Gemstones - Did you know?

Sapphires
Sapphires are excellent stones for daily wear. Since they measure 9 on the hardness scale, they are fairly resistant to chipping and scratching. Sapphire is part of the corundum family and occurs in every colour of the rainbow except red – a fact may come as a surprise to those who automatically think “blue”!

Ruby
Rubies are excellent stones to wear everyday. They measure 9 on the mohs hardness scale. Ruby is part of the corundum family, and is found in many parts of the world. Some of the finest rubies are currently found in Burma. Most rubies today are heat treated to improve their clarity (this is an industry-accepted treatment). Flawless rubies in larger sizes are much rarer and can be more expensive than diamonds.

Emerald
Emeralds are the most famous of the deep green gemstones. Colour is the most important factor in choosing an emerald. It should be a deep, very intense green. Inclusions are, unfortunately, very common in emeralds. When choosing an emerald, it is important to make sure the inclusions are not located along the edges of the stone, since they will render it more prone to damage. The emerald is a brittle gemstone, that is easily shocked by heat or cold.

Aquamarine
Aquamarine is the March birthstone and is a beautiful pale blue gemstone. It is found in Brazil and parts of Africa. It is frequently cut into rectangular emerald cuts to enhance its natural clarity and pale colour. It was very popular in vintage jewellery. There are some very famous examples of Art Deco platinum and aquamarine jewels in the British Royal jewellery collection.

Amethyst
Is the February birthstone, and is an ever popular gemstone for its’ deep purple colour. It belongs to the quartz family, and is found all over the world. The gemstone can occur in very large crystals and is cut into many different shapes including the popular briollete.

Opal
Opal is the October birthstone and it is popular for its fiery play of colour. No two opals are the same, and the play of colour can range from green to blue to purple to red. The most famous opals are the Australian black opal, that have a dark grey to black body colour that showcases the flashes of colour. Opals are a softer stone that range from 5 - 6.5 on mohs hardness scale. They are more prone to scratching and wear and tear than harder gemstones. 

Pearl
Pearl has been long prized as one of the organic gemstones. Pearls are formed in fresh and saltwater mollusks. Nacre is the lustrous coating mollusks secrete to cover particles that invade the organism. Today most pearls are cultured, meaning a mother of pearl bead is inserted into the living mollusk, and over time a layer of nacre forms over the bead. Pearls are cultured in Japan (saltwater) China (freshwater) Tahiti (saltwater), and the United States (freshwater). Pearls occur in many beautiful colours such as: cream, white pink, grey, black, and golden yellow. Pearls are also soft like opals, with a 2.5 on mohs harness scale. Due to their softness, they are more prone to wear than a harder stone. Pearls in engagement rings are not suggested for every day wear.

There is a whole world of beautiful gemstones to choose from!