How are gemstones useful to us?

We've all heard diamonds are a girl's best friend. The movie and the song are both classics, and the phrase has become a popular catch-phrase in our society.

But, diamond gemstones could be your best friend whatever your gender.

This could be true whether you possess a piece of jewelry containing a diamond gemstone or not.

Chances are, that you or someone you especially care about has had surgery at one time or another. Unpleasant as it may seem, this is one situation where you want them to have especially sharp cutting instruments. Diamond gemstones are used to make instruments that efficiently cut through bone and tissue.

Scientists are working on methods which they believe will aid people who have lost vision due to genetic diseases, to see images through the implanting of microchips into the retina.

With people living longer and longer, body parts inevitably wear out. Science is also working to develop no-friction joint replacements that will last for the duration of the recipient's life. These developments all depend on the use of diamond gemstones.

The electronics field has experienced many improvements due to diamonds. As technology continues to move forward enabling our computers to operate at greater speed without the fear of overheating, we will look back and thank the contribution that diamond gemstones have made in this effort. This will also extend to the continued improvement of cell phones, broadband, ipods, and more affordable flat screen television.

The use of diamond gemstones in industry, and how they better our lives are far too many to cover in this small article, but here are just a few more diverse examples:

• Instruments for cutting, drilling, sanding and polishing.
• Rotary bits that are used for drilling oil wells, or to drill tunnels through solid rock.
• Glass cutters or glass etching pencils.
• Diamond-tipped saws that cut through granite (think countertops).

Other Useful Gemstones

The diamond is not the only gemstone that gets credit for improving our lives.

Rubies are used in CD players, long distance telephone operation, microsurgery, and laser pointers.

Garnet is used in abrasives from everything as simple as sandpaper, to larger tasks such as sand-blasting, or mixed with water and delivered at high pressure to cut through steel.

Topaz is used as an abrasive. Scouring pads, knife sharpeners and grinding equipment are all enhanced because of the use of topaz.

Sapphire, ruby, and garnetare all used to make jewel bearings. Older folks will remember jewel watches. Today jewel bearings are often used in very sensitive measuring equipment such as flight instruments, optical instruments, meteorological instruments and medical and laboratory equipment.

Tourmaline is used in the making of pressure gauges.

It should be understood that the better quality gemstones will find their way into jewelry pieces. The gemstones that qualify as high enough quality to be valued for decorative purposes are in the smaller percentage. Gemstones that don't fit this category make their way into industrial usage and add value to our lives in very important ways.

I am personally very thankful for these contributions, since I had surgery recently, and all went well. I am further grateful when I take my car (which unfortunately still requires fossil fuel) to the home improvement store to buy a diamond blade for my saw, go to the optician, listen to a weather report, or take a plane flight to a distant city.

Gemstone Throughout History

Gemstones have provided value to man since their earliest discovery. Originally. they added more power to the already powerful in society. As time passed and they became available to the masses they provided comfort in many ways, being considered properties that could provide protection or comfort, or an aid to improving personal characteristics.

Gemstones have had an important place in the many cultures and religions throughout the ages. And it has been verified by archaeologists that even in ancient cultures they had their industrial uses. Etchings have been found on elements in archaeological digs that could only have been made by a diamond, the hardest substance on earth.

Whatever your lifestyle, I think you will see, that gemstones add value in some way. Remember gemstones when you fill your car with gas, drive through a mountain tunnel, listen to your ipod, or have a new granite countertop installed in your kitchen. Or need a gift for that special person.

With the high demand industry is making for gemstones, man is doing his best to upstage nature and create gemstones more quickly. But just remember, he needed the real thing to point him in the right direction. The next decade, and the accelerated advancement of technology will unearth more and more valuable uses for these magical substances we call gemstones.