“A piece of pure nature.” Isn’t that a great way to describe garnets? Unlike other stones that need oiling (emeralds), heat (blue topaz) or other treatments to achieve a market-desired color, the grand garnet group is au naturel! The January birthstone has a broad range of colors, all in the same mineral family. Across a […]

Four in one month for December – birthstones that is. Try a traditional blue topaz or one of these three newcomers to the birthstone calendar: Tantalizing Tanzanite Found only in Tanzania near Mount Kilimanjaro, this gem is the blue to violet to purple variety of the mineral zoisite. The rare stone is pleochroic, meaning that […]

Two stones celebrate November birthdays. The pretty pair share a similar coloring and can even be confused for each other when not viewed by the trained eye. While topaz and citrine capture the shades of autumn in rich gold and tawny brown, their mineral compositions are completely different. The two minerals also differ in hardness […]

What’s in your dresser drawer? A ring two sizes too small? A pair of earrings with a missing gemstone? The watch you got for graduation that didn’t keep time and then stopped all together? What about that necklace from grandma that isn’t quite your style? None of these things needs to go unused. We want […]

October’s two stone selections capture all the colors of the rainbow, internally and externally. How so? The shimmering tourmaline offers quite a spectrum of colors within the species of the stone. Green and pink are the primary colors, while rarer varieties include blue, yellow, brown and orange. Meanwhile, the mysterious opal captures the full spectrum […]

From kings and queens to brides and grooms, generations of sapphire admirers salute the sparkling stone of September! Through the centuries, fans of this tough and beautiful gem enjoy its range of color and durability that is second only to diamonds. An ancient symbol of nobility, truth, sincerity and faithfulness, sapphire is second only to […]

The “Gem of the Sun” is the perfect way to celebrate the otherwise unglamorously named Dog Days of Summer. Peridot’s shimmering shade of lime is perfect for those bright days spent on the water and summer evenings lingering in the starlight. Find the peace and good luck peridot is supposed to bring its wearers. The […]

Reasons to buy a ruby (as if you need one): 1. It’s your birthstone. 2. It’s the birthstone of your child or spouse. 3. Your wedding was held in July and you want an unusual way to commemorate an anniversary. 4. Perhaps red is just your color! Whatever helps you decide to wear a ruby, […]

  June is a great birth month for choosy shoppers! Those with a June birthday have their pick of four lovely and unusual gems: rhodolite garnet, alexandrite, pearl or moonstone. Ready for Rhodolite? A spectrum of chemical compositions creates the garnet family and represents almost every color of the rainbow, from the traditional reddish-brown (the […]

Desperate for a hint of green this spring? How about the mineral variety? May’s lovely birthstone won’t be brown in November, but instead gives the lush green of spring year round. What makes it green? Emerald glows with a combination of trace elements that include chromium, vanadium and iron. The presence, absence and relative amount […]