whose inspiration is Jesus is going to share with you the precious details of appreciating God’s splendid gift to mankind without any need of gemological expertise.
By P.J.Joseph
Know thyself.
-Anonymous
Chapter 3
Beryl
One late evening a movie actress telephoned the compassionate boss for an appointment. The compassionate boss came forward, welcomed the actress politely and offered her a chair; the precious assistants glanced at her knowingly.
She looked at the plaque and paused.
”Sir, what are natural gemstones?” the actress asked. “I always keep hearing when someone tries to sell me jewelry and beautiful stones.”
The compassionate boss answered, “Natural gemstones are products of nature: God’s gift to mankind.”
“Thank you. Recently, I purchased a parcel of emeralds and other colored stones from South America. I want to design beautiful jewelry for my children. Can you identify emeralds just by their color?” she asked.
The compassionate boss answered, “Yes and no. Emerald is the green variety of beryl. The colorless variety of beryl is goshenite. The pink variety is morganite. Heliodor or golden beryl color ranges from pale yellow to intense yellow orange. Aquamarine is the blue variety of beryl. Pezzottaite is a newcomer from Madagascar and the color ranges from pinkish red to purplish red. A deep red to purplish red variety from the USA is termed red beryl or described as red emerald in the gem trade. Generally speaking, a gem species is defined as a crystalline substance that has a definite chemical composition that may vary within certain defined limits. Variety may be distinguished by the color or phenomena such as stars, cat’s eye, etc. Trade name, on the other hand, is a name in common use for a gem variety. For example, emerald or other varieties of beryl may be described in different ways by gemologists, traders and jewelers depending on the intensity of the color and the color causing element. You should be able to make beautiful jewelry out these stones when you know their properties. You need a general education before you specialize.”
“That’s interesting. Are beryls usually treated?” the actress asked.
“Beryls found in nature are natural. They may be treated one way or the other to improve color or clarity,” the compassionate boss replied.
“I didn’t know it,” the actress said.
“The most expensive variety is emerald and here are some interesting facts,” the compassionate boss said. “Most emeralds are oiled: others are fracture filled or dyed. Emeralds are frequently oiled to hide surface reaching fissures or cracks in order to improve clarity. In a way, the treatment may also improve color. The treatment may not be durable. You need to oil the emeralds periodically to maintain the color. Fracture filling is another type of treatment used to improve either clarity or color. The treatment may be more durable than oiling under normal wear. But if the emeralds are exposed to acid bath or chemical cleaning the fillings may be removed affecting the durability of the stones. Dyeing is a very ancient practice. Usually low quality stones are treated with organic or inorganic compounds to improve color or clarity. With visual observation and proper magnification one should be able to identify the stones.”
The telephone rang.
As he was about to leave the office for commercial errand, he turned toward the actress, lowered his eyes and said, “My precious assistants will be working with you for a while.”
The actress bowed and said, “Certainly, sir.”
“What is proper magnification?” the actress asked.
“The standard magnification for gemstone is ten times,” Peter said.
“What about other colors in the beryl family?” the actress asked curiously.
“The color of aquamarine may vary from blue green to green blue to blue, but most specimens may be heat treated to remove the green out of the stone. The color change is permanent. It’s an affordable gem and the more affordable the better. Some green and yellow beryl may turn blue after treatment. Maxixe type natural beryl is fine blue, but may fade to a light yellow color when exposed to sun light, ultraviolet light or strong fluorescent light," John replied.
A few moments later the actress asked, "How come people who sell stones aren’t disclosing the truth?"
Andrew said, "It's a tricky situation. Most are honest and try their best to explain the facts, while others aren't that open out of fear that disclosure may ruin the sale so they become creative with the so-called facts."
When the compassionate boss returned he displayed extraordinary qualities of beryl varieties for comparison.
"The collections are beautiful. What's the best way to educate consumers?" the actress asked.
"Follow the Jesus path," the compassionate boss said.
"What is the Jesus path?" the actress asked curiously.
"When you speak the truth to a person you have made him happy. Blessed are the clean of heart and merciful for they will be shown mercy and see God. That's the Jesus path," the compassionate boss answered.
The actress asked, "How come no one ever bothers to practice the concept?"
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is normal your whole body will illuminate with total internal reflection, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness lacking brilliance,” the compassionate boss replied.
"That’s brilliant,” the actress exclaimed.
Matthew said, "In addition to treatments there are synthetics and imitations, and they are widely available all over the world, in all colors, sizes and price ranges. Most people may perceive synthetics as artificial or fake stones."
The actress looked confused. "So, what is a synthetic?"
"Synthetic stones have the same chemical, physical and optical properties like their natural counterpart. The difference is, natural gemstones are found in nature, while synthetic gemstones are produced in a laboratory: man found vs. man made," Sarah said.
The actress interrupted. "Are synthetic emeralds difficult to identify?"
"May be yes and no,” said Anna. “Usually synthetic emeralds have better color, and the gem quality stones are relatively clean and well cut, and sold at an affordable price, while natural emeralds though beautiful may not always be clean. With the exception of a few, most natural emeralds aren't clean and prices vary depending upon the size, color, clarity and cut. Clean natural emeralds with good color are expensive, and you may want to obtain a report from a reputed gem testing laboratory.”
“What about other color varieties of beryl?” The actress asked.
Ruth said, “They may be perceived as good simulants for other colored stones. Some are so clean you need to do proper test (s) to identify them. Visual observation alone may not be enough; you need to go the extra mile to find the truth. For example, synthetic blue beryls may imitate the familiar blue stones such as blue sapphire, blue tourmaline, blue spinel and blue topaz.”
The actress looked perplexed. “So, what’s the difference between synthetic and imitation?”
Margaret said, “Synthetic gems have similar chemical, physical and optical properties to their natural counterpart, while imitations are stones that imitate other colored stones.”
“So, what are the imitations for emerald and aquamarine?” the actress asked.
“The best and cheapest I can think of is glass. If you observe and analyze properly, it’s not difficult to identify,” Mark said.
“How does emerald influence people and value? I know color has an important part, but there must be more,” the actress commented.
“Emerald is the queen of the beryl family and has spiritual gemstonality, which is its color and history,” Sarah said. “The stone may make you feel important and foolish. Emeralds speak a unique language of silence and color, calming your nerves and spiritualizing your conduct and behavior. It may make you romantic and humble. Sometimes they make you mad. That’s the character of the stone. But at the end of the day, it’s all about connecting the dots: love, relationships, money, ego, balance and happiness.”
“Can emeralds buy happiness?” the actress asked.
“Emeralds bought with proper knowledge and disclosure should make you happy,” the compassionate boss said. “They are precious stones.”
“Can emeralds spoil you?” the actress asked.
“If emeralds are bought with knowledge, moderation, humility, and in a responsible manner, you will find favor with God, and the stones will never spoil you,” the compassionate boss replied.
“Where do the best qualities come from?” the actress asked.
“Colombia is perceived as the source for emeralds but good quality emeralds may come from other parts of the world, “Mark said. “Brazil is a well known source for aquamarine, but there are other localities in Africa and Asia that produces good quality aquamarine, and other colors in the beryl family. In some cultures, color, appearance and locality is important, while others may look for overall quality and value. Every gemstone has a price point. Many do not understand what a gem has to go through to get to a piece of jewelry. In many countries, gem mining is not regulated; there are environmental concerns, dirty politics, poverty, bureaucracy, currency fluctuations, and other unknown factors that may influence the price structure of popular colored gems. The affluent may have a different perception of what quality should be and may become selective, while others don’t.”
“Now I understand the importance of finding matched gemstones for a jewelry ensemble,” the actress said. “You never believe till you do it by yourself. I don’t think I have got the perfect match so I will be patient.”
“With emerald, it’s going to take more time,” Matthew said. “Selection is a magic combination of consistent color, clarity, dimensions, and proper cutting.”
“If you are looking for the perfect emerald jewelry, the most important factor is going the extra mile intentionally to find large parcel of suitable rough. This is where the real story begins. Many don’t understand the concept,” Mark explained.
“Really?” the actress said. “I want to start all over again. I think I understand the meaning of natural, treated, synthetic and imitation. Now I want to make the perfect emerald jewelry for my children so that they will remember me forever.”
“You have a unique taste, my dear,” the compassionate boss answered smilingly.
She smiled wisely.
Precious insights
- Learn the basics of the qualities and varieties of beryl.
- Set a personal budget.
- The standard magnification for viewing gems is ten times.
- Use transmitted, reflected and fiber optic light sources to view the color contrast between natural, treated, synthetic and imitation.
- Judge the overall appearance of beryl in natural skylight and artificial light source (s).
- Always judge beryl by their overall quality not locality.
- Always do your research.
- All treatments should be disclosed at all levels of distribution chain.
- If doubtful have it checked by a reputable gem testing laboratory.
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