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Purple passion. From refreshing lilac to ripe plum, the drama
and excitement of purple are fully reflected in Amethyst.
An amethyst's value lies in its purity, increasing with its
density of color as long as the stone remains transparent.
Perhaps because of its depth and richness. Amethyst has always
been associated with intense emotion.
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of
February and the gemstone for the 4th, 6th and 9th wedding
anniversary.
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The name means “ocean water,” and tales of Aquamarine
date back to ancient seafaring days. Sailors of old believed
that these glittering, watery gems came from the treasure chests
of mermaids. Perhaps it’s no wonder that Aquamarine is
said to bring luck to all who sail the seas. Aquamarine ranges
in color from intense, deep blue to lighter shades of sky and
water, but the deeper and clearer the blue color, the more valuable
the stone, darker, more saturated tones almost always cost more.
Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March and the
gemstone for the 16th, 18th and 19th wedding anniversary. |
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The mellow
gold of Citrine draws us in and brightens our moods. Sunny and
full of light, this sparkling gem was once thought to protect
the wearer against various evils – from snake venom to
wicked thoughts. Today, its radiant color is associated with
cheerfulness, youth and vitality.
Its color and clarity mark its value, and it is abundant even
in large sizes. The finest citrines are sourced from Brazil
and Madagascar; other producers include Uruguay, the Ural Mountains
of Russia, Spain, Hungary and the United States.
Clean your citrine with warm water and a soft bristle brush.
Do not expose it to salt water, harsh chemicals, or sudden temperature
changes.
Citrine is the birthstone for the month of November and the
gemstone representing the 11th and 13th wedding anniversary. |
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Romance is the image a diamond portrays when
reflected in lovers’ eyes. The power of a diamond is
diminished once it is bought, but preserved and enhanced when
given as a gift. They are symbols of love, purity, and faith
to some, and to others they symbolize ideas such as power,
success, and security.
Diamond is the birthstone for the month of
April and the gemstone representing the 75th wedding anniversary.
For more detailed
information regarding diamonds, carat weight, clarity,
cut, and color, please see the Diamond Education page.
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When judging
an emerald's value color is of paramount importance, the more
vivid the green, the more valuable the stone. There are also
attractive lighter green emeralds that are lively and vivid
when set in jewelry and darker green gems that make up in rich
green color what they lose in brightness. Generally speaking,
however, very light or dark emeralds are less expensive.
It is virtually impossible to find a flawless emerald. Unlike
a diamond, a finely colored emerald is not significantly devalued
by inclusions.
The fewer fissures, the more expensive the emerald. Cut natural
emeralds of top quality weighing more than two carats are extremely
rare and costly. A large deep green emerald with minor blue
or yellow secondary coloration that is relatively free of inclusions
may cost tens of thousands dollars per carat. Perfect natural
gems--in color and appearance--are very rare and expensive.
As part of the normal fashioning process, most emeralds are
immersed in clear oil or resin to minimize the appearance of
small fissures. In addition to oil and wax fillers, the trade
also uses clear resins to penetrate open fissures surfacing
in the gemstone. Hardeners are often added to solidify these
liquids to prevent the resin from evaporating, thus making the
enhancement more permanent than just oiling or waxing the gem.
Because emeralds are brittle, and can split along their inclusions
if exposed to sharp impact, properly designed jewelry should
minimize the gem's exposure, especially in rings and bracelets.
Never use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean your emerald, as it
will remove the oil and thus diminish the color of your stone.
Avoid cleaning solutions, perfume and hair spray while wearing
it. You may clean it with a soft, damp cloth, warm water and
a soft bristle brush. Avoid impacts with your emerald. It is
relatively durable, but brittle and susceptible to scratching.
Store your emerald separately in cotton, never plastic.
Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May and the gemstone
representing the 20th, 35th, and the 55th wedding anniversary. |
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Garnet’s
value lies in its purity of color and lack of inclusions. Color
is most important, lively, bright colors usually command higher
prices than gems that are too light or dark.
There are several different types of garnets, ranging in different
colors: Color change garnet, meaning it changes colors, due
to the phenomena in color change garnets, they are scarce in
availability. Mozambique garnet has a glowing deep red with
hints or orange and brown. Rhodolite garnet with its shimmering
brilliance and raspberry freshness and vibrant pink boasts undertones
of rose and plum. Spessartite garnet has a beloved orange-pink,
orange-red, or brownish yellow color. Tsavorite garnet tones
range from a light spring green to a deep, breathtaking shade
of forest green, making it one of the few to rival Emerald in
color and beauty.
All garnets (not just red) are birthstones for the month of
January and certain gemstones in the garnet family represent
the 2nd, 15th, 19th and 25th wedding anniversary. |
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The color of the rainbow, or the glow of the
Northern Lights, the lights of the evening sky are captured
in the mysterious, shifting hues of an Opal.
In determining value, the brilliance and pattern
of the play of color on an opal are very important. Generally
speaking, an opal with abundance of red fire is the most highly
prized. Those strong in blue and green are equally beautiful
but not as rare, so they're priced less.
Opal is the birthstone for the month of October
and the gemstone representing the 12th, 14th and 18th wedding
anniversary.
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Unlike
all other precious gems, pearls are harvested from oysters rather
than mined from the earth. There are two types of pearl: those
that occur naturally (natural) and those cultivated by man (cultured).
Natural pearls start with an irritant — a grain of sand
or a microscopic worm - that works its way into an oyster's
shell. Cultured pearls are grown by carefully prying a live
oyster open and seeding it with a nucleus. A surgical incision
is made in the mantle of the oyster and a small bead is placed
inside. Once the oyster closes its shell, the shellfish is returned
to its lake or ocean bed where it will grow for several years
as the pearl inside matures.
The color of cultured pearls can range from rosy pink to Tahitian
black. No one color is superior to any other, but demand and
rarity of certain colors influences their cost. Rosy-pink pearls
have long been in high demand, and as a result they often cost
more than cream or golden colored pearls. South Seas black pearls
are often highly prized and may retail for quite a bit more
than the traditional pink Akoya pearl.
Natural and cultured pearls are commonly bleached to achieve
uniform color. Some pearls are also dyed and/or irradiated to
produce rich black, gray, blue, rose and golden hues. Chemicals
and heat treatment are sometimes applied to create gray or black.
These processes are all considered very stable.
Pearl is a birthstone for the month of June and the gemstone
representing the 3rd and 30th wedding anniversary. |
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The
green-apple crispness of Peridot is a perfect complement to
today’s lively fashion scene. As the popularity of lime
green color grows, so does the appeal of this citrus-hued gem.
Much of the peridot available on the market is mined by Native
Americans on Arizona’s San Carlos Reservation. Peridot
is a clean stone, the darker the green the better the stone.
Peridot is occasionally treated with colorless oil, wax, natural
and synthetic unhardened resins into voids to improve appearance.
Surface fractures are sometimes filled with a colorless hardened
substance. These treatments should be stable if done properly.
Peridot is an excellent decorative gem. Their relative affordability
makes them popular among those who cannot afford emeralds or
sapphires.
Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August and the gemstone
representing the 1st and 16th wedding anniversary. |
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Fiery
and romantic, showing brilliant depth and intensity, the red
hue of a ruby is certain to draw attention. Color is of paramount
importance when judging the value of a ruby. Ruby's value is
based upon the balance between richness of color and degree
of purity or lack of flaws. Large, quality rubies are extremely
rare.
Prized colors--which can command high prices--are pure reds
with no overtones of brown or blue. Very light or dark shades
are usually less valuable. Of course, clarity, cut and carat
weight factor into the cost of a gem. Better quality rubies
are usually eye-clean with some inclusions under magnification.
Perfect natural gems--in color and appearance--are very rare
and expensive. Controlled heating is commonly used in the trade
to produce, intensify or lighten color and/or improve clarity.
This allows the trade to bring more, better quality gems to
the market. Heat enhancement is permanent and stable. You can
clean, treated or untreated, rubies the same-- with soapy water
or a gentle commercial solvent and a brush. Mechanical cleaners
are also safe, except with heavily included gems.
Ruby is the birthstone for the month of July and the gemstone
representing the 15th and 40th wedding anniversary. |
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Flattering
to all skin tones, blue is truly a color for all season. Ranging
from the deepest midnight to brilliant cornflower blue, sapphires
have long been prized for their intense, velvety color. A sapphire's
value, determined by the richness and purity of its color, the
purer the blue of a natural sapphire, the greater the price
the gemstone. Gems that are too dark or too pale are usually
less valuable.
Sapphire is the hardest substance below diamond, measuring 9
on Moh's scale. It is suitable for any type of jewelry including
rings, and should be cleaned after wear with a damp cloth, warm
water and a soft bristle brush. Store it in a cloth pouch, never
plastic. Do not expose your sapphire to sudden temperature changes,
salt water or harsh chemicals.
In recent years technology has perfected the process of heat-treating
sapphires--exposing them to very high temperatures to eliminate
impurities. In fact most sapphires on the market today have
been heat-treated to improve clarity and color. This process
is stable and does not affect the value of the gem, except at
the highest level of the market.
Occasionally, colorless to pale blue sapphire is diffusion treated.
This process alters the color of a gem by exposing the surface
to certain chemicals (the same used by nature). The treatment
is fairly stable, but it is confined to the surface of the gem
only. This could create a problem, if the sapphire is ever badly
chipped or nicked and needs to be re-cut or re-polished. Diffusion
treatment is not the same as heat treatment.
Sapphires can come in a several different colors, blue being
the most popular. There are also white, yellow, pink, black,
and natural fancy, which come a wide range of colors.
Blue Sapphire is the birthstone for the month of September and
the gemstone representing the 5th, 7th, 10th and 45th wedding
anniversary. |
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The
first thing you notice is the color: Deep, vivid blue, with
a purplish thing that dances about the stone as it moves in
the light. Tanzanite is prized for its rare, rich color, and
popular due to its novelty as the newest gemstone on the market.
Tanzanite's finest color is usually strong blue as seen in daylight.
Very light or dark shades are usually less valuable. Tanzanite’s
dual color – brilliant blue with hints of purple –
makes it both warm and cool, and loved by both men and women.
Of course, clarity, cut and carat weight affect the cost of
a gem. A fine tanzanite is usually eye clean with very high
clarity.
Tanzanite rarely occurs as a blue stone in nature, but more
often as golden brown. A majority of tanzanite on the market
is heated to enhance its color to a vivid violet blue. The result
of this enhancement method is permanent and stable. In recent
years, tanzanite stimulants have entered the market (such as
violet-blue synthetic sapphire), but no synthetic tanzanite
(mimicking its natural counterpart in chemical composition)
has been introduced thus far.
Tanzanite is the gemstone representing the 8th, 45th, and 55th
wedding anniversary. |
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When
most people think of Topaz, you think of Blue Topaz, from the
pure pastel blue of an Alpine glacier, to the glow of the mid-summer
sky, or even the aquatic hue of the deepest ocean. However,
you can also get Precious Topaz with colors ranging from the
pale amber gold to the warm glowing browns to even a fine sherry
look. Precious Topaz contains warm golden hues, touched with
peach overtones. Turn up the heat, and you get the excitement
of a Diffused Topaz, resulting in a wider range of hue but also
more stable and permanent color, ranging in colors varying from
Evergreen, Glacier Blue, Teal, and even Champagne.
Topaz is the gemstone representing the 4th, 19th and 50th wedding
anniversary. |
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The Green Tourmaline,
ranging from pure leek-green to more complex shades touched
with yellow, blue or brown. Also, the Pink Tourmaline has
many hues, ranging from bubblegum pink to rich crimson, complement
all skin tones and offer fashion appeal.
Tourmaline is a varied and versatile gem. It comes in many
colors, and as with all colored gems the most expensive will
be the ones with the brightest colors. The most expensive
are the green chrome varieties. Because they often show an
excellent green color, they are a good substitute for more
expensive emeralds or tsavorites.
Most tourmalines are heat treated to improve color. This process
is permanent and stable. Tourmalines are also commonly irradiated
to improve color. Unlike with some other gems, irradiation
is a stable and permanent process with tourmalines.
Tourmaline is a birthstone for the month of October and the
gemstone representing the 5th and 8th wedding anniversary.
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