GIA COLORED STONE ESSENTIALS
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS.
COLORED STONE ANSWER : -Any gem material other than diamond.
GEMOLOGY ANSWER : -The study of gems.
ORGANIC ANSWER : -Once living, or produced by a living organism (plant or animal).
MINERALS ANSWER : -A natural, inorganic substance with a characteristic chemical composition and
usually characteristic structure.
INORGANIC ANSWER : -Composed of, or arising from, non-living matter.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS ANSWER : -Kinds and relative quantities of atoms that make up a material.
DURABILITY ANSWER : -A gemstone's ability to withstand wear, heat, and chemicals.
LUSTER ANSWER : -The appearance of a material's surface in reflected light.
TRANSPARENCY ANSWER : -Degree to which a material allows light to pass through it.
HARDNESS ANSWER : -How well a gemstone resists scratches and abrasion.
TOUGHNESS ANSWER : -How well a gemstone resists breaking, chipping, and cracking.
STABILITY ANSWER : -How well a gemstone resists the effects of light, heat, and chemicals.
, CRYSTAL STRUCTURE ANSWER : -Regular, repeating internal arrangement of atoms in a material.
CHEMICAL FORMULA ANSWER : -Written description of a material's chemical makeup.
TRACE ELEMENTS ANSWER : -Atoms in a gem that aren't part of its essential chemical composition.
AMORPHOUS ANSWER : -Lacking a regular crystal structure.
SPECIES ANSWER : -A broad gem category based on chemical composition and crystal structure.
VARIETY ANSWER : -A subcategory of species based on color, transparency, or phenomenon.
PHENOMENON ANSWER : -An unusual optical effect displayed by a gem.
GROUPS ANSWER : -A family of gems from several closely related mineral species.
NATURAL GEMS ANSWER : -Gems produced by natural processes, without human help.
LAB-GROWN GEM ANSWER : -A manmade (synthetic) gem with essentially the same chemical
composition, crystal structure, and properties as its natural counterpart.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ANSWER : -A US government agency that issues guidelines for the
jewelry trade.
SELECTIVE ABSORPTION ANSWER : -Process by which a material absorbs some components of visible
light and returns others.
HUE ANSWER : -The first impression of an object's basic color.
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS.
COLORED STONE ANSWER : -Any gem material other than diamond.
GEMOLOGY ANSWER : -The study of gems.
ORGANIC ANSWER : -Once living, or produced by a living organism (plant or animal).
MINERALS ANSWER : -A natural, inorganic substance with a characteristic chemical composition and
usually characteristic structure.
INORGANIC ANSWER : -Composed of, or arising from, non-living matter.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS ANSWER : -Kinds and relative quantities of atoms that make up a material.
DURABILITY ANSWER : -A gemstone's ability to withstand wear, heat, and chemicals.
LUSTER ANSWER : -The appearance of a material's surface in reflected light.
TRANSPARENCY ANSWER : -Degree to which a material allows light to pass through it.
HARDNESS ANSWER : -How well a gemstone resists scratches and abrasion.
TOUGHNESS ANSWER : -How well a gemstone resists breaking, chipping, and cracking.
STABILITY ANSWER : -How well a gemstone resists the effects of light, heat, and chemicals.
, CRYSTAL STRUCTURE ANSWER : -Regular, repeating internal arrangement of atoms in a material.
CHEMICAL FORMULA ANSWER : -Written description of a material's chemical makeup.
TRACE ELEMENTS ANSWER : -Atoms in a gem that aren't part of its essential chemical composition.
AMORPHOUS ANSWER : -Lacking a regular crystal structure.
SPECIES ANSWER : -A broad gem category based on chemical composition and crystal structure.
VARIETY ANSWER : -A subcategory of species based on color, transparency, or phenomenon.
PHENOMENON ANSWER : -An unusual optical effect displayed by a gem.
GROUPS ANSWER : -A family of gems from several closely related mineral species.
NATURAL GEMS ANSWER : -Gems produced by natural processes, without human help.
LAB-GROWN GEM ANSWER : -A manmade (synthetic) gem with essentially the same chemical
composition, crystal structure, and properties as its natural counterpart.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ANSWER : -A US government agency that issues guidelines for the
jewelry trade.
SELECTIVE ABSORPTION ANSWER : -Process by which a material absorbs some components of visible
light and returns others.
HUE ANSWER : -The first impression of an object's basic color.
