Garnet is a very diverse stone, having a large range of colors. Garnet is a group of several minerals, five of which – pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular and andradite – are important as gems. The name “garnet” originates from the medieval Latin granatus, meaning “pomegranate,” in reference to the similarity of the red color. Garnets …
Tanzanite was one of the most exciting gemstone discoveries in the 19th century. Due to its amazing velvety looking shade of rich blue or violet, Tiffany & Co. believed it would be an international sensation – and they were right! Tanzanite is pleochroic, so as you move the stone you’ll see different colors. Tanzanite is …
One of the most recognizable stones in the United States, especially in the Southwest region, turquoise has been used by indigenous cultures for centuries. It’s also shown up in Ancient Egyptian tombs, including in King Tut’s headpiece, and carved turquoise from Ancient China has been found recently. Turquoise has a wide range of purported benefits, …
December has a total of four birthstones: blue topaz, turquoise, zircon, and tanzanite. Writing about all four stones in one post would create a novel! So, we’ve decided to make one post a week, so we can cover each of these interesting stones in more detail. So, for this week, we’ll focus on blue topaz. …
Citrine is an intriguing stone, known throughout history. It has been used in jewelry for thousands of years, such as in ancient Rome. Its color is reminiscent of the changing leaves on the trees, which makes it perfect for fall! Citrine is known for its yellow to brown color. It gets this color from the …
Although tourmaline doesn’t have the famous play-of-color that opals do, it does have a staggering amount of colors, and can display a cat’s-eye effect. Let’s look deeper into this intriguing stone’s history! Tourmaline’s name comes from the Sinhalese word toramalli, which means “stone with mixed colors,” because it often has multiple colors in one crystal. There …
October is a special month, because it has two distinct birthstones: opal, and tourmaline. In this post, we’ll talk about opals, and share their distinctive features. Many cultures believed that opal had supernatural origins and powers. In Arabic culture, it was believed to fall from heaven in flashes of lightning. The Greek people thought it …
Did you know sapphires come in more colors than just blue? They also come in purple, violet, green, golden, pink, and many other shades! Padparadscha is a color of sapphire that’s a very specific pink-orange with vivid saturation of color. It’s a gorgeous stone, and its price tends to reflect that. Sapphire is associated with …
Peridot is widely recognized as August’s birthstone. Known for their vibrant warm green color, it’s a very noticeable stone. Not mentioned as frequently is sardonyx, a type of chalcedony. It’s one of the oldest, most abundant gems in the world. Peridot: Has historically been associated with light. It was believed to protect from nightmares and …
Ruby is the most well-known and popular gem in the world! Its name comes from Latin “ruber”, the word for red. And with good reason, seeing as this is the most popular red stone. In the Sanskrit language, it was called “ratnaraj”, King of Gems. Burmese warriors wore rubies to make themselves invincible in battle, …
