Do you think diamonds are jewels?
There are many gemstones on Earth that were formed over tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions of years. Diamonds are just one of those gemstones.
Colored stones have been used for various purposes since ancient times, as amulets, symbols of power, and as women's ornaments. They come in many colors, including red, blue, and green, and are colorful and mysterious. Colored stones never cease to fascinate people's hearts.

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About the quality of colored stones

colorAbout the quality of stones

In fact, there are no clear grades for colored stones. For example, on the market, some sapphires are more highly rated for their darker color, while some customers prefer sapphires with lighter colors. Colored stones that are highly rated on the market may not necessarily suit your taste, so we recommend that you see them with your own eyes as much as possible before purchasing.
Generally speaking, stones with a deep, vivid color and few inclusions tend to be valued highly, but this is not always the case. This is where it gets more complex than diamonds!
However, it is good to have this knowledge, so I will summarize the general evaluation here. Please use it as a reference.

At Houjudo, we evaluate colored stones based on the following criteria.
Also, to help you understand the quality as much as possible even on our online shop, we have posted this item chart on the colored stone loose product page on the Hojudo website, so please check it out as well.

▼ Check out colored stone loose stones

1. Vividness

Vivid colored stones have a glossy shine and sparkle. Personally, I think this is the most important aspect of colored stones. If the color is not vivid, the colored stone will end up looking dull. Generally speaking, stones with strong vividness are preferred.

2. Hue

For example, there are many different shades of blue, such as blue that leans toward purple or green, and preferences vary. It is often hard to believe that they are the same type of gemstone. It can be difficult to describe in words, so it is best to see them for yourself.

3. Brightness

There are various types of colored stones, such as aquamarine, which has a characteristic pale light blue color, and ruby, which has a deep red color. Some customers prefer deep colors, while others prefer pale colors. However, if the color is too pale in addition to being highly transparent, the color of your finger will be visible when you wear it as a ring, so you need to be careful when choosing.

4. Inclusions

Inclusions are impurities that occur naturally inside gemstones that are not gemstones. They are also famous as a standard for evaluating diamond clarity. Generally, the fewer inclusions, the higher the transparency and the higher the evaluation. On the other hand, inclusions are also loved by collectors as they are seen as the individuality of the gemstone. Many customers have photos of inclusions taken under a microscope. Some, such as star rubies, have fibrous inclusions that form six streaks of light, creating an asterism effect (star color effect), while others, such as cat's eye, have a single streak of light that resembles a cat's eye (chatoyancy effect), which is truly artistic. This is also the joy of colored gemstones.

5. Place of Origin

The color varies depending on the origin because the ingredients are different. For example, when it comes to rubies, those from Myanmar tend to have a vivid, deep red color known as pigeon blood, while those from Thailand tend to be darker and those from Sri Lanka tend to be lighter in color, with Myanmar (Burma) stones trading at the highest prices. We have excerpted the most expensive colored stones and their origins for your reference.

Ruby: Myanmar (Burma)
Sapphire: Kashmir, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka
Emerald: Colombia
Paraiba Tourmaline: Brazil
Alexandrite: Russia

6. Special designations

Very beautiful colored stones may be given special names. Some of them are well-known and you may have heard of them, while others have rare special names.

Ruby: Pigeon's Blood (bright, deep red color)
Sapphire: Royal Blue (bright, deep blue) / Cornflower (slightly lighter than royal blue)
Aquamarine: Santa Maria color (bright, deep blue)
Coral: Blood red coral (bright red color from Japan)
Garnet: Demantoid (bright pale yellow-green)

7. Untreated (no heat, no oil)

Many colored stones are heat-treated to improve their color. In contrast, unheated colored stones are beautiful and trade at high prices without any treatment. However, please be aware that there are also colored stones that are cloudy simply because they are unheated.
At Houjudo, we recommend choosing the more beautiful looking variety even if it has been heat-treated.
Rubies and sapphires are well-known examples of unheated colored gemstones, but other colored gemstones such as aquamarine and Paraiba tourmaline are also commonly heat-treated, so in these cases too, the unheated gemstones have a higher market value.
As for emeralds, they are gemstones that originally have many inclusions, so they are impregnated with oil to make the inclusions less visible and to make them more durable. Emeralds that are also beautiful as they are are sold on the market without being impregnated, and are called non-oil emeralds, and are traded at high prices.

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There are many types of colored stones, and each has its own unique characteristics, so it's hard to say that there is one in a word, but that's all the more reason to enjoy choosing one.
Hojudo has around 700 pieces of colored stone jewelry and loose stones on display in the store.
Please feel free to take a look.
Also, if there is a colored stone you are looking for, we can order it for you, so please feel free to contact us.