Blue Sapphire Stones

There is something about the color blue that makes it the most favored color in the world. Psychologists say that there is something calming about the color as it reminds us of the sky on a clear day or the crystal clear depths of the ocean. Without knowing anything about blue sapphire stones from a gemologist’s point of view, they are among the most popular stones simply because of their color. However, in terms of a gemstone, sapphires are second only to diamonds in their hardness, coming in at 9 on the Mohs scale which makes them durable and easy to care for, and of course quite valuable.

What Exactly Is a Blue Sapphire?

The ‘funny’ thing about a blue sapphire is that you could say it is the same stone as a ruby only it is blue and not red! Both are gemstones of the corundum family of minerals but a blue sapphire gets its color from both titanium and iron impurities being present in the crystal while rubies derive their vivid red color from chromium. A sapphire then is any member of the corundum family that is colored anything but ruby red, and blue sapphire stones are not only the most beautiful, they are the most valuable. Going a step further, cornflower blue from gems mined in Kashmir is actually the most valuable of all the blues. Sapphires are only found in a few locations around the world, the most notable being Kashmir (India), Burma, Australia, Thailand, …

GiftDecember 18, 2019December 18, 2019

Amethyst Jewelry

Amethyst is a gemstone that is used in various types of jewelry. The actual word Amethyst is derived from the Greek word amethystos, which has a literal translation of “remedy against drunkenness”. Amethysts, and all gemstone for that matter, are graded in the exact same way as diamonds. They are graded by their color, clarity, cut and carat weight. Amethysts are known as a variety of crystallized quartz, and are a member of the Quartz family, or to give them their scientific name, silicon dioxide. You will typically find that the crystal structure of an Amethyst is hexagonal.

Amethyst jewelry comes in a wide variety of natural shades and colors. These include purple, bluish-purple and reddish-purple. However, with that said, amethysts in their purest form are actually colorless. An amethyst will produce color due to the absorption of certain wavelengths of light. The color will consist of three separate components which are the hue, which is the initial impression of color. The tone, which is the term given for the lightness or darkness of color and the saturation, which measures the intensity of an Amethyst’s color.

The amethyst is also known as a birthstone for the month of February. It covers the zodiac sign for Aquarius which is known as the water bearer. Amethyst is also a wedding anniversary gemstone that is typically presented for the fourth and sixth year of married life. The amethyst as a birthstone also has certain properties that are associated with the zodiac …

GiftDecember 11, 2019December 11, 2019

Garnet Pendant

Due to garnet’s deep red color, similar to that of a red ruby, it is very commonly found in a selection of two and three-dimensional pendants. But garnet is not only found in a deep red color. Other, more rare colors exist, and are frequently found on high-end jewelry. These include andradite, spessartine, and the basic pyrope (red) garnet.

Andradite

Andradite can come in several different colors from green, yellow, orange, and black, and is mostly mined in Russia, however it has also been found along the Arizona and Mexico border. Perfect andradite gemstones are rare, and have significant jewelry value as accent pieces to other gemstones in the garnet family, or as standalone gems.

Spessartine

Spessartine is a very deep orange member of the garnet family. This particular garnet is mined all over the world, namely in Brazil, Africa, and in some parts of California. Mined spessartine is usually of very good jewelry quality, however the rarity of spessartine commands prices of upwards of $250 per carat for smaller size gemstones.

Pyrope

Pyrope is the classic “ruby red” garnet that most everyone knows. These are the most reasonably priced of all the garnets, however the price varies greatly with the deepness of the coloring. Deeper reds are considered more desirable and more valuable. This is the standard garnet for many birthstone pendants.

Two Dimensional Garnet Pendants

The natural red color of garnet contrasts nicely against a sterling silver or white gold setting, making it a preferred gemstone for bright …