Welcome
Where to Begin
This is the reference guide behind all the others. Where the ring guides tell you how to choose a ring, this one tells you how to choose the stone that goes in it.
It covers diamonds properly, the Four Cs without the jargon, shapes, natural against lab-grown and fancy colour, then moves through coloured gemstones one at a time, with honest advice on what each can take.
It is longer than the others and not meant to be read in one sitting. Use the index and take what you need.
Contents
22 Chapters
Read in order, or jump to whichever question you have.
- Diamonds Explained
The four diamond routes, and how they differ. Read this chapter.
- The Four Cs
Cut, colour, clarity and carat, and where to spend first. Read this chapter.
- Diamond Shapes
Twelve shapes, and which flatter which hands. Read this chapter.
- Natural & Lab-Grown
What is identical, what differs, and the honest view on value. Read this chapter.
- Fancy Coloured Diamonds
Yellow, champagne, pink, black and salt-and-pepper. Read this chapter.
- Lab-Grown Fancy Colour
Vivid colour at a fraction of the natural price. Read this chapter.
- Diamond Alternatives
Moissanite and the rest, compared honestly. Read this chapter.
- A World of Colour
Sapphire, ruby, emerald and the rest, stone by stone. Read this chapter.
- Sapphire
Eleven colours at Mohs 9, and the best all-round stone. Read this chapter.
- Ruby
Red corundum, and why fine ruby outcosts diamond. Read this chapter.
- Emerald
An unmatched green, and the protection it needs. Read this chapter.
- Aquamarine
Soft sea-blue beryl, clean and affordable at size. Read this chapter.
- Tanzanite
Violet-blue, single-source, more delicate than it looks. Read this chapter.
- Morganite
Peach-pink beryl, and the rose gold pairing. Read this chapter.
- Opal & Fire Opal
Play-of-colour, and the care it genuinely requires. Read this chapter.
- Other Gemstones
Spinel, garnet, tourmaline, topaz and six more. Read this chapter.
- Gemstone Durability
Hardness is not toughness, and which stones survive. Read this chapter.
- Gemstone Treatments
Heat, oiling, filling and diffusion explained. Read this chapter.
- Certificates & Reports
What a report confirms, and the four things it cannot. Read this chapter.
- Ethical Sourcing
Kimberley Process, traceability and recycled metals. Read this chapter.
- Heirloom & Reused Stones
Resetting a family stone, and reusing old gold. Read this chapter.
- Birthstones
Twelve months, with a hardier alternative for each. Read this chapter.
The Diamond and Gemstone Guide
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