Using semi-precious gemstone beads for jewelry making allows you to use beautiful stones to create beautiful, wearable works of art. If you are going to pay for and use gemstone beads in your work, however, you want to make sure those stones are authentic and high quality.

How can you tell that you are looking at a quality gemstone bead? Here are a few tricks for determining the quality of the semi-precious gemstone beads you hope to purchase.

Know Your Grading Conditions

Precious gemstones, like diamonds and rubies, are subject to strict grading guidelines. When you purchase one of these gemstone beads, you know what you are getting, thanks to the grade each is assigned. The grade of the gemstone takes into account the quality of its colors, clarity, and cut.
To determine the quality of semi-precious gemstone beads, know your grading conditions. Here are the primary grades you may encounter when it comes to semi-precious gemstones.

• A – richest hues, highest quality cut, most transparency, and blemishes that are visible with scope, not the naked eye.
• B – slightly less quality of hue and cut, a couple of inclusions visible to the naked eye.
• C – The hues are uneven, with more inclusions and blemishes.
• D – low saturation, irregular cutting, lots of inclusions and blemishes.

Grading is available for semi-precious gemstone beads. These grades are more subjective and can vary from dealer to dealer. As a result, you can use these grades as a guide to the quality of the gemstone beads, but you can not use them as the final say in the quality of the gemstone beads you purchase.

Check Beads Individually

Online images will always display gemstone beads in the best possible light. However, a carefully posed image does not always accurately portray the quality of the gemstone beads. Even with access to multiple images, it can be difficult to accurately determine the quality of the gemstone cut, color, and clarity. 
As a result, you will need to examine the gemstone beads in person to determine their quality. Instead of purchasing gemstones sight unseen, try to get to the store to look at them yourself. Being able to handle the gemstone beads, look a every angle, and evaluate the cut, clarity, and color for yourself can help you determine the quality of the gemstone beads for jewelry making that you are thinking about purchasing.

Use Jeweler Loupe to Check The Quality of The Pearls

You cannot always determine the quality of semi-precious gemstone beads by examining them alone with your naked eye. In particular, determining the existence of inclusions and blemishes requires the use of a specialized tool called a jeweler's loupe. This allows you to identify inclusions and blemishes that may not be visible. 
Ideally, the semi-precious gemstone beads you purchase for your beading project should not have any blemishes you can see with your naked eye. When viewed under a loupe, some inclusions and blemishes are acceptable. However, avoid gemstone beads that have many inclusions, particularly if those inclusions affect the overall brilliance of the gemstones.

Seek Out Rich Color and Shine

The highest quality semi-precious gemstone beads for jewelry boasting a rich, even color and striking brilliance. When determining the quality of the gemstone beads you are purchasing, look for gemstones that possess a rich color that spreads evenly over the gemstone. But if you compare different gemstone beads, you should be able to see which ones have the more brilliant and appealing color and which ones lack the appropriate coloring.

Know How to Recognize Fake

Sometimes, you must worry about more than simply the quality of the gemstone beads you purchase. Every so often, you will encounter glass gemstone beads that are sold as real gemstones. These gemstone beads often look very realistic. However, determining whether they are fake or not is a matter of paying careful attention to the gemstone bead itself. Here are a few tricks for spotting fake semi-precious gemstone beads for jewelry making.

• The gemstone lacks inclusions and blemishes.
• The gemstone feels smooth instead of gritty.
• The color is too perfectly saturated.
• The gemstone is heavier than you would expect.

In a perfect world, you could trust the dealer selling the gemstone beads. However, in the real world, you need to be able to examine the gemstone beads for yourself to confirm their quality. Want to get the best quality gemstone beads? Then contact us (Unique Jewellers).