What is Gemstone
Gemstones are minerals, rocks, or organic matters that have been chosen for their beauty, durability, and rarity and then cut or faceted and polished to make jewelry or other human adornments. Even though most gemstones are hard, some are too soft or fragile to be used in jewelry, so they are often exhibited in museums and sought by collectors.
AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine, a captivating gemstone, displays a range of blues from pale to deep cobalt, its color due to iron content. These serene hues symbolize tranquility. Variations include yellow, rose pink, and white beryl. Primarily mined in Brazil, Nigeria, and Zambia, aquamarine is a member of the beryl mineral family.
Historically, it was believed to counteract poison and was a lucky charm for sailors. It's the traditional gemstone for the 19th wedding anniversary and a March birthstone.
ALEXANDRITE
Alexandrite, a rare variety of chrysoberyl, shifts color dramatically depending on the light source. In daylight, it appears yellow-green to greenish-blue, while under incandescent light, it's a vibrant red. This color-change phenomenon accounts for its rarity and value. Primarily mined in Sri Lanka and Russia, smaller quantities are found in Zimbabwe, India, Myanmar, and Brazil.
Discovered in Russia in 1830 and named for Czar Alexander II, alexandrite is a June birthstone and the traditional gemstone for a 55th wedding anniversary.
AMETHYST
Amethyst, a violet to purple variety of quartz, owes its color to trace iron. Heat treatment can alter its hue to yellow, green, reddish-brown, or white. Primarily mined in Africa and Brazil, it's also found in South Korea, Uruguay, Russia, India, and Zambia.
The February birthstone and traditional gemstone for the 6th anniversary, amethyst is associated with calmness and serenity. Ancient Greeks believed it prevented intoxication (its name derives from the Greek "a-methustos," meaning "not intoxicated"), while medieval soldiers wore it for protection.
CITRINE
Citrine, named after the French word for "lemon," is a yellow-orange quartz crystal. Pure yellow citrine is most valuable, though orange or brown hues are common. Primarily mined in Brazil, it's also found in Madagascar and the United States. Historically believed to protect against evil and poison, citrine is a November birthstone.
EMERALD
Emeralds, prized for their vibrant green color (from chromium in beryl), range from pale to deep bluish-green. Value is determined by color, cut, clarity, and size. Historically mined in Egypt, Austria, and Pakistan, Colombia (Muzo, Coscuez, Chivor) now yields the finest emeralds.
A May birthstone, and associated with 20th, 35th, and 55th anniversaries (Taurus and Cancer), emeralds symbolize love and prosperity. Historically significant (Cleopatra's jewel), emeralds rival diamonds in rarity and beauty.
GARNET
Garnets, famed for their rich red hues, actually encompass a diverse range of colors—from deep reds to purples, pinks, blacks, and even blues—with many exhibiting color-changing properties. This versatility makes them ideal for jewelry. Historically mined in Europe, Russia, and South Africa, garnets symbolize loyalty, honesty, and passion, and were once believed to offer protection. Today, they remain popular as second-anniversary gifts and January birthstones.
OPAL
Opals, revered in the Middle Ages, display a captivating play of color (clear, white, gray, red, yellow, green, magenta, pink, olive, brown, and black), making them striking jewelry stones. Fire opals (yellow, orange, red) and Peruvian opals (blue-green) are notable variations. Red and black opals are most valuable; "precious opal," composed of silica spheres, shows the most color interplay. Found in various rock formations worldwide (common opal), precious opal deposits are concentrated in the U.S., Mexico, Australia, Brazil, and Ethiopia (Australia being the main source). Named from the Latin "opalus" ("precious stone"), opals are believed to bring good luck and are October's birthstone.
PERIDOT
Peridot, a rare gemstone derived from olivine (magnesium and iron), ranges in color from light yellow-green to deep kelly-green, with iron content determining the shade. Intense green hues command higher prices; flaws or brown tints lower value. Its luminescence makes it a popular choice for jewelry. Mined primarily in Brazil, Kenya, Germany, Mexico, Australia, and Hawaii (early miners believed moonlight aided visibility), a significant 300-carat deposit was found in the Himalayas in 1994. Historically associated with the sun (ancient Egypt) and Pele's tears (Hawaii), peridot is August's birthstone and the traditional 16th-anniversary gem.
QUARTZ
Quartz, in its purest form, is colorless or white, but heat treatment produces a wide array of colors. Major varieties include rose quartz, smoky quartz, amethyst, citrine, tiger's eye, and agate. Highly versatile, quartz has uses beyond jewelry, including technology and crafting items like bowls and clocks (often using manufactured, not mined, quartz). The most abundant mineral in Earth's crust (discovered in 1880 by French physicists), quartz is found in various rock types. Its versatility and affordability make it popular in jewelry; some believe it promotes well-being.
RUBY
Rubies, precious and rare gemstones, are known for their fiery red, but range in color from deep burgundy to pale pink. Color intensity dictates price, with darker, brighter stones being most valuable; clarity, cut, and size are also important factors. Derived from corundum (aluminum oxide), rubies are primarily mined in Burma, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, and Kenya, also found in parts of the U.S. A July birthstone and Cancer's astrological gem, rubies symbolize 40th wedding anniversaries. Second only to diamonds in hardness, they are durable and elegant in jewelry.
SAPPHIRE
Sapphires, renowned for their diverse colors (excluding red and orange-pink), are most sought after in cornflower blue but also exist in yellow, green, pink, black, brown, and gray. Colorless sapphires substitute for diamonds. Their color comes from trace minerals like titanium, iron, and chromium. Prized for beauty and durability (Mohs hardness 9, nearly as hard as diamonds), high-quality sapphires originate in Sri Lanka, with other sources including Thailand, Myanmar, Madagascar, India, Brazil, Burma, and Australia. September's birthstone, sapphires symbolize happiness, serenity, and romance, making them popular gifts. They are frequently used in fine jewelry, often paired with diamonds.
TANZANITE
Tanzanite, derived from zoisite, exhibits striking pleochroism, displaying blue, violet, and burgundy hues depending on the light. Synthetic "tanzanique" (from forsterite) lacks this property. Discovered in Tanzania in 1967, it remains unique to that region, with much of the mined material imported to the U.S. Its rarity makes it highly precious, surpassed only by rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. It became a December birthstone in 2002.
TOPAZ
Topaz, versatile in jewelry, is colorless in its purest form but commonly yellow. Other colors include blue, green, gray, white, reddish-yellow, and pink; red and pink are most valuable due to rarity. Most topaz is heat-treated to enhance color (yellow turning reddish-pink). Mined in Sri Lanka, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S., topaz (aluminum and fluorine) is found in crystals in caves and lava deposits, sometimes in large quantities. Named after the Greek island Topázios (St. John's in the Red Sea), it's the traditional 4th-anniversary and November birthstone.
TOURMALINE
Tourmaline, a distinctive gemstone, displays a wide range of colors, often combined in jewelry for dramatic effect. "Watermelon tourmaline," green outside and pink inside, is a popular example. A trigonal crystal, tourmaline is a mineral containing trace elements like iron, aluminum, magnesium, lithium, sodium, or potassium. Found in igneous and metamorphic rocks in Brazil, Namibia, Zambia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and the U.S., schorl (the most common form) constitutes about 95% of global tourmaline production.
Diamond
Diamonds are renowned for their brilliance and hardness (a 10 on the Mohs scale), composed of pure carbon atoms in a crystalline structure. Their exceptional clarity, fire (dispersion of light), and scintillation (sparkle) make them highly prized. Diamonds form deep within the Earth's mantle and are brought to the surface through volcanic eruptions. Major sources include South Africa, Russia, Botswana, Australia, and Canada. There are two main varieties: natural diamonds, formed geologically over millions of years, and lab-grown diamonds, created in controlled environments that mimic the natural diamond-forming process. They are often given as gifts to celebrate significant milestones, including engagements and anniversaries.