What are biogenic gems?
Biogenic gems are gems of biological origin, created by natural biological processes rather than geological processes. Depending on the stone in question, some biogenic precious gems are completely biogenic, while others include mixing natural and geological processes: the fossils of the gem quality are, for example, biogenic, but also mineral in nature. The value of biogenic gems varies considerably depending on the gem and quality. These rare materials consist of different organisms for different purposes. For example, the pearl mother of the mold due to the deposition of the materials called Nacre, used to expand the shells of some marine molluscs, while ivory is a type of tooth present in elephants and rhinos, among other things. In the case of amber, the SAP is a material that can also capture insects and other inclusions, which make the resulting gemstones more biologically interesting. Ammolite is made of remnants of fossilized ammonites, sea molluscs that floated oceans before miLiony years. Some people refer to fossilized gems as minerals rather than biogenic gems, because geological processes are involved in their creation.
The appearance of biogenic expensive gems varies greatly, as you can see from the above examples. Some biogenic gems are translucent with stains and inclusions such as amber, while others are solid, as is the case with ivory. Colors can vary significantly, as well as hardness. Some biogenic gems are extremely fragile and must be carefully treated and carefully ensured that they will not burst, cloud or break, while others are robust enough to be used like pool balls.
When evaluating the quality of biogenic gems, people should look at things such as clarity, cut and color, as with diamonds, and should also check apparent cracks, peeling or other signs of damage. In case of settingsThe gems should be fixed and stable, and in the case of fragile gems should be protected or the gems should be limited in hard crystal to reduce the risk of loss or damage. They also concern some ethical questions about biogenic gems, and for example, ivory was particularly ethically demanding due to extensive poaching of elephants for their ivory. There are no certification programs to confirm the origin of biogenic gems for consumers concerned, which can be ethically ethically purchased and some people avoid controversial gems such as coral and ivory.