Gemstone Education

JULY BIRTHSTONE

Celebrated in the Bible and in ancient Sanskrit writings as the most precious of all gemstones, rubies have been the prized possession of emperors and kings throughout the ages. Ruby is one of the most historically significant colored stones. Ruby's inner fire has been the inspiration for innumerable legends and myths, and to this day, no red gemstone can compare to its fiery, rich hues. It was believed wearing a fine red ruby bestowed good fortune on its owner.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHSTONE

Sapphire has been beloved for centuries as the ultimate blue gemstone. The ancient Persian rulers believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire and its reflection colored the heavens blue. Indeed, the very name in Latin, "Sapphiru," means blue. Sapphire is a member of the Corundum family and comes in every color, but when it is red it is referred to as ruby. One of the most valuable colors of sapphire is Cornflower blue, also known as Kashmir sapphire. It is the birthstone for September.

MAY BIRTHSTONE

Emerald is the most famous member of the Beryl family. It is the birthstone for May since the color reflects new spring growth. It is also the gemstone that is given for the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries. Emerald is a 7.5-8 in hardness on the Moh’s scale, making it a suitable stone for all jewelry types.

MARCH BIRTHSTONE

The very name aquamarine brings to mind the limpid, clear blue tint of the sea. Aquamarine is the blue variety of the Beryl family. It is a 7.5-8 in hardness on the Moh’s scale, making it an excellent stone for all types of jewelry. It is one of the birthstones for the month of March. Aquamarine was long thought to have a soothing influence on married couples, making it a good anniversary gift.

OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE

Revered as a symbol of hope, fidelity, and purity, opal was dubbed the Queen of Gems by the ancient Romans because it encompassed the colors of all other gems. Opal is prized for its unique play of color, the ability to diffract light into flashes of rainbow color.

JANUARY BIRTHSTONE

Garnet traces its roots to the Nile Delta in 3100 B.C., where Egyptian artisans would craft the gemstone into beads or inlay them into hand-wrought jewelry. Garnet received its name from the ancient Greeks because the color reminded them of the "granatum," or pomegranate seed.

FEBRUARY BIRTHSTONE

Quartz is found in abundance from every corner of the earth. In its purest form, quartz is colorless, but is most prized for its purple variety- amethyst. Purple has long been considered a royal color, so it is not surprising that amethyst has been so much in demand throughout history. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Great thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci believed that amethyst could dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence.

JUNE BIRTHSTONE

Pearls are unique in the world of colored gemstones since they are the only gemstone formed within a living creature. Because natural pearls are so rare and difficult to recover from the ocean's depths, man invented the technique of culturing salt and freshwater pearls from mollusks carefully seeded with irritants similar to those produced by nature. The painstaking effort of culturing is one of the most dramatic examples of man's quest to coax beauty from nature.

AUGUST BIRTHSTONE

Peridot is treasured in Hawaii as the goddess Pele's tears. The island of Oahu even has beaches made out of tiny grains of peridot. Although Hawaii’s volcanoes have produced some peridot large enough to be cut into gemstones, virtually all peridot sold in Hawaii today is from Arizona, another state with extreme geology.

DECEMBER BIRTHSTONE

Tanzanite is an exotic, vivid blue, kissed by purple hues. Tanzanite was discovered in 1967 in Merelani, Tanzania. It was named by Henry Platt, the president of Tiffany & Co. It was named after the place of discovery and is the blue-violet variety of Zoisite. It is considered the most important gemstone discovery in 2,000 years.

NOVEMBER BIRTHSTONE

The name Topaz comes from Sanskrit and means fire. During the Middle Ages, it was believed that Topaz had the power to heal both mental and physical disorders and even prevent death. Ancient Greeks believed that it had the power to increase strength and make the wearer invisible, the Romans believed that it improved eyesight, and the ancient Egyptians wore it as an amulet to prevent injury.

NOVEMBER BIRTHSTONE

Named from the French word for lemon, "citron" since citrine has a juicy lemon color. In ancient times, citrine was carried as a protection against snake venom and evil thoughts. Sunny and affordable, citrine can brighten almost any jewelry style, blending especially well with the yellow gleam of polished gold.

JUNE BIRTHSTONE

Alexandrite is the rarest of all gemstones. It is a “phenomenal” member of the Chrysoberyl family. If you love magic, especially the magic of science, you'll love alexandrite, the color-change gem. Outside in daylight, it is a cool bluish mossy green. Inside in lamplight, it is a red gem, with a warm raspberry tone. You can watch it flick back and forth by switching from fluorescent to incandescent light.

OCTOBER BIRTHSTONE

Tourmaline has one of the widest color ranges of all gemstones. It has a hardness of 7-7.5 on the Moh’s scale, making it suitable for all jewelry types. Since it is available in a wide variety of colors, it is ideally suited to almost anyone's taste.

DECEMBER BIRTHSTONE

Often given as a gift, turquoise is believed by many to bestow wealth and happiness upon its receiver. Turquoise is reasonably priced and quite lovely. The finest stone is an even blue, blue-green, or green color. Turquoise is the anniversary gemstone for the 5th year of marriage.