8 Ways To Showcase Your Gemstone Art

Gemstones are costly, attractive, rare, and long-lasting minerals. If you love collecting them, you must know how to display them. A well-thought-out gem showcase is a fantastic decorative element in your house that doubles as a safeguard for preserving the value of your collection. 

After all, for all their hard, untouchable beauty, gems are actually finicky things when not handled well. Slight differences in density can make them graze each other, ruining their cut, shape, and reflectivity. Also, exposure to high humidity can make their sets corrode. Meanwhile, direct sunlight can make the stones lose their original luster. 

So, the ideal choice of showcasing offers both optimal protection and aesthetic value. Fortunately, that’s not as hard as it sounds. Over the years, people have found many effective ways to showcase gemstone art that improve its longevity and overall value.

For both connoisseurs and new enthusiasts, here are some methods you should consider to make the most out of your collections.

Custom-Built Shelves

If you’re more than willing to shell out some funding for a serious, long-lasting display, you can always get a custom-built shelf for your crystal or gemstone art. The great thing about such shelves is that they leave most of the design up to you. You provide a plan to a professional craftsman and iron out the details of the materials, processes, and timetables needed. Then, you let them get to work, providing feedback at any point in the crafting process. Some of the details you must focus on include the integrity of your chosen design. It doesn’t matter how good your Qin, French colonial, or Bauhaus shelf looks if it can’t support itself or even protect your collection from exposure. So, be flexible in how your design is executed.

Frames

Framing is another way of displaying your gemstone art. You can do it either by using a shadow box or a wall hanging.  Shadow boxes act like transparent cabinets. They provide a space to place your gemstone art at a wider vantage point. This makes it more visible while keeping it safe within a tempered casing. Combined with smart ambient lighting and placement, they allow your collection to shine in a way that can only be compared to professional museum exhibits. 

Wall hangings are simpler in contrast. You set your gemstones inside a frame and then put them on display. If you go this route, see that the frames are secure and protected from movement and tampering.

Jars And Bowls

Some collectors display their gemstones in jars or bowls. How you pull that off is a matter of taste. You can try putting your gems in a crystalline jar or bowl so they can still be seen from afar. Then, place the jar on a shelf or table as a centerpiece for a room.

Acrylic Glass Showcases

If you’re going for an austere, modern look, acrylic glass is a safe choice. You can place your collection in a box to show it off while keeping it safe from direct contact and exposure. Note that professionally made acrylic glass containers are pricey.

Mini Gardens

For nature-minded folks, why not integrate your gemstone art piece into a mini garden? This type of display allows collectors to set their stones in naturalistic settings, placing them in small containers or swathes of space along with rocks, sand, wood, metals, or even living plants. This provides an organic, free-flowing touch to your gemstone display. Take note that this will involve putting your stones in contact with other materials. So, you must be careful with how you place them. 

Divider Trays

These are a simple yet excellent way to showcase your gems. Similar in appearance to typesetter trays, they let you categorize gemstones according to size, cut, shape, and design. Divider trays can come in different sizes, so you can easily find one that fits the extensiveness of your own collection. Put it on a shelf or cabinet for everyone to see.

Curio Cabinets

Speaking of cabinets, nothing beats the quiet, stately elegance of curio cabinets. These are a staple in households with history. Basically, these are cabinets used to hold curios: objects that spark curiosity or have a story behind them. These include anything from souvenirs to family memorabilia. Fine China sets are also typically featured in them. They also make great spaces for holding your gemstone collections. These easily fit in cabinets with classic designs. But you can also retrofit an existing cabinet for a more modern look.

Slab Displays

Gemstones on gemstones? That isn’t as unusual or impractical as it sounds. You can put your collection on top of a gemstone slab as part of an ornate display. These can go anywhere from little agate pieces to ornate tabletops. Just pick one that complements the look of your gems to create the uttermost visual impact.

Which One Do You Choose?

There’s no one way of properly showcasing your precious collection. It all comes down to how much you’re willing to invest and show off to loved ones and guests. Just note that both your stones and the way you store them deserve to be regarded as the prized investments they are