Gemstone Guides

Buying guides written at the source: what to look for, what a stone is worth, and what the trade rarely says out loud.

A pear-cut amethyst on a lapidary workbench beside its rough, the classic semi-precious stone up close

Semiprecious Stones: the Full List of Types, and Why the Label Is a Marketing Myth

Where the words came from, the full list of types with their Mohs hardness, the green, blue and purple stones the label covers, and why a gem fit to crown kings gets filed second-class.

PAR Ilyes Makria•JUN 20, 2026

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Gemstone Guides

Semiprecious Stones: the Full List of Types, and Why the Label Is a Marketing Myth

Mine to Customer: How I Source Sapphire Parcels in Sri Lanka

Padparadscha Sapphire: Color Chart, Price Per Carat, and How to Spot a Real One

Pink Sapphire Buying Guide: Color, Value, and What to Look For

Teal Sapphire: The Trending Color, Explained by a Sourcer

Ceylon Sapphire: Why Sri Lankan Origin Changes the Stone and the Price

What a Gemstone Certificate Actually Proves (and What It Doesn't)