How to Choose a Colored Gemstone

Colored gemstones don't get graded the way diamonds do.

1. Color is judged in three parts, not one

Gemologists break color into hue, tone, and saturation.

2. Treatment status changes the price, not always the beauty

Heating is a stable, accepted treatment. Untreated stones command a premium because they're rarer.

3. Durability is not optional information

Mohs hardness varies enormously across colored stones.

4. Buy the stone you'd choose with the label removed

The stone still has to be the one you'd pick if no one ever asked where it came from.