There are many reasons people choose to buy gem stones loose before they have them set into a piece of jewelry. It is much more difficult to determine the quality of a gemstone after it has been placed in a setting. Judging the 4c’s (clarity, color, cut, and carat) is simpler when the stone is loose. The perception of color changes depending on the color that surrounds an object. For example, emeralds will appear different when set in platinum, yellow gold, or white gold. The condition of the cut, like chips on the girdle or misaligned facet edges, can be hidden by bezel mountings and prongs. Judging the clarity of a gemstone is also more difficult because inclusions may be out of sight behind various parts of the jewelry mounting.

Once a gemstone has been set into a piece of jewelry it is impossible to verify the actual carat weight. Often jewelry retailers estimate the carat weight of the gemstone based on measurements of the gemstones’ crown dimensions. This works fairly well for diamonds because they are often cut to common standards. Colored gemstones are often cut to non-standard proportions and the carat weight is much more difficult to estimate based on crown dimensions.

Another reason people buy loose gemstones rather than the finished product is because they want to have a custom piece of jewelry that they created themselves. If you buy from a reputable gemstone dealer one can usually save some money and end up with a nicer stone than you would buying the finished jewelry. You can save more money by setting the stone yourself or working with an independent bench jeweler. Finally, there is a growing group of collectors who buy loose gemstones and have no intention of ever setting the stone. Collectors are found at every price point from reasonably priced commercial cut quartz to high-end loose rubies.

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