Have you ever wondered why two of the same type of gemstone are not exactly the same? They have the same name, the same properties - hardness, density, fracture toughness, so why does each look different? When it comes to natural gemstones, every piece is an original. If you've ever wondered what it is exactly that influences their appearance, especially their color, why stones in earrings or a whole set might look a little different from each other, and how challenging it is to choose the right stone, then this article is for you.
The temperature of the light
The temperature of light as well as its source can have a very strong influence on the color of a gemstone. And by this we don’t just mean the amazing color change stones mentioned in the previous chapter. So, when you buy a piece of jewelry in a store, pay attention to the light you view it under. It's definitely worth comparing how the stone looks in daylight and in artificial light. You don't have to leave the store, just walk to the window if you can.
Technological details
But we don't always buy jewelry in a store, so we have to think about the color of the gemstone in the photo that we look at online. The technical parameters of the device that the gemstone is viewed on should then also be added to the factors that affect the way the stone appears.
Colors appear slightly differently on every monitor and phone. They are not only influenced by the type of screen, but also by individual user settings, such as the brightness level. In addition, modern types of monitors change the color of their light depending on the time of day.
It should also be remembered that every stone is an original. Thus, even if the photo online accurately depicts reality, the color may vary slightly from gemstone to gemstone – it will match in terms of the parameters that are stated for it but the optical properties of the stone’s color will always be unique.
Same color with different origins
The already vast topic of gemstone colors is further complicated when we consider that, on top of the various factors that influence the final color of a gemstone, there are also the same colors with different origins. Let’s explain this with the example of emeralds.
We know that an emerald can only be green in color, and it only differs in terms of shade, tone, saturation etc. But even a very similar green color can have completely different origins. Sometimes the green color is caused by chromium, sometimes by vanadium, titanium, manganese or iron in the form of Fe2+. It is the ratio and the presence or absence of the given ions that determines the final color of the mineral. There used to even be a rule that only beryl, whose green color was mostly due to chromium, could be considered emerald. Today, this rule no longer applies, and so the range of natural emeralds has expanded to include beautiful stones from Brazil, for instance.
Extreme conditions that are welcome
The final color of the mineral is also affected by the extreme conditions which the stone may be exposed to both in nature during its growth as well as in the laboratory after. These include high temperatures, high pressure and radiation.
In nature, minerals commonly encounter radiation in layers deep within the Earth's crust. This process has for instance given us yellow sapphires and green diamonds. But what also matters is the type of radioactive radiation: alpha, beta and gamma rays have different effects. The length of exposure to them is also key. In addition to radiation, high temperatures at great depths can also affect the color of the stone. Exposure to extreme conditions can deform the crystal lattice which is when there is any deviation from the natural atomic arrangement in the mineral. The bonds in the lattice may be altered, an element that is not normally there may be bound into the structure, etc. etc. The deformed areas are then called color centers.
People gradually learned to use these extreme conditions in laboratories to refine minerals and enhance their colors. Radiation produces the deep blue shades of topaz. Annealing is widely used for amethysts, which change color to yellow-orange due to high temperatures and are then sold as citrines. Sapphires have also not escaped similar modifications. In the jewelry industry, these are very common and accepted modifications.
There is also a relatively rare case where a mineral changes color only for a short period of time after being exposed to higher temperatures and then returns to its original color. This phenomenon can be observed, for example, in a special category of diamonds called chameleons. Very little is known about them yet. Their color changes from green to yellow-green and brown or vice versa, while other diamonds change to yellow or yellowish orange. But a green diamond and a green chameleon are not the same thing. A chameleon will change color after being annealed and will always return to its original state.
The beauty of a piece of jewelry is in its uniqueness
Handcrafted jewelry is not mass-produced, one piece the same as another. Each piece of KLENOTA jewelry passes through the hands of experienced goldsmiths in our workshop. A very difficult part of their work is to select the right gemstones. When it comes to earrings, this is often a double challenge since very frequently, hundreds of stones have to be sorted by hand. It’s no wonder when you consider how many factors influence the form of a mineral. It's hours of meticulous work, but it contributes greatly to the excellent quality of our jewelry.
Color gemstones offer amazing possibilities. No two are alike, they always differ in some way, even if only in the smallest detail. It's a wonderful and rich world that never fails to fascinate and inspire people. Every stone has its own story. And even if it contains something that we consider to be a flaw, it’s part of what makes it natural and what distinguishes it from the monotony of colored glass.
