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frequently asked questions regarding unheated sapphires, pearls, alternative
gems; factors that set jyotish gems apart from ordinary gemstones . |
 
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Jyotish Gem FAQ |
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What
is the difference between a jyotish gem, selected specifically to fulfill
a jyotish gem prescription as opposed to an ordinary gemstone available
through the jewelry trade?
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One of the most important requirements of a jyotish gem is that it must be relatively free from imperfection. Virtually all natural gemstones have some degree of natural inclusion i.e. slight variations in structure that developed within the gem material as it was forming in nature. These inclusions determine the clarity of a gemstone and are a valuable aid in determining the authenticity and history of treatment of a gemstone but certain types of inclusions, such as black spots within an emerald, or inclusions that are too numerous or too large, make that stone unsuitable for a jyotish gem prescription. The standards for clarity applied within the jewelry trade are much more lenient than the standards that we apply to gems used for jyotish gem prescriptions. Therefore, a stone may be within the parameters of good quality from the jeweler's perspective but still fail to meet our standards. Each gemstone that I offer is individually selected to meet the highest clarity standards for jyotish gem recommendations. |
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Heat treatment in sapphires |
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Heat treatment in blue and yellow sapphires is widely practiced and widely accepted in the jewelry trade. The prevalence of this enhancement makes things a lot more difficult for those of us who want blue and yellow untreated sapphires. Gemological
training that I have received at the Asian Institute of Gemological
Sciences in Bangkok and at the Gemological Institute of America in Los
Angeles specifically addressed the identification and evaluation of heat-treated
versus untreated sapphires. |
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While we are on the topic of gem treatments |
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Almost all emeralds have been immersed in an oil or high-refractive liquid in order to fill the small fractures that are generally part of their structure. This reduces the visibility of these clarity characteristics but the fewer there are, the better the gem. |
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What are akoya cultured pearls? |
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When people think of pearls this is what most often comes to mind, even if the name is unfamiliar. Akoya bead-nucleated, cultured pearls are a very common jewelry item that dominate the pearl market. The better quality akoya pearls have a beautiful luster and color but unfortunately it is restricted to the thin, superficial layer deposited by the akoya mollusk over a bead that has been inserted into the oyster. Because the ratio of pearl material to bead is so low, akoya pearls are not recommended for jyotish gem purposes. |
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What are South Seas pearls? |
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These are bead-nucleated cultured pearls grown in a shellfish that will accept a much larger bead than the Japanese cultured pearl oysters. The result is a cultured pearl of much larger size, in the range of 15 to 20 mm diameter. South Seas pearls usually have a thicker layer of pearl material surrounding the implanted bead than the Japanese cultured pearls |
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What are freshwater cultured pearls? |
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These are pearls that are formed as a result of the implantation of a small piece of tissue from the mollusk itself. The pearls that are produced this way are virtually solid pearl material all the way through, thus freshwater cultured pearls are very useful for jyotish gem recommendations. As they do not contain a bead nucleus, the measured weight indicates the actual amount of pearl material being considered instead of the case of a bead-nucleated cultured pearl in which most of the weight consists of the bead rather than pearl material. |
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How should pearls be set into a piece of jewelry for Jyotish? |
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The
accepted practice in the jewelry trade is to drill a hole in a pearl
to facilitate
mounting it in a piece of jewelry but for a jyotish gem prescription drilling a hole is not acceptable so we have designed a setting style that will hold a pearl in place without drilling a hole. Also, when a gem is mounted into a piece of jewelry for a jyotish gem recommendation it must be set in such a way that it will touch the skin during wear. The pendants displayed on the pearl page were created specifically to conform to these requirements to fulfill your jyotish gem prescription. |
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How large are these gems? |
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The photographs have been greatly enlarged in order to show detail
and facilitate viewing. There are two ways of describing the size of a gemstone: physical measurements in millimeters and physical weight in carats. The unit of weight known as the carat is one fifth of a gram so a gem weighing 5 carats would weigh 1 gram. The weight in carats is given below the photograph. The actual measurements of each gemstone are given in millimeters below the photograph. You may notice that some gems of comparable weight are considerably different in dimension. This frequently occurs due to differences in the proportions used in cutting and polishing the gem. The cutter will often vary the proportions in order to save as much weight as possible. |
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How do I determine the appropriate gem recommendation for my particular needs? |
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The
gem recommendation for the jyotish gem that is best suited to the individual
must be made by a jyotish Pandit or knowledgeable astrologer.
These experts make their recommendations based on their skilled evaluation and judgment of the planetary influences that are active in the life of the individual. |
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I haven't been given a Jyotish gem recommendation. Can I make a choice of gemstone based on a book that I am reading? |
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Not a good idea! Everyone's situation is different with a different combination of planetary influences. It requires a skilled and knowledgeable expert to determine the appropriate jyotish gem prescription. |
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What should I buy when the recommendation given to me is for a jyotish gem costing much more than I can afford? |
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This
is a common situation that occurs because the Pandit or astrologer is recommending
the best remedy, without making the judgment as to whether or not the individual
can afford it.
It is very acceptable to use a smaller jyotish gem than the recommended size as long as the quality is maintained. This can reduce the cost considerably because the price of gemstones often increases exponentially with size. i.e. a two carat ruby may cost seven or eight times as much as a one carat ruby of similar quality. Another approach is to use an alternate gemstone, referred to as Uparatna. For example, one alternate jyotish gem used in place of an emerald is peridot, a gemstone that is available for a fraction of the cost of an emerald. The jyotish gem alternate often used in place of diamond is white sapphire. Another jyotish gem alternate to use in place of diamond is white zircon, a naturally occurring gemstone found in Cambodia (not to be confused with the very commonly promoted cubic zirconia, a synthetic material in widespread use in the jewelry trade). A jyotish gem alternate to ruby is rhodolite garnet. |
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How are these gems purchased at the source? |
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My
gem transactions are distinctly different from the ty
pical way in which
the gem business is conducted.
I use a gemological microscope to sort through literally thousands of gemstones, selecting only a fraction of one per cent of the gems offered. Each gem must meet the criteria for jyotish gem recommendations plus each gem must represent the best value in its category so that every selection is the ideal combination of quality and value. Each gem is also tested and evaluated by an independent gemological laboratory in Asia that is proficient in the identification of gemstones and the determination of heat-treatment in sapphires. |
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Do you sell synthetic gems? |
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A synthetic gem is a man-made material that duplicates the chemical
and crystallographic structure of a genuine gemstone. Based on my gemological
knowledge of the method of manufacture of synthetic gems plus the advice
given by leading Jyotish Pandits, I believe that synthetic gems have
no value for jyotish gem recommendations. Some synthetics are manufactured in large scale factories while some are made in small batches in "laboratories". Whether they are flux-grown, lab-grown, flame-grown or home-grown they are all man-made and I don't sell them. |
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Why are there two sections in this web site, one for Macintosh OS and one for PC/Windows? |
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The
color of an image that is seen by the individual computer user is subject
to many variables after that image has been loaded to the web-site.
One of the major variables is the way in which brightness is rendered by these two platforms, Macintosh and PC/Windows. I have modified the brightness value of the images for the appropriate platform in order to compensate for this inconsistency and to more closely approximate the actual appearance of the gemstones.
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What does the price include? |
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All Clients receive their gem purchases with no additional charges, taxes or customs fees.
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william
kent corporation
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For more information and to place an order please e-mail: billkent@islandnet.com
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pc |
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American Clients are not required to pay import taxes or customs duties on loose stones, i.e. gems that have not been set into jewelry. 