Identifying Gemstone Effects

Techniques in cutting and shaping gemstones are vital to add brilliance to the defiance of the stone itself. Experts call it special effects. These effects are responsible for the different shapes, sizes, and shine of a particular gemstone. Like in the movies, some effects can trick you into believing something that isn’t there.

Pleasing the optical sense through special skills of cutting the gem can enable the enhancers to hide the undesirable characteristics and let the good ones shine and be more elaborated. The phenomena of a specific gemstone, as what gemologist call it, can be addressed through these effects.

Here are the popular gemstone effects that are often used for better stone definition.

Fire

This type of effect that is commonly used by cutters allows separation of true light from the original color. Because of dispersion, fire enables light to scatter like a prism and is refracted. Zircon and diamond are among those that show elaborated fire abilities. Fire is usually defined as the color of highlights.

Fluorescence

Effects pertaining to fluorescence are defined, as the events when directed UV rays or colors that aren’t visible on first sight becomes visible. A special effect like this is desirable to transform the dull color of a stone to a different glow. This will account to the extravagant price a stone may have. Majority of diamonds have this fluorescence that makes other pale stones seemingly white.

Color change

Some gemstones have certain color changes especially when put in different aspects of light especially when faced with sunlight. This is due to a gemstone’s ability to absorb wavelengths strongly.

Iridescence

There are two special effects that are considered under the umbrella of iridescence: labradorescence that means flashes of blue and gold upon light movement and schiller that means playing of colors. Iridescence means all effects of a specific gem that shines in rainbow colors. This happens when interference of strands of light arises from layers of the material.

Schiller

As mentioned above, schiller is the moment when color playfully flickers along the surface of a gemstone when interacted with light. The most popular gem that is known for this trait is the Opal. No tricks within the stone itself. The cue is that the interference of light is based on the structure of the object.

Asterism

If minerals are cut in domes of high quality, asterism occurs. This will follow if and only the inclusions of fibrous densities align in more than two different directions. The most popular gemstone known for this effect is the star sapphire.

Cat’s Eye

Derived from the French term “chatoyance”. Cat’s eye is caused by impurities within the gemstone arranged like fibers and line up forming axes. Quartz is famous for its cat’s eye property when struck by light. Traces of fiber within the mineral give this effect a special twist.

Aventurescence

If inclusion flaws in gemstones create such sparkles that would enhance its appearance, it is called as aventurescence. Plain quartz, for example, can be alive and have an appealing glittering effect if numerous petite flakes of hematite protrude.

Labradorescence

This has become quite popular with the masses because this effect converts dramatic flashes of gold and blue upon movement of light. If the interference of light in the layers of crystals arises, this happens. Colors are considered strong and limited with regards to its direction and orientation.