![]() ![]() You might be thinking that the terms “precious” and “semi-precious” at least have something to do with how abundant the different gems are, or how easy they are to find, right? Nope!Īmethysts were downgraded once large deposits were discovered in South America in the nineteenth century.ĭiamonds, however, kept their “precious” classification even after large deposits were discovered in South Africa, also in the nineteenth century. Does the Classification of Precious or Semi-Precious Depend on Availability? In fact, the list of semi-precious gems is incredibly long and includes many materials you’ve probably never heard of, such as algodonite, hayune, euxenite, and chicken-blood stone, just to name a few. Materials used for jewelry that are not minerals, such as amber and jet, are also considered semi-precious stones. Opal, amethyst, and pearls were once classified as precious but are now categorized as semi-precious. What Stones Are Considered Semi-Precious? The distinction between the two kinds of jewels is generally only used in the West. The terms were originally coined in the mid-1800s by jewelry executives who wanted to make certain stones seem more valuable than others and also denote that they were popular and rare. Federal Trade Commission has discussed banning these descriptors so as not to confuse consumers. There are a lot of factors that go into determining the relative worth of different stones, and those two confusing terms really have nothing to do with it.Ĭopeland Jewelers is here to set the record straight! Precious vs Semi-Precious Gemstonesīelieve it or not, “precious” and “semi-precious” are actually arbitrary terms when it comes to gemstones. You’ve heard the terms “precious” and “semi-precious” used to describe different types of gemstones, but what do they really mean?ĭiamonds are precious, so they must be worth more than semi-precious amethysts, right? Well, not necessarily.
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