Gemstone Grading System
Given the wide spectrum of gemstone quality, grading gemstones can sometimes be challenging and is often subjective. However, at GEMFormulas, we feel that our customers should understand the therapeutic quality of their gemstones. So, we developed a unique rating system that lets you know where the quality of gemstones in your necklace stands in relation to others.
When you receive your GEMFormulas necklace, it will come with a tag that grades the gemstones in that necklace. For example, the quality tag for a Ruby-Onyx necklace looks like this:
Four Characteristics
of Therapeutic-Quality Gemstones
Color – The range of color in any gemstone can vary. Therapeutic color parameters are very specific.
Clarity - Clarity refers to the measure of a gemstone’s translucency and inclusions. Clarity varies tremendously in gemstones, and in some cases, such as Rutilated Quartz, Kunzite, Chinese Aquamarine, and Lavender, the inclusions help give the gemstone its beneficial properties. Each therapeutic-quality gemstone has unique clarity standards.
Brilliance - Brilliance is a gemstone’s shine. This criterion also varies among gemstones. In most semi-precious stones, brilliance has to do with the quality of the gem’s polish. In the precious stones, it measures the way physical light moves through the gem and shines from it. Some gemstones, such as Moonstone, have a sheen called adularescence, the quality of which can also vary.
Cut - A gemstone’s cut is simply how well it is shaped and how even its drill holes are.
GEMFormulas Grading
System
When grading gemstones, we assign each characteristic a letter: X, J, C, B, A, AA, or AAA.
X - means the gemstone is damaged in some way, but it can still be useful for spreading in houseplant soil or outside in the garden to uplift the vibrations of the soil and plants.
J - means jewelry only. These gems are not therapeutic, but they’re still nice enough for jewelry purposes.
B - means borderline therapeutic. If 1 of the 4 quality characteristics is B, and all other quality characteristics rate AA or better, then in some cases I would allow these gems to be sold therapeutically. You can decide if you’d like to work with such gems or not. Necklaces that have any B rated characteristic will be priced accordingly.
A - means standard therapeutic quality. The characteristics of A-grade gems allow them to radiate their energies in a way that is therapeutically beneficial. Many semi-precious gemstones will have this rating.
AA - means exceptional quality. Therapeutic-quality gemstones that have an AA rating in two or more categories have a finer vibratory rate than gemstones possessing all A qualities. Higher quality healing gemstones should work longer, deeper, and more effectively and completely than those of A quality. Semi-precious gemstones will have an AA rating if a characteristic stands above the standard therapeutic quality.
AAA - means exquisite quality. Gems that have this rating in two or more categories are rare. When you see such a necklace, your reaction should be an immediate “wow.” Therapeutically, gemstones of this rating have the finest vibrations, which allow them to extend their energies into physical and energetic fabric, where even AA-quality gemstone energies cannot go.
AAAA – means museum quality. We’ll be fortunate to find a handful of necklaces of this quality in a lifetime.
What It Means
Given the following format: Color-Clarity-Brilliance-Cut
If a gemstone is rated: A-AAA-A-A