Do you know what a gemstone is? Gemstones have many different names. Sometimes, people call them gems. Sometimes, people call them jewels. Sometimes, people call them precious stones. Whatever you call them, gemstones are awesome.
Gemstones are found, and gathered, underground. Some gemstones are very rare. Some gemstones are quite common. Most gemstones are minerals. Do you know what a mineral is? Most rocks are made from many different minerals together. When you have just one mineral by itself, it can be a gemstone.
Gemstones can be very beautiful. Many people like to use gemstones in jewellery. Do you have any gemstones or jewellery with gemstones? You might think that all gemstones are shiny and smooth. You might be surprised to see what gemstones really look like.
Before you can use a gemstone in jewellery, you need to cut and polish it. When we find gemstones in the ground, they are uncut and unpolished. They look very different. They are not shiny or smooth. They don't look like gemstones at all. But once they are cut and polished, they can be very beautiful.
There are so many different kinds of gemstones. A gemcutter needs to learn how to cut and polish each kind. A gemcutter or lapidary is a person that cuts and polishes gemstones. They look at the uncut gem and decide what shape to cut it into. It takes a lot of practice to be a top-level gemcutter. A diamond cutter cuts only diamonds, and is not called a gemcutter. Cutting diamonds is the trickiest form of gem cutting.
Look at these gemstones. Can you tell what they are? They're uncut diamonds.
These are what diamonds look like when they are cut and polished.
Look at this gemstone. Can you tell what it is? It is an uncut sapphire.
This is what a sapphire looks like when it is cut and polished.
Look at this gemstone. Can you tell what it is? It is an uncut opal.
This is what an opal looks like when it is cut and polished.
Many people think that gemstones have special meanings. Did you know that every month of the year has a special gemstone? What is your birthstone? Do you know what your birthstone means? You can look it up and find out.