How to describe the Color of a Gemstone?
When you look at a gemstone, what colors do you expect to find? First and foremost, the spectral colors (the VIBGYOR in a rainbow); then the normal white, black, gray and brown in varying quantities. Now these later ones are not in places, they are mixed with the spectral colors.
For example, white mixes with red to make a lighter shade of red such as pink. On the other hand, black mixed with a hue makes it darker. The general idea is that the closer a hue is to the pure spectral color, the better it is. So undertones of any color, say yellow in a red stone, decrease its color quality. Again, undertones are not that undesirable. Two colors such as red and yellow can make beautiful and exotic combinations which might be very desirable.
In describing the color of a gemstone, we talk in terms of the following attributes:
- Hue – this is the exact spectral color that is prominent in the stone.
- Intensity – this tells us how bright or dull the particular hue is. It talks of the saturation value.
- Tone – this is to specify the amount of black, white, gray or brown present. It decides how light or dark the hue is.
- Distribution – how even or uneven the distribution of the color is.
However, there is something called the cut of the gemstone which can alter the tone and intensity of the stone considerably. Given a fine gemstone, a good cutter can bring out its beauty and liveliness to the fullest, just as a poor cutter can make it look too dark or too washed out to be attractive.
Whatever might be the case, the important thing is for the gemstone is to look deep in hue just the right amount. The fact that color matters much more in Rubies than in Diamonds can be judged from the fact that Burmese Rubies are much more expensive than Rubies from almost anywhere in the world. Those Rubies are just as red as you can get!
