The terms ‘precious’ and ’semi precious’ are widely used when it comes to gemstones, but what stones really are precious? And what do these terms actually mean?

Traditionally the three precious colored gemstones are rubies, emeralds and sapphires. These stones are always in demand, and have had high levels of popularity for many years due to their vibrant colors and rarity.

Originally, stones other than the ‘big three’ were known as ‘colored gemstones’ , but as they began to rise in popularity a new term was coined – ’semi precious’.

The problem with this term is that it is completely misleading! Originally the term was used because it reflected the rarity of the stones in question, but it is no longer accurate. Rubies, emeralds and sapphires can indeed warrant high prices, but some so-called semi-precious stones can command even higher sale prices! An example of this is a Paraiba tourmaline, which can sell for up to $20,000 per carat – far more than rubies, emeralds and sapphires.

The result of this is that usage of the term ’semi-precious’ has dropped significantly in in the jewelry industry in recent years, and if you decide to make a purchase of one of these types of stones, you can be sure that a large, clean-cut and well-colored stone can indeed become a ‘fully precious’ item!