In the same way as ruby and sapphire were members of the same family, so emerald is a member of a larger family of gemstones, this being the beryl...

    It's a very under-rated gemstone, but in fact garnet offers lots of potential. When most people think of it, they automatically see red, or maybe a brownish or purplish...

    Having covered some of the more exotic gemstones, it's now time to look at one of the more commonly seen gems, and one that is often overlooked in modern...

    Corundum is the name given to a family of gemstones, all with the same basic chemical make-up - aluminium and oxygen. The differences come in the elements that are...

    So what is sapphire? Sapphire and ruby are basically the same stone, corundum, which is comprised of aluminium and oxygen. The difference with sapphire though is that it is...

    Colour in diamonds is seen as both undesirable, and desirable. Undesirable because at low levels, the diamond can take on a pale colour, such as yellow or brown, which...