Gemstone Information

Gemstones

James Avery selects the best quality natural or lab gemstones based on three qualities: beauty, rarity and durability. Beauty can be measured by the gemstone’s color, clarity and cut. Rarity is determined by the scarcity of the gem’s occurrence in nature or in the marketplace. And durability is based on the hardness, toughness and stability of the gem. James Avery does not use any imitation gemstones.

Carats, Shapes and Sizes

Carats are a measure of weight in gemstones. Due to variations in the chemical composition and density of various types of gemstones, a one carat (1.00 ct.) stone will vary in size depending on the type of gemstone. For instance, the density of a topaz is greater than the density of a peridot; therefore, the same weight of a one carat topaz will physically be a smaller stone than the same weight of a peridot which will be a larger stone.

Gemstone sizes are usually given in carat weight (ct) or described in millimeters (mm). Some typical gemstone shapes and approximate weights for various sizes and shapes are shown below, although the exact size varies with the type of gemstone.

In addition to weight and size, the prices of finer gemstones typically vary depending on the shape, cut, degree of clarity, tone and color of each gemstone.