WHY ARE GEMS DIFFERENT COLOURS?
Unearth the gemstone chemistry that results in a spectrum of decorative stones
WORDSAILSA HARVEY
Did you know?
Red is the rarest gem colour
Agemstone is a rock or mineral that is of high value due to its rarity, A durability and appearance. Their colouring is partly down to the way they reflect, refract and absorb light. As light hits and enters a gem, some wavelengths of visible light – or colours – are absorbed, while others are reflected. The reflected colours are those we perceive the stone to be. For example, an emerald is radiant with a unique green shade as this gemstone’s structure absorbs red and blue light and reflects green.