Don't mind Karen ... she must not have many baubles! LOL
Fifteen years ago, there was still a division between Precious and Semi-Precious gemstones.
Nowadays, however, with so many more people in the world with a never-decreasing desire for beautiful jewelry and an ever more precarious supply being produced, the lines have been blurred and many once semi-precious gems can now honestly be considered "precious" based on a number of factors:
1. Rarity - is the specimen of singular quality, size, or specifc color?
2. Availability - i.e. tanzanite prices quadrupled 1999-2003 only because the civial wars prevented supply making it to the markets (no one wanted to support rebels)
3. Purity - is the specimen of significant purity as to contribute exponentially to Quality?
...and so on. The key concept here is that gems are now being FIRST considered as "specimens" rather than with the cavilier familiarity once held, and this puts everything into play.
This being said, there will always be the prestige of The Trinity: Diamonds, Rubies, and Emeralds. Sapphire comes in
very close and above the remaining, but there are too many colors, and too much treatment to set a true quality standard, so it defaults back to the "specimen" perspective.
OK....want MY list, with #1 being the top in value and prestige?
1, Diamond
2. Ruby
3. Emerald
4. Sapphire
5. Tanzanite (the new stone for December, BTW, replacing Blue Zircon and the later substitute, Blue Topaz)
6. Alexandrite
7. Aquamarine
8. Opal
9. Jade
10. Tourmaline
11. Chrome Diopside (a type of tourmailine)
12. Precious & Imperial Topaz (only)
13. Andicalite
14. Andalusite
15. Spassertite
16. Morganite
17. Amethyst
18. Kunzite (the CA gemstone)
19. Garnet
20. Peridot
21. Iolite
22. Citrine
23. Amertine
24. Topaz (white, blue, champagne)
25. Zircon (natural)
So .... don't take my opinion as to rank, as they all fluctuate regularly according to the market. Just remember that every gem is now prized as a "specimen" and thus each time you are in front of one may be the last time you get to see it, let alone possess it!
