var trivia = new Array();
trivia[7] = "Carats, Clarity, Color and Cut.
CARATS Carat is a measure of weight of a diamond and is represented as ct. One carat represents 200 milligrams - smaller diamonds are measured in points where 100 points make up one carat. Higher the Carat of a diamond, rarer it is, the bigger its size, and the price tag also follows along.
CLARITY Clarity of a diamond represents the existance or absence of inclusions (internal flaws) or blemishes in the stone. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) defines certain grades for diamond clarity - FI or Flawless, IF Internally Flawless, slight external blemishes, VVS1 andVVS2 Very, very slightly included, VS1 and VS2 Very Slightly Included, SI1 andSI2 Slightly Incliuded and finally I1, I2 and I3 Included. Gems approaching the FI grade are not only rare, they are also very expensive.
COLOR You must have observed colorful flashes called fire when a diamond is held against while light. The GIA has allocated several grades of color to diamonds with D being Absolutely Colorless, which is the best and also rare, to I and J being Nearly Colorless.
CUT Contrary to popular belief, a diamond's Cut does not refer to its shape rather its proportions such as width, depth and uniformity of all its facets. These affect the brilliance of a diamond - light travelling from the top through an Ideal Cut diamond does not pass through the bottom or escape through the side, but reflects back through the top.";
trivia[8] = "Opinions vary on this questions and for good reason. Juggling the 4C's keeping an eye on your purse can be quite an experience. Keep in mind there is a price for perfection, which is very rare to come by. So choose a mean path and decide for yourself which of the 4C's should be your priority. A common notion is that a high clarity grade will ensure the brilliance or a diamond, which is not necessarily correct. As a thumbrule, most people consider Cut to be the most important factor, since a well cut diamond will give you the most brilliance and fire of colors, consequently looking more vibrant. Moreover a well cut diamond will also be more durable";
trivia[9] = "Diamonds are a woman's best friend, as it is often said - for good reason. The word Diamond is derived from the Greek word adamas which means unconquerable. For those who are not aware, diamond is a crystalline form of carbon and is the hardest substance found on Earth. They are formed over thousands of years under extreme heat and pressure deep within the earth's crust. Believe it or not, 80 percent of the world's diamonds are not suitable for jewelry. Some more trivia ...
The Cullinan diamond, also known as the Star of Africa is the largest diamond ever found and weighs 3106 carats - that is quite some rock. Well if you are thinking of bringing it home, you will have to visit the Tower of London and convince King Edward VII to take it off his sceptre and hand it to you.
It is common belief that a diamond symbolizes courage, good fortune, keeps of evil and strengthens the bond of marriage - no kidding.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the love vein (or vena amoris) exists in the third finger of the left hand and goes straight to the heart. This tradition is still followed today where the diamond engagement ring is worn in the third finger of the left hand.
The tradition of diamond engagement rings began in 1477 when the Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave such a ring to Mary of Burgundy as a sign of betrothal";
trivia[10] = "Did you know that your birth month is associated with a precious stone? Check out what your birthstone is below.
January Garnet
February Amethyst
March Aquamarine
April Diamond
May Emerald
June Pearl
July Ruby
August Peridot
September Sapphire
October Opal
November Citrine
December Blue Topaz";
trivia[11] = "Sapphires belong to the corundum family of gemstones and is generally blue in color. Sapphires were once thought to protect the wearer from poisonous creatures. Ancient Persians believed that the Earth was supported on a huge sapphire whose reflection caused the blueness of the sky. A celestial gem, the sapphire symbolizes truth, sincerity and faithfulness. Moses received the ten commandments on tablets of sapphire making it the most sacred stone.
Due to the divinity associated with sapphires, they have been the chosen stone for kings and high priests. Prince Charles gave Princess Diana a sapphire engagement ring before their marriage a tradition that is followed even today by some couples.
Sapphires are only second to the diamond in hardness and is very durable, which ensures that sapphire jewelry can be an asset for generations.
The Ruby is considered a sister stone of sapphire since rubies also belong to the same corundum family of minerals.";
trivia[12] = "Rubies are a sister stone to Sapphires, since they belong to the corundum family as well. However, unlike sapphires, rubies are red in color and come in different shades from light to dark. Like sapphires, rubies are just as hard, second only to diamonds and are also very durable.
Ancient people believed rubies to protect health, ward off evil, and help reconcile disputes in life. Due to the redness of the gem some believed that there was a fire burning inside the stone. Some other people believed that when a ruby turns dark, that is a sign of impending troubles in life.
While you purchase a ruby, your prime area of interest is recommended to be the Color. Even if the stone has flaws, a ruby can be very expensive if it has a bright red color. Large rubies are rarer than large diamonds, so heavier the ruby, the more expensive it is.";
trivia[13] = "Emeralds fall under the category of beryls - the principal ore of the rare element beryllium. The most common color of emeralds is whitish to deep green with crystals ranging from tiny to enormous.
The ancient Incas and Aztecs in South America worshipped the emerald as a holy stone. Even today, the Columbian emerald is regarded as the most coveted of emeralds the most important mine economically is at Coscuez.
The Mogul Emerald is one of the world's largest emeralds and weighs 217.80 carats. This stone was auctioned off at Christie's of London for US$2.2 million.
The green stone symbolized health and life in ancient India, while in ancient Rome, it symbolized Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. ";
trivia[14] = "Pearls are organic gems since they are formed inside the shell of certain oyesters and clams. When a piece of foreign particle enters the shell of such mollusks the natural defense mechanism is activated, pretty much in the same manner when your blood clots around a cut in your body. The defense mechanism in a mollusk secretes a substance called nacre, which coats the foreign particle layer after layer like onion skins to form a pearl. Natural pearls are hard to find and hence are very expensive. Cultured pearls are created when a foreign particle is manually inserted inside the shell of a mollusk to induce the process of nacre layering. Longer the mollusk lives, longer will be the duration of nacre layering, hence larger the size of the pearl and more durable and expensive it is.
Saltwater pearls are generally more expensive than freshwater pearls.
Unfortunately pearls do not have a standard grading system like diamonds, however the most common characteristics are Surface which denotes how unblemished the pearl surface is,Lustre which denotes how well the pearl reflects light and Shape which denotes how round and symmetric the pearl is.
Now for some interesting trivia. Ancient people believed that the pearl was formed when a dewdrop fell into the ocean during a full moon and received it lustre from the light of the moon.";
trivia[15] = "Gemstones have been linked to the zodiac signs and apparently have astrological significance. So if you are wondering what stone is linked to your zodiac sign, find yours below-
Aquarius Amethyst
Pisces Aquamarine
Aries Diamond
Taurus Emerald
Gemini Agate
Cancer Pearl
Leo Ruby
Virgo Sapphire
Libra Diamond
Scorpio Topaz
Sagittarius Turquoise
Capricorn Garnet
";
trivia[20] = "Gemstones have been considered precious and a symbol of wealth down the ages. This section offers some interesting trivia about them, along with important information that you should be aware of while you make an investment in a gemstone.
Simply roll your cursor over the text on the left and we will share these facts and trivia with you.";