Choosing Between a Cabochon and a Faceted Stone
A cabochon is a smooth dome with no facets; a faceted stone has flat planes cut at angles. The right one depends on the job.
Stone Library
How to read a stone.
We publish what we measure, so here is what the numbers mean. Nothing on these pages is a sales argument — it applies whether you buy from us or from anyone else.
Reading RI, SG, and Mohs on a Gem Listing
Refractive index, specific gravity, and Mohs hardness narrow a stone to a species. Here is what each measurement proves, and where it stops.
Birthstones by Month, Modern and Traditional
All twelve months, with the stone most often listed today, the older traditional choice, and how to pick one that survives being worn.
The Mohs Scale and Why Hardness Is Not Toughness
Mohs hardness measures scratch resistance only. A hard stone can still chip, which is what decides whether it belongs in a ring.
Gemstone Treatments Explained
Heat, irradiation, oiling, fracture filling, and diffusion change how a stone looks, and each carries its own risks and care rules.
Natural, Synthetic, and Simulant Categories
A stone can be mined, grown in a lab, or be a different material entirely. The label should say which of the three you are buying.
Loose Stone Buying Checklist and Red Flags
The questions worth asking before you buy any loose stone, plus the patterns in listings that should slow you down before you pay.
Gemstone Care and Cleaning by Stone Type
What is safe in an ultrasonic cleaner, why treated and fractured stones need different handling, and how to store stones without scratching.
Inclusions as Evidence of Natural Origin
What a stone contains inside is often the best evidence of how it formed, and why a cheap flawless large stone deserves a second look.
Color Change and Play of Color, Explained Simply
Alexandrite shifts color as the light source changes, opal diffracts light into flashes, and labradorite reflects it from inside.
How a Cutter Decides Between a Facet and a Dome
Transparency, inclusions, and the weight a cut costs decide whether rough becomes a facet or a dome, and no cut returns everything.
Storing, Displaying, and Documenting a Collection
Labels written the day each stone arrives, controlled light, separated storage, and records kept together preserve a collection's value.
Gemstone Meanings, and What Can Be Verified
Species, treatment, and measurements can be tested. Meanings and energies are belief and tradition, and the two should not be blended.
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