Commercial gems are ‘easy-to-get’ or accessible gems that are usually relatively affordable and come in a wide range of colours.  

Some examples are heated tourmalines, garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, topaz and peridots. 

We also refer to stones in this category as “fun”, for casual wear. These are great for wearing every day and do not require much maintenance or care. The stones tend to come in smaller sizes and do not need to be of highest quality in terms of clarity or colour as they may be used for costume jewellery or filler stones. For example, a 1-2 carat heated ruby or white diamonds below 2 carat would be classified in this category. 

It is quite easy to shop for gemstones in this class! Just pick your favourite colour or something you’re most comfortable with that matches your personal taste.

Affordable collectibles are gems that are rising in popularity among more serious gem customers but come in a scarce inventory since they are in high demand for both clients and jewellery manufacturers.

Some examples are gemstones like paraíbas, padparadscha sapphires, unheated tanzanites, tsavorite garnets and alexandrites that comes in a medium size of 5-10 carats. Smaller sized unheated sapphires and no-oil emeralds can also classed as collectible gemstones.

If you’re planning to start a proper gem collection, Arte Oro recommends starting in this category. Pick smaller gemstones of good quality, from 3-5 carats then graduating to larger 8-10 carat sizes.

It may not be easy to choose when shopping in this category, as the price point is significantly higher. We say this: sometimes it may be better to shop with your heart than with your eyes! Allow your emotions to do the job for you and pick the one that feels closest to your heart. Sometimes, the stones choose you.

Extraordinary gems are for the few that can afford it. Trades in this category happen on another level and the type of stones in question are practically museum pieces or are so expensive, they may not be actually worn but stored in a vault.

The value of these stones are not just the 4Cs (carat, clarity, cut, colour) but also their provenance. Such rare stones are the kind that inspire outlandish acts of love, thievery or have even had a place in history.

Examples of such Extraordinary class stones (also known as “Extraordinaries”) are large (over 10 carat) type 2A white diamonds, coloured diamonds (pink, green and blue), rubies, emeralds, sapphires, paraíbas and padparadschas.

If you’re looking into gemstones as a form of investment, this class of gems are the ones to go for as the value usually increases from the moment of purchase. Gems in this category are not available on the common market; access to them can only be gained from reputable industry players with a strong network of suppliers. This is where Arte Oro’s expertise and contacts comes in for our VVIP clients.