Diamonds • Precious Gemstones • Jewelry • Gemology

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.

But beyond knowing where to look, knowing what we are seeing requires more than mere observation. At a minimum determining hue/color requires

• A good eye
• Knowing how hues actually look
• A great deal of practice

Describing & communicating what you see in gemstones