Gems help

Hi everyone

I'm currently painting some heroes and it seems I cant find a good way to paint realistic gems...
Can you suggest me some ways? I don't care to do some hard work...

 

I'll use red as an example color to make explanation easier.

Basecoat w/ Macharite Red
Apply two - three light coats of blood red.
Apply a cresent shape of scab red to the bottom, careful to make it a small amount and nice and light
Paint another cresent over the top with a 50/50 mix of blood red and blazing orange, small and light
Apply a tiny dot of skull white in a desired location anywhere between the two crecents
*Give two light coatings of gloss 'ard coat.

*If you play on coating your entire model in a matte finish apply the 'ard coat after the matte has dried.

 

This is a video on how to paint a Tau Stealth Suit, but he does show how to paint the eye lens, which is essentially the same as painting gems:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga-6ogjOSoo

 

If this link doesn't work (the GW website is a bit dodgy) then go to the High Elf section and find the article on painting detail, the fourth page is gems. Basically what JohnMavrick said except illustrated.

I also suggest a gloss varnish on top, my simple way is pretty much like the above technique except I do it lazily, only use 2-3 shades and don't do the white dot then apply a good amount of ink (not wash, ink is glossy while wash is matte) to shine it up. I do it like that because some of my HE units have 10 or more gems per model so it got a bit rediculous trying to do them all too carefully.

 

Yeah my method is taken streight out of the GW painting guide book. Stewert's suggestion about the glossy finish is good, it makes the gem stand out brilliantly. Inks do work well too!

 

Thank you all very much! Its a great help

 

Instructions from Dr. Faust, a great resource for painting:

Method 1
Method 2