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| Gem Guide |
Alexandrite
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The very first crystals of Alexandrite were discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. This discovery was made the day the future tsar came of age, hence it was named for the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881). This gem actually changes color from green in daylight to red in incandescent light.
In 1987, a new Alexandrite was discovered in Brazil. The Hematita Alexandrite changes from raspberry red to bluish green.
Though it is a beautiful and top quality gem, Alexandrite is very rare and hardly ever used in modern jewelry.
It’s been said that this jewel can assist one in centering the self, reinforcing self-esteem, and enhancing ones ability to experience joy. Alexandrite is the birthstone for the month of June and is also the symbolic gemstone for the 55th wedding anniversary. |
Amethyst
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Amethyst is derived from the Greek word "amethystos", which can be translated as "not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets were often carved from it. Today this gemstone still symbolizes sobriety.
The legend of its origin comes from Greek myths. Dionysius, the god of intoxication, was angered by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws of the Dionysius’ tigers. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The tears of this powerful god stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today.
Since the color purple is traditionally the color of royalty, amethyst has been used since the dawn of history to adorn the rich and powerful monarchs and rulers. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty.
In medieval times, amethyst was still credited with protecting one from the effects of drunkenness, both of the cup and also from the intoxicating effects of being in love. Wearing amethyst was also known to protect soldiers from harm and give them victory over their enemies, and assist hunters with the capture of wild animals.
The astrological signs of amethyst are Pisces, Virgo, Aquarius and Capricorn. Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February and the symbolic gemstone for the 17th wedding anniversary. |
Aquamarine
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Derived from the Latin for 'sea water', aquamarine is the legendary treasure of mermaids and was believed to be a particularly strong charm when immersed in water.
During the Middle Ages, aquamarine worn as a talisman, aquamarine was believed to cure laziness, quicken the intellect and provide courage. It was thought to contain the power of the sea and so was dedicated to a number of sea goddesses, including the Greek love goddess, Aphrodite, whose name means “born of the foam”. Sailors used it as an amulet to keep them safe from storms and bring them securely home.
The biggest aquamarine ever mined was found at the city of Marambaia, Minas Gerais. It weighed over 110 kg, and its dimensions were 48.5 cm long and 42 cm in diameter.
Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March. It is also the symbolic gemstone for the 19th wedding anniversary. |
Citrine
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One of the two traditional birthstones for November, citrine is also known as citrine quartz and citrine topaz, as it ranges from yellow to brown. In some ancient cultures, it was believed that citrine was used to protect people from evil thoughts and snake venom. Citrine is a form of quartz with ferric iron impurities, and is rarely found naturally because it needs to be artificially heated to achieve the gem used in jewelry. While all citrine is individually gorgeous, most favor the darker "sherry"-colored variety.
Citrine is found predominantly in Brazilian mines, with much of its production coming from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. |
Diamonds
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The Romans believed that diamonds brought courage and bravery during battle. Jewish high priests used diamonds to decide the innocence or guilt of the accused; it was believed that a stone held before a guilty person dulled and darkened while a stone held before an innocent person glowed with increased brilliance. The Hindus believed that this brilliant gem was created when bolts of lightning struck rocks. Diamond is referred to as the “King Gem”.
It is said that to make an effective talisman, diamonds would have to be given as a token of love or friendship. If bought or sold, they would lose their powers.
Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity and honesty. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it supports these qualities. A symbol of innocence, justice, faith and strength, the diamond was believed to make its wearers courageous and victorious over their enemies. When set in gold and worn on the left side, it held the power to drive away nightmares and calm terrible beasts. Diamonds were even thought to be so powerful that they could stop lechery.
Diamond quality is evaluated by four characteristics, called the "4 C's": carat weight, clarity, color and cut. Though many people like to debate the value of each characteristic, most knowledgeable jewelers agree that a balance of all four characteristics make a quality diamond. A proper cut enhances the brilliance of the stone. Diamonds with exceptional clarity reflect their purity. Larger diamonds are more rare, and therefore, the larger the carat size, the rarer the diamond. Similarly, purer colored diamonds are less common and therefore more highly prized.
While India was the world's main source of diamonds for over 2,000 years, most diamonds now come from Africa, Russia and Australia. Of all diamonds mined, only a quarter of them are gem quality. |
Emeralds
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The most valuable gemstone in the world (based on weight) is emerald, easily recognized by its lustrous green shine caused by trace amounts of chromium and, less often, iron. The major sources for emerald are Colombia and Africa.
Historically first used by the Egyptians, the first high-profile admirer of the stone was Queen Cleopatra, who had her own mines during her reign. At least one of her mines has been discovered by archeologists, but they were beat to it by looters.
The most valuable emeralds were discovered in Colombia. The Aztecs and the Incas used emeralds in their worship rituals, and in the 1500's, when Spanish Conquistadors arrived, the gems were quickly taken away, only to be lost at sea in shipwrecks.
Emerald has been believed to have medicinal purposes, and said to have properties able to soothe strained and tired eyes, break fevers, prevent epileptic attacks, and even cure digestive problems if used in a "gem elixir." Additionally, it’s had a role in improving concentration.
Unlike most gems, emeralds have found their way into mythos and fantasy, best noted in L. Frank Baum's book (and its consequent film) The Wizard of Oz. In the story, Dorothy visits the Emerald City and needs to wear protective, green-tinted glasses to shield her eyes from the shine of the resplendent greenery. |
Garnets
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While especially known for their rich, purple-red color, garnets actually come in the following hues: red, purple, green, yellow, orange, brown, black, and even colorless. In the 1990's, blue garnets were manufactured in Madagascar, although these stones are incredibly rare. Brilliant, colorful and durable, garnets have been found on every continent, but most are mined in Southeast Asia, Brazil and Africa.
Traced back to the Bronze Age, garnet would find prominence in Egyptian decoration, Greek jewelry, and in the Bible. Garnet has become the birthstone for the month of January.
Since the Middle Ages, garnet has been associated with powerful properties of healing, strength, and protection. It was used to alleviate skin inflammations, heart and blood flow irregularities, and ward off depression. To give someone a garnet before they travel signifies an insurance that they will be safe in their travels and return in good health. |
Jade
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There are two types of Jade: Jadeite and Nephrite.
Jadeite is rarer and its highest quality form is known as imperial Jade. It comes in many colors: red, yellow, green, lilac, black, orange, white, pink, blue and brown, and has a hardness of 7. Jadeite is found in Myanmar, Japan, and the United States (Alaska and California). Nephrite Jade is from Myanmar, Russia, China and the US (Wyoming).
Nephrite jade is more common and often used in Chinese carvings. This type of jade comes in various tones of green -- mostly with an olive green tone.
Jade is considered a very balanced stone. It both aides in relaxation and envisioning tasks through to satisfactory completion. Some say that jade is the concentrated essence of love. In China, jade is regarded as a special stone. When handled, some of the secret virtue of jade is said to be absorbed into the body. Legends have it that the Spanish conquerors of Central America wore amulets of jadeite to prevent/cure hip and kidney complaints. |
Onyx
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This stone has always attracted those with a different sense of style. Usually not worn by itself, onyx is frequently used as backdrop of some sort and paired with other gems. The Romans were responsible for onyx’s current association with black or dark brown colors. However, the word “onyx” is derived from the Greek word "Onux", meaning fingernail. Therefore, onyx had previously meant any color ranging from black to brown to fingernail white.
Sardonyx, another form of onyx, is reddish brown and white. This stone was highly valued in Rome, especially for seals, as it was said to never stick to wax. Primarily used for carving or backdrops, it adds a bit of mystery and allure to any piece of jewelry. |
Opal
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One of the oldest stones in circulation, opal has always been regarded as a beautiful gift from the gods. Said to have been created by the rainbow itself, opals reflect the very elements, from the fiery reds of the sunset to the deep blues of the skies and oceans. Each opal shares only one thing in common with another: its ability to shine and dazzle in an array of various colors.
Derived from the Sanskrit word "Upala", meaning valuable stone, the opal's name changed throughout the ages. The Greeks called it "Opallios", meaning color change. Finally, the Romans named it "Opalus", meaning stone from several different elements.
What made opals so interesting was that up until the 1960's, no one understood why the stones reflected so many different colors. During the 1960's, Australian scientists used an electron microscope to discover that rather than being made up of complex crystal structure, the inside of the opal was compacted spheres of silica that reflected the light, creating the various colors of the rainbow through reflection and refraction.
Ninety-five percent of opals are found in Australia. The remaining five percent can be found sporadically in Brazil, Mexico, and even in such states as Idaho and Nevada.
Opal is a very personal stone due to its fragile nature. Being two to six percent water, the stone requires that it be worn frequently, to acquire the necessary humidity from the air as well as from the skin. Therefore, it is not a good idea to keep these stones in dry, hot places, or else cracks and fissures will appear within the stone and it will lose its brilliance. Likewise, due to its relatively modest rating on the Mohs scale (5-6), the wearer should encase the stone in a clear resin, or find another way to keep the stone safe from tarnish and scratches when not in use.
The value of an opal is determined by rareness, size, color and other basic attributes that define a good gem. However, unlike most gems, “play of color” is highly important when measuring the quality of an opal.
Black, gray, crystal and Mexican Fire are the four most expensive and luxurious categories of opal. With these colors as a base, the reflections in an opal are brilliant and vibrant; the deeper the core color (black, gray, etc.), the more luminous the reflecting colors. For their wearer, opals reflect emotion itself. Said to aid in calming its wearer, opal will help dissolve depression, as well as help find true and lasting love. One of October's birthstones, it is guaranteed to not only be a great anniversary gift, but truly a gift of emotion. |
Pearls
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The Pearl is a symbol of love. Everyone seems to adore the beauty inherent in a strand of pearls. Pearl necklaces are classic pieces of jewelry that are treasured. Pearl is said to self-clarity help improve self-worth. Giving a loved one a gift of natural pearls is one of the nicest gifts one can give. It allows the wearer to see the love of the person who gave them the pearls.
Pearls were once thought to be the tears of God. As an emblem of modesty, chastity and purity, the pearl symbolizes love, success, and happiness. Pearls often symbolize a happy marriage and in many countries are used as a wedding gift. Pearl is often referred to as the "Queen Gem."
Natural pearls are formed in shellfish as a reactant to an irritant such as a piece of sand. Cultured pearls are created by adding a piece of mussel or shell inside of an oyster or another mussel. This then creates a pearl as layers of the inside of the shell grow over the added substance. Pearls are generally white, brown, silver, cream, black or pink depending on the type of shellfish and water origin. |
Peridot
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A beautiful olive green stone, peridot is worn in necklaces, earrings, pendants and bracelets. Peridot is found in Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Myanmar, Norway, and in the USA, specifically Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, and New Mexico.
Peridot is created during volcanic action and occasionally, peridot crystals are found on the black sands of Hawaii. The stone is used to help dreams become a reality and is given as a symbol of fame, dignity, and protection.
Legend has it that pirates favored peridot to protect them against evil. When the peridot was set in gold, it also protected the wearer from terrors in the night. Peridot has been mined from St. John's Island in the Red Sea for over 3500 years. |
Ruby
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Ruby-red, Ruby slippers, passion, love… these words and more are associated with one of the most popular gemstones: rubies. A member of the corundum family, a ruby’s hardness is second only to the diamond and shares a hardness scale of 9 with its brother, the sapphire. As a matter of fact, anything not red in the corundum family is known as a sapphire, unless it is a rare colorless form of corundum.
Known in Sanskrit as "ratnaraj" or “King of Gems”, the ruby is an impressive, brilliant stone that reflects the passions and desires of its wearer. Occurring in places like Myanmar, and neighboring countries of Vietnam on the Chinese border, the more precious rubies are known as Burmese rubies. They are named not because they have Burmese origin, but rather because the rubies have a similar color (a deep red with a slightly blue hue) to the famous occurrences in Burma, or modern day Myanmar. Also dubbed "dove-blood-red," the more accurate term for a description of such rare rubies is "Burma-colored."
Another area that produces rubies is Thailand. However, where other places produce vibrantly red stones, Thai rubies are dark red on the verge of brown, and are said to have a "Siamese color." Other places that mine rubies are East Africa, Laos, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Where other gemstones are examined and judged based on a variety of qualifications, the measure of a ruby is placed primarily on its color.
Normally other materials such as liquids, gases, or solids appearing in a gemstone would decrease the value of the stone. In rubies the opposite is true; unless these inclusions interfere with the clarity of the stones, rubies will possibly become even more valuable, seeing that these incursions act as a sort of proof of authenticity for the gems. A gift of passion, love, and desire, the ruby is not only perfect for those with July birthdays, but for anyone towards whom a carnal desire is felt. |
Sapphire
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Existing in all shades of blue, from the bright sky blue of a summer's afternoon to the deepest depths of the ocean, sapphire has always had a mesmerizing hold over those who gaze into it. Not many know, though, that sapphire also comes in other colors besides blue, such as red, pink, orange, and purple, almost as if it were a sunset in a stone.
Although sapphires bring up images of blue skies or deep oceans, there is a category of sapphire known as “fancy”. These gems are yellow, purple, pink, white, or green. It is with these stones that the wearer can truly express his or her individuality, as these ‘fancy sapphires' are truly the rarest of the rare. Located in India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil and Africa, the stone’s price and rarity are affected by where it originated. Burma and Ceylon sapphires are among the more costly group of sapphires. However, other factors account for the price of a stone as well. For example, the treatment, or lack of treatment (which is now preferred) to a stone will heavily affect the price. In today's market, the less a sapphire is chemically treated, the more expensive it is.
Symbolizing loyalty, faithfulness, sapphire is an ideal stone for engagement rings as it also is said to have powers to stabilize emotions and enhance communication and understanding while at the same time, express deep love and desire.
Their high hardness (9) is second only to diamonds, which makes them easy to care for. Sapphires require only the usual attention and care from their owner.
Sapphires are September's birthstone and make not only the perfect gift for anniversaries or birthdays, but due to their rarity and beauty, a gift that anyone can truly cherish. |
Tanzanite
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Home to only Tanzania, the jewelry mogul Tiffany's & Co. turned this precious purple-blue colored stone into a hot commodity to own.
Due to how it forms, tanzanite is usually mined in small portions in Africa, not because there is no need or desire for the precious stone, but rather because it is extremely difficult to find a crystal vein that produces a large enough size crystal. Hence, its rarity, popularity, and, of course, high cost.
Originally, tanzanite was named blue zoisite, but when it was initially marketed, Tiffany & Co. decided to rename it, fearing the original name sounded too similar to the word "suicide."
Because of its brilliant blue and purple hues, the wearer of this stone omits an air of confidence, beauty and individuality. Tanzanite is an ideal gift for someone whom you think is special and truly one in a million. |
Topaz
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Through the ages, topaz has always been associated with the various Gods of the Sun, due to its golden appearance. Usually topaz appears in shades of brown or gold, with the most brilliant gems having an amber gold color similar to cognac.
Topaz is said to give various abilities to its wearer including: improved vision and clarity, healing with the various phases of the moon, and also has been said to help cure insomnia, asthma, and hemorrhages. The most famous topaz is the piece set in the Portuguese Crown called the "Braganza" which, at first, was thought to be a diamond.
Brown, yellow, orange, sherry, and red topaz can be found in Brazil and Sri Lanka. Pink topaz can mainly be found in Pakistan and Russia. Blue topaz that is found primarily in Brazil, Sri Lanka and China is formed by exposure to radiation.
Topaz is the birthstone for November, as is Citrine. |
Tourmaline
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Also known as the "Rainbow Gemstone," tourmaline comes in an array of colors such as reds and greens, as well as everything from yellow to blue. Tourmaline is especially fascinating because of its ability to show more than one color at a time. In fact, it is rare if tourmaline is found in only one color.
Deriving from the Senegalese expression "tura mali" or "stone of mixed colors", the name exemplifies the unique quality of tourmaline. Said to have a strong influence on friendship and love, the stone makes an excellent gift for the stability and longevity of newly formed relationships.
To have a better understanding of tourmaline's range of colors, a better understanding of gemology is needed. Tourmalines are made up of complex crystals with varying composition; any change in this composition can result in a completely different color to appear. Likewise, due to the complex crystal structure of tourmalines, looking at them through various angles and different forms of light (artificial versus sunlight) will result in a different intensity of the color. In fact, the deepest color will always appear at the axis, or center of the stone, an important factor for gemstone cutter to keep in mind. It is because of these various complex crystal formations that different colors of tourmalines exist.
Deep red tourmaline is dubbed "rubelite” if it shows the same intensity of color in various lights. If it shows different color intensity in artificial light, it is then called pink tourmaline. Similar nicknames for tourmaline exist for the various color intensities it can show. Found everywhere in the world, the most important occurrences are in Sri Lanka, Brazil, South and Southwest Africa. |
Zircon
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Naturally formed, this stone is often confused with cubic zirconia, the man-made diamond imitation. Possibly hailing from the Persian word zargum meaning "gold-colored," zircon can come in a variety of colors, ranging from colorless to the more popular blue zircon.
Zircon was originally believed to possess abilities to aid its wearer in restful sleep, prosperity, honor and wisdom. Today the stone is a collector’s favorite due to its beauty, rarity and relatively low cost. Hailing mainly from the east, zircon is mined heavily in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Australia.
The stone is quite hard (7.5), but careful storage is recommended when it’s not being worn. |
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