Gemstones guides
Gemstones
Diamonds and gemstones are chosen for more than just their beauty—character, quality, and traceability matter. Stones are sourced through trusted suppliers in Antwerp and beyond, with a focus on transparency and long-term value.
Knowing where your gemstones come from is part of understanding what makes them meaningful.
Precious Gemstones
Most gemstones are complex minerals formed under extreme conditions, with unique chemical compositions and colours. This category includes the classics—rubies, sapphires, emeralds—as well as a wide range of semi-precious stones, each with its own visual and structural properties.
Diamonds stand apart. Composed entirely of carbon, they form in a tightly bonded crystal lattice, resulting in exceptional hardness and unmatched brilliance.
In choosing stones, both beauty and sourcing are considered. Whenever possible, transparency around origin and ethics is prioritised.
From soft sapphires to vivid rubies, each stone is unique.
Grading Gemstones
Gemstones are typically graded on the same four factors as diamonds: colour, clarity, cut, and carat. However, for coloured stones, colour is by far the most important determinant of value.
Colour
Three factors shape how a gemstone’s colour is assessed:
Hue – The stone’s main colour and any secondary tones
Tone – The lightness or darkness of that colour
Saturation – The intensity or vividness
The most desirable stones strike a balance: pure, vibrant colour with good saturation—not too pale, not overly dark.
In coloured gemstones, many cutters prioritise maximising colour over achieving symmetry. Native cuts are often used to bring out a stone’s best tone, even if the proportions vary.
Clarity
Clarity describes internal inclusions and external blemishes. In coloured stones, clarity grading is more flexible than in diamonds and depends on the type of gem.
Inclusions are often accepted—sometimes even valued—as part of a stone’s natural character. For others, transparency is key to quality.
Cut
The goal of a coloured gemstone cut is not perfection but enhancement. It’s about making the colour as rich and visible as possible.
Faceting style, polish, and proportion all matter—but the primary role of the cut is to reveal the best version of the stone’s colour.
Carat
Carat refers to weight: 1 carat = 0.2 grams. But unlike diamonds, coloured gemstones aren’t always priced by weight alone.
Shape, depth, and face-up size can all influence how a stone presents. A well-cut stone may appear larger or more vibrant than another of the same weight.
