Loose gemstones, pearls and organic gem materials (set stones are recorded with the jewellery).
A gemstone’s value lies in properties you cannot always see: whether it is natural or laboratory
grown, whether it has been heated or filled, and where it came from. For any stone of value, a
laboratory report is as important as the stone itself, and a good record keeps the two together.
Coloured gemstones: sapphire, ruby, emerald, spinel, garnet, tourmaline
and the many collector stones.
Pearls, natural and cultured, saltwater and freshwater.
Organic gems: amber, jet, coral, ivory and shell, several of which are
protected by CITES.
Many collectors focus on one species in all its colours, on rare collector stones, or on stones from
one famous locality.
What to Record
Species and variety: for example corundum, variety sapphire.
Carat weight, shape and cut, and the measurements in millimetres.
For diamonds: colour from D to Z, clarity from FL to I3 and cut grade, as on GIA’s scales, and
whether the stone is natural or laboratory grown.
Treatments: heating, oiling, filling, irradiation or coating. Untreated stones of the same
quality are often worth far more.
Origin: the country or locality, if a laboratory has determined it.
Laboratory report: the laboratory (GIA, SSEF, Gübelin, AGL and others), the report number and
date.
For pearls: type, size, shape, colour, lustre and surface.
For organic gems: the CITES status and any permits.
Care and Storage
Store stones separately in gem papers or padded boxes: harder stones scratch softer ones. Keep pearls
and organic gems away from heat, dryness, perfume and cleaning agents, and wipe pearls after wear.
Store the laboratory reports with the stones or record their numbers.
Mistakes to Avoid
Buying a valuable stone without an independent laboratory report.
Leaving treatments out of the record.
Storing pearls in an airtight box or a dry safe for years - they need some humidity.
The 23 fields worth recording for gemstones & pearls, grouped as in the
ordicio app.
Identification
Species Text
Mineral species as approved by the IMA (main species first), or the material for pearls and organic gems, e.g. Quartz, Corundum, Beryl.
Variety Text
Variety or trade name, e.g. Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Rose quartz.
Carat weight (ct) Number
Weight in carats (1 ct = 0.2 g); for several stones the total weight.
Shape / cut Choice
Shape and cutting style.
18 choices
Round brilliant
Oval
Cushion
Emerald / step cut
Princess
Pear
Marquise
Heart
Radiant
Asscher
Baguette
Trillion
Cabochon
Rose cut
Old mine / old European cut
Briolette
Fancy / freeform
Rough / uncut
Colour Text
Colour or colours as seen in daylight, main colour first.
Gem treatment Choice
Enhancement reported by a laboratory or the seller.
None detected
Heating
Oil / resin filling
Fracture / glass filling
Diffusion
Irradiation
Dyeing
Coating
HPHT treatment
Unknown
Geographic origin Text
Country or deposit of origin as reported by a laboratory, e.g. Burma (Myanmar), Colombia, Kashmir.
Measurements
Length (mm) Number
Greatest length.
Width (mm) Number
Width, measured from the front.
Depth (mm) Number
Depth, measured from front to back.
Condition
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Certificate / expertise Text
Certificates of authenticity or expert opinions, with issuer, date and number.
Acquisition
How and when the object came into the collection.
Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
Purchase
Auction
Gift
Inheritance
Exchange / trade
Self-collected / found
Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).
Value
Estimated and insured value.
Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
Own estimate
Recent sales / auction results
Dealer offer
Catalogue value
Professional appraisal
Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.
Collection record
Your own inventory data.
Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.
Standards and References
The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:
Nickel-Strunz classification, 10th edition (classes 1 to 10); IMA list of mineral species; mindat.org localities
AFMS and dealer usage for specimen size classes (thumbnail, miniature, small cabinet, cabinet)
IUGS classification of igneous rocks (QAPF), standard sedimentary/metamorphic classes
Meteoritical Society nomenclature, Meteoritical Bulletin Database; shock stages S1 to S6 (Stoeffler et al.), weathering grades W0 to W6 (Wlotzka)
GIA diamond grading (colour D to Z, clarity FL to I3, cut); CIBJO / LMHC nomenclature for gem treatments; pearl value factors
Updated October 24, 2026
Analytics cookies? We'd like to use Google Analytics to see which guides and help pages are useful. It sets cookies and sends usage data to Google (USA). Nothing else is tracked.
Privacy
