Popular Gemstone Jewelry

Gemstone jewelry

Ametrine gems are so precious and rare that they can be harvested in only one mine in the world. The first known usage of Ametrine was that of royal dowry in the seventeenth century.

The Ametrine gem is usually found to be in a rectangular shape and consists of dual colour blending, namely, yellow and purple. Due to this unique colouring quality mixed with the exceptional durability of the gem, there are no limitations on what jewellers have master-pieced. Earrings, rings, necklaces and brooches are only the beginnings of what have been with this precious gem.

Amethyst Jewelry

Amethyst is the formation of an iron and aluminium complex reacting to quartz, creating a violet colour. In the past, Amethyst gems have been used as protection during battles, however, in recent history, an Amethyst jewel has been widely recognised as a birth stone for those born in the month of February.

Amethyst is an extremely popular choice in jewelry as its beauty is astounding. Amethyst diamonds are not extremely difficult to buy with certainty that you are, infact, buying an authentic Amethyst. Authentic amethysts are difficult to scratch and do not have reflective surfaces. In order to further determine the authenticity of your amethyst, upon looking into the stone, you will notice that there will be several colour bands. Further, deep colours of purple that are extremely clear upon inspection are rarely authentic amethysts.

What is fascinating about Amethyst gems is their ability to be used as any form of gemstone jewelry?. Necklaces, charms, pendants, rings and bracelets are only a few of the options a purchaser has when deciding on how to have their gorgeous Amethyst set.

Aquamarine Jewelry

In the past, Aquamarine jewelry has been used for the purpose of bringing harmony into a wedding as well as for the purposes of increasing intelligence. In the recent past, Aquamarine jewelry has been used to symbolise the birth month of March. The gem appears to have clear blue colouring thus, obtaining a name which translates into ‘seawater’.

Generally, the Aquamarine gem symbolic of companionship, compassion, bonding and harmony. Many believe that if you are wearing an Aquamarine gem and stand in direct sunlight whilst emerged in water, the wearer of the ring will be positively recharged.

When purchasing an Aquamarine jewel, it is necessary to pay attention to the colour of the ring. If the jewel is a deeper blue, more value will be held.

Diamond Jewelry

Diamonds have been commonly known as being ‘a girl’s best friend’ and these gems have never been out of style or lost popularity. Most natural diamonds are clear and colourless however, there have been rare sightings of pink, blue, green, violet, orange, purple and red diamonds.

When purchasing diamond jewelry it is commonly said that there are four characteristics that every person should look for (in order of importance) – Clarity, Colour, Carat, Cut. Clarity refers to the size and number of inclusions in a diamond. The more inclusions a diamond posses, the less it is worth. Colour refers to any microscopic specs of colour that the diamond may posses. Although it is commonly asserted that diamonds are colourless, many are, in fact, yellow or brown. The whiter the diamond, the greater its worth. Carat is the weight of the diamond. Diamonds may actually appear large however, be rather shallow which is what makes weighing important. Cut is the last factor that needs to be looked at. Diamonds are generally available in a variety of cuts which can make your jewelry appear more or less expensive. Cuts range from round to heart shaped and from pear shaped to princess cut. The cut of a diamond is usually something that will be up to the discretion of the buyer but it is useful to note that different shapes not only provide for different appearances and value, cuts can also increase the ‘sparkle’ that your diamond presents.

Emerald Jewelry

Emerald jewelry is green in nature arising from the mineral beryl being mixed with most often chromium although, occasionally vanadium. History has shown Emeralds to be chosen as gifts for 55th wedding anniversaries while recent history has seen the Emerald used as a birthstone for the month of March. Due to emeralds being mainly ‘included’, their toughness is diminished meaning they are easily broken.

Unlike most other forms of coloured gems, is incorrect to suggest that the colour of an Emerald is what is to be used to determine the value of the Emerald. Although colour is a grading necessity, it is also a requirement for an Emerald to be highly transparent. It is important not to be tricked when looking for Emeralds as only gems that are mid to dark green in colour are considered ‘true’ emeralds.

Emeralds are also unique in that their clarity is graded not under magnification but by the naked eye. An Emerald is determined perfect when there are no visible signs of imperfections or blemishes. As Emeralds are rare and valuable gems, there is a hefty incentive for the jewels to be stolen. Generally, in determining if an Emerald is Authentic, one must look at the physical and optical make-up of the gem. Mostly, the colour can be reproduced but the texture is unique.

Garnet Jewelry

Garnet jewelry has been regularly used as a birthstone for those born in January. This precious jewel is exists in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, brown, black, pink and colourless with blue being the rarest colour. What makes Garnet a demanded jewel is its unique ability to change colours depending on the light source that the gem is viewed under. The colour of the gem is determined by what time of day such gem is viewed.

It is rather difficult to change the composition of a Garnet thus, these gems have historical use in that they can determine what particular temperatures were during certain time periods. This unique feature is also useful in determining at what depth the stones were buried in the earth.

Garnets are widely used as jewelry such as rings, necklaces and bracelets. Garnets have a timeless quality and are not easily destructed thus, providing longevity to their owners. Garnets have also been notes as useful within industries. Due to their inability to be easily broken or shattered, Garnets have been used as abrasives seen in sandpaper. Garnets have also been mixed with water so that they can be utilised to cut through metal. Although widely used as an abrasive, the Garnet gem is also available as a glass polisher. As it can be seen, this stunning and unique gem is extremely versatile making it a highly sort after product.

Iolite Jewelry   

Iolite is an exceptionally popular gemstone formed from the mineral cordierite. The violet blue colour that this gem is found to possess is not matched by any other existing gem. Usually, a single Iolite gem will display three different colours, making the jewel even more attractive. As well as the rare violet blue, the Iolite also displays a yellow-gray and light blue colour.

Peridot Jewelry

History has shown the Peridot to be used as a defence against pirates and also as a cure for night terrors and some repertory conditions. In recent times, the Peridot gem has been seen as a birth stone for people born in the month of August. Peridot crystals are a volcanic gem thus is magnesium and iron rich.

Peridot is renound for being used in Jewelry . This valuable gem is found in olive green, yellow green, as well as brownish green however, the rarest Peridot is lime green. When purchasing your Peridot, the cut is what determines the value. A good Peridot should be placed on a table with no visible dark patches. The Peridot is a jewel that is commonly worn at night as this is when the awe inspiring sparkle is achieved.

Ruby Jewelry

Generally, the Ruby is a gem that originates in a red colour which is caused from a proficiency chromium mixed with aluminium oxide. Rubies are considered to be in the upper four rungs of the jewelry hierarchy.

In determining the value of a ruby colour is the most dominant factor, the brighter the red, the more expensive the product. The second factor in determining the value of rubies is clarity, the clearer the jewel, the more valuable. Unfortunately, an extremely clear Ruby is also indicative of an unauthentic gem. No Ruby is found without imperfections and it has been noted that these imperfections are precisely what give the ruby its durability (Rubies are the third hardest gem).

Sapphire Jewelry  

Sapphire is a gem which possesses origins stemming from a mixture of corundum and aluminium oxide. When the addition of the elements of iron, titanium or chromium within the mixture provide for transforming Sapphires into shades of blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange or green.

Sapphires can be used as to enhance infrared optical device as well as to increase the durability of windows. Although Sapphires have a strong resilience and are versatile in capability, their greatest success is in being used as jewelry . The reason that Sapphires are commonly used in jewelry is because they have extraordinary adaptability. Not only are these precious gems available in an array of colours, the gems can be found to change their colour when acclimatising to their environment. Intriguingly, inclusions within sapphires are dissimilar to inclusions in other gems insofar as such inclusions add value to the Sapphire. Many Sapphire inclusions will appear to be shapes (most commonly stars) providing the gem with more worth.

When purchasing a Sapphire, it is important not to be deterred by the fact that the Sapphire has been heated. Since Roman times this practice has been carried out and it is extremely rare to find a Sapphire that has no been subjected such. Sapphires that shouldn’t be purchased as real Sapphires are those which are purely man made. These gems are easily detectable as they have extremely limited flaws or have inclusions which are ‘too perfect’.

Spinel Jewelry

The precious Spinel gem is one which appears in transparent-red, dark-red or yellow-red. History has shown the Spinel to be used as a financial fortune gainer and also, to ward off unforseen losses.

The Spinel has been noted as one of the most physically stunning of all gems. The dark-red Spinel has been likened to (and is often confused with), the Ruby gem. Due to the Spinel’s hard core, there have been no limitations placed upon how the Spinel can be utilised when being used with jewelry . It is extremely popular for the Spinel to be used as Jewelry at proms, formals and weddings. The Spinel gem has been used in head pieces and accessories. Due to the Spinel’s history of bringing fortune, the Spinel gem has been used of recent times as a brooch of the dresses of bridesmaids to bring prosperity.

Tanzanite Jewelry  

Tanzanite is an extremely rare gem that is a blue/purple assortment of the mineral, zoisite. What is unique about the Tanzanite is it possess that capability of being a trichroism meaning that, depending on crystallisation, the gem will appear as violet, burgundy and sapphire blue at the same time.

Tanzanite is an exceptionally soft gem thus, not capable of being used in a large variety of jewelry or ornaments making Tanzanite Jewelry extremely sought after. With these gorgeous gems, flawlessness is achieved when no inclusions are visible by the human eye.

Topaz Jewelry

The Topaz gem created from the combination of aluminium and fluorine. In recent times used as the birthstone for the month of November, this elegant gem is colourless and transparent but tinted by impurities providing for colour variations of yellow, gray, blue or a mixture of red and orange. Rare Topaz gems are occasionally mined and present in yellow or pink colours. Further Topaz have recently been found to appear in brown but are generally treated to provide for the effect of looking yellow.

Tourmaline Jewelry

Tourmaline gems are considered internationally to be semi-precious and are originate in a wide spectrum of colours. Tourmaline has been categorised in three different ways – Schorl, Dravite and Elbaite. Schorl accounts for more then 95% of all Tourmalines but was used primarily before the 1400s to identify a vast amount of black gems located near a tine mine. Dravite is used to describe Tourmaline that is affluent in sodium or magnesium. Lastly, Elbaite was first determined to exist in 1818 when a vast array of both colourless and colour rich Tourmaline was found.

The unique quality of Tourmaline is that it is found in the form of three sided prisms. This specific display has yet to be seen in other gem forms. Tourmalines are not only discovered in a variety of colours, they hold the capability of being formed in more then one colour.

Because of the diverse colour schemes and shaping of Tourmaline, it is extremely popular for this gem to be purchased for the sake of being used in jewelry . The only limitation to what can be produced in jewelry form when using Tourmaline is the creator’s mind. Many rings are necklaces with Tourmaline stones are becoming popular choices for gifts to friends and relatives on special occasions. Further, because of the diversity of colour and shaping available in Tourmaline stones, there are no gender specifications when the stone is used for jewelry.

Zircon Jewelry   

Zircon gems, used as a birthstone for the month of December, are naturally formed in colour variations of clear, yellow (golden) red, brown and green. Zircons are unique as due to their forming at the crust of the earth.

The most popular usage for the Zircon gem has been found in Jewelry . Mostly, because of its durability, the Zircon is used as a substitute for diamonds. The clear Zircon has the clarity and colour to fool most people into believing that its true identity is, infact, that of a diamond. The unique quality of the colouring of the Zircon allows for jewelry to be created that has the effect of appearing one-of-a-kind.