Gemstones

March Birthstone Aquamarine is a stone as sea blue as it sounds. The stone ranges from a nearly colorless blue to a blue-green and even somewhat teal hue. The most rare color is a deep, aqua blue. Many sailors kept…

Today, as the most valued quartz variety, Amethyst is placed in designer pieces and mass-market jewelry alike. The gem comes in wine purple, lilac, lavender, and even mauve hues. Amethysts can be found in many regions, but most originate from…

Red garnets are one of the most prevalent of gems.  The word “garnet” originates from “granatum,” meaning seed. The stone was originally named for its semblance in color to pomegranate seeds. Garnet is mined in places such as Brazil, Nambia,…

Citrine, the November birthstone and thirteenth anniversary commemorator, appears in shades from pale yellow to brownish orange. Traces of iron within this quartz gem account for its yellowish orange color. The name citrine originates from the old French word "citrin,"…

Birthstones have been around for a while, but not necessarily in the way we know them today. The ancient idea of assigning gemstones in a symbolic way originated in Biblical times. In Exodus, the Breastplate of Aaron is vividly described.…