Glossary of the Gemtrade

This mostly happens when the lapidary, in order to replica watches keep weight and luster, follows the natural shape of the rough stone. The alternative to being off-center is usually a ;window; and much less weight. The luster of such stones often runs unequal or leans towards one side. Nevertheless, being slightly off-center is not considered a major flaw but only a lesser evil as compared to a ;fish eye; in half the size. Off-color: Hues outside the classics like cornflower blue, maize yellow or rosé red. Off-color does not mean ugly or unattractive but *** currently not in fashion in a specific variety. Off-colors can be good investments and are often just as beautiful as classical hues. If you can’t see an inclusion with a 10fold lens, it does not exist for grading purposes. If a stone has no inclusions under the microscope (rare) it can sometimes not be distinguished from a synthetic. Inclusions are also essential to determine treatments. Inspection period: Agreed upon period in which a buyer can decide to return the stone or a parcel.Lapidary: Person or company faceting gemstones. Lens or loupe: Small, handheld and mostly foldable, glass with 10 (standard for grading) or 20fold (sophisticated) magnifying power. Inseparable from any professional gem trader and collector. Should be neutral in frame color and a triplet. Cost: between $2 and $100, with $20 doing fine.Lot: Big ;parcel; of gemstones.Mine-run: Most professional mines are organized in time-phases based on weather seasons or work cycles. For example, a mine team may dig out gem bearing gravel for one week and then wash the gravel in the next week and thus concluding one mine-run. Many mines actually have annual mine-runs, e.g. digging in the dry season or in summer and then washing in the rainy season.Natural gem: Gemstone formed in geological processes without the help of humans or simply: non-synthetic.Off-center: Cut in which the back does not close in the middle of the gemstone but off the center.