Color Description of Gems
Before we can determine a gem's primary hue and any secondary hue, we need to know where to look.
If you have already read the page on Brilliance / Internal Luster you know that for a faceted gem, the true hue, along with saturation and tone will be seen in those areas of brilliance inside the stone.
If you have not yet read the page on Brilliance / Internal Luster, we recommend that you do so before continuing. The reason? The true color of a gemstone will be found in those pinpoints of light we call "brilliance", not in the body color.
But beyond knowing where to look, knowing what we are seeing requires more than mere observation.
Determining Hue/Color of gemstones
Before you start grading hue and color, you need some basics. These requirements include:
- A good eye
- Knowing how hues actually look
- A great deal of practice
Describing & communicating what you see in gemstones