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Traditionally, gemstones (those used for jewelry) have been divided into precious and semi-precious categories. Gems were deemed "precious" largely based on a history of ecclesiastical, devotional or ceremonial use, as well as rarity. The four "cardinal" precious gems are diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald.
Semi-precious stones are pretty much everything else. There are more than 130 species of minerals that have been cut into gems, with 50 species in common use. Strictly speaking, such gems as pearls, coral, ivory, jet, amber and mother of pearl are not "stone" at all, but are considered semi-precious for purposes of jewelry making.
Gold-filled is defined as a layer of 10kt or better gold mechanically bonded under heat and pressure to another metal, then rolled or drawn to a given thickness. The quantity of the gold must be at least 1/20th of the item's total weight. The item must be marked as 10, 12 or 14kt gold-filled. Gold-filled is much thicker than gold plated, and gold-filled items are generally considered lifetime products.
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