Precious stone

When it comes to Pakistan, God has bestowed Pakistan with plenty of precious stones. The Northern Areas of Pakistan are specially famous for this. Each year many tourists come to visit NAs and get gems as bounty. A gemstone or gem, also called a precious or semi-precious stone, is a piece of attractive mineral, which when cut and polished is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Most gemstones are hard, but some soft minerals are used in jewelry because of their lustre or other physical properties that have aesthetic value. Rarity is another characteristic that lends value to a gemstone Color is the most obvious and attractive feature of gemstones. The color of any material is due to the nature of light itself.

This difference in color is based on the atomic structure of the stone. Although the different stones formally have the same chemical composition, they are not exactly the same. Every now and then an atom is replaced by a completely different atom (and this could be as few as one in a million atoms). These so called impurities are sufficient to absorb certain colors and leave the other colors unaffected. Some gemstone treatments make use of the fact that these impurities can be "manipulated", thus changing the color of the gemA few gemstones are used as gems in the crystal or other form in which they are found. Most however, are cut and polished for usage as jewelry. The two main classifications are stones cut as smooth, dome shaped stones called cabochons, and stones which are cut with a faceting machine by polishing small flat windows called facets at regular intervals at exact angles.

Stones which are opaque such as opal, turquoise, variscite, etc. are commonly cut as cabochons. These gems are designed to show the stone's color or surface properties as in opal and star sapphires. Grinding wheels and polishing agents are used to grind, shape and polish the smooth dome shape of the stones.
Gems which are transparent are normally faceted, a method which shows the optical properties of the stone’s interior to its best advantage by maximizing reflected light which is perceived by the viewer as sparkle. There are many commonly used shapes for faceted stones. The facets must be cut at the proper angles, which varies depending on the optical properties of the gem. If the angles are too steep or too shallow, the light will pass through and not be reflected back toward the viewer. Special equipment, a faceting machine, is used to hold the stone onto a flat lap for cutting and polishing the flat facets.
The Pakistan Gems and Jewelry Company endeavours for the development of the Gems and Jewellery Industry of the country from mine to market and to enhance its competitiveness internationally by facilitation, technology up-gradation and skill development.

Mission:
Development of the Gems and Jewellery sector through use of appropriate technology and training to human resource throughout the value chain of Gems &

Jewellery sector.
The main strategic initiatives of the Gems & Jewellery Strategy cover the following areas:

1. Geological Survey for Gemstones Resources.
2. Boutique Mining.
3. Gems / Jewellery Exchange Centers.
4. Gems Identification/ Certification Centers.
5. Assaying and Hallmarking Centers.
6. Common Facility Training and Manufacturing Centers (CFTMCs).
7. Marketing / Branding through:
a) Participation in International Shows.
b) Local Trade Shows.
c) Market Studies and Surveys.
d) Advertising and Promotion.