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How to Process Gems

Gemstones fall into two main categories: fine and semi-precious. Fine gemstones are the rarest and most expensive. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires fall into this category. Semi-precious stones do not cost as much, are easier to find, but can be just as beautiful. Processing a gemstone starts with identifying it. Once you know what kind of gemstone you have, you can decide how to process it. A fine gem like a diamond will require a professional, while a tiger's eye or turquoise will be easy to handle yourself.

Things You'll Need

White sheet of paper
Jeweler's loupe
Lamp or other bright light source
Gem reference guide
Fine sanding paper
Tumbler
Soft cloth

Instructions

Identification
- 1
  Place the gem on a piece of plain white paper and look at it through the jeweler's loupe. The main thing to take into account is the color and characteristics of the gem. Is it striated, layered or is the entire gem completely solid?
- 2
  Turn on the lamp or shine the light directly on it. Look at the reflective qualities of the stone. Does it sparkle in the light and throw colors onto the paper? Does the color change once the light hits it? Or is the gem entirely solid and non-penetrable?
- 3
  Look in the reference guide, taking the answers to all of the previous questions into account. Locate the type of gem that you have based on the information at hand.
Polishing Your Gem
- 4
  Sand away any imperfections on the surface of the gem. This will remove any scratches.
- 5
  Place the gem into a tumbler. The tumbler will polish the stone and round off any sharp edges. How long the stone has to be tumbled depends on the type of stone and the specifications of the tumbling machine.
- 6
  Rub the gem with a soft cloth once it comes out of the tumbler.

Gemology