Did you know?

• Diamond is the hardest substance found in nature, everyone knows that.
• Diamond is 4 times harder than the next hardest natural mineral, corundum more specifically sapphire and ruby.
• If a diamond receives a sharp blow in one of it’s forth cleavage directions it will split. A skilled diamond setter should prevent exposing a diamond in any of these directions when mounted in a jewelry piece.

• Diamond comes in a broad color range, high refraction, high dispersion (also known as fire), very low reactivity to chemicals and rarity.
• Diamonds are in almost every color of the rainbow plus browns, grays, and white. Shades of yellow are most common, followed by colorless. Blue, black, reddish, and greenish are usually more valuable.
• Diamonds are found in a type of rock called “Kimberlite”, which comprises the core of certain volcanoes over especially thick portions of the earth’s crust.

• Diamonds are found in many areas including South Africa, Russia, and even in Arkansas in the USA.
• Many diamonds are mined in the alluvial deposits across river beds in areas such as along the coast of South Africa.
• The ancient Hindus called the Diamond “Vajra,” meaning lightening, mainly because of the sparks of light  as well as its invincible strength.
• The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth.
• Diamond is the symbol of everlasting love.  There is nothing more convincing than a promise of an enduring relationship with the brilliant gemstone .

• The traditional metaphysical properties for the April birthstone are  balance, clarity and abundance.
• The healing properties of the April birthstone are known to be effective for health problems relating to brain diseases, pituitary glands. The Diamond is also used to draw out toxins thus being used as a remedy for poison.
• The word Diamond is derived from the Greek word “adamas” meaning “hardest metal”, clearly reflect the property of the stone.
• In the past Diamonds were reserved for royalty, the only people “entitled” to their symbolism of strength, courage and invincibility.

Lapis Lazuli is known in everyday life as the dark blue stone with “gold” inclusions. It is a semi-precious stone used ever since antiquity in jewelry, ornaments and decorations, for it’s amazing intense blue.

As a matter of fact the “gold” inclusions are not actually gold but pyrite. Lapis lazuli is a rock and not a mineral because it has a mixed composition: lazurite up to 40% and most of them contain also calcite (white inclusions), sodalite (blue) and pyrite (metallic yellow).

It is a very good pigment for tempera paint, the color being referred to also as French Ultramarine.

Lapis lazuli was the favorite stone of Egyptians and Babylonians, that, in various occasion, used to consider it more precious than gold. This sacred stone was believed to guide people after death, so it was put in graves alongside mummies. Lapis lazuli is famous also in other continents; it is the national stone of Chile.

The best lapis lazuli is found in Badakhshan province in Afghanistan, and the deposits in the mines of Sar-e-Sang have been worked for more than 6,000 years.

This stone is considered spiritual and psychological. It has a protecting role againd negative energies, thoughts and feelings. It stimulates healing and spiritual enlightment, wisdom and impartiality.

Did you know?

• Aquamarine is a variety of the mineral beryl, just like the emerald, but unlike it, aquamarine is found in large crystals.
• The biggest producer of aquamarines is Brazil, where the stone is quite abundant. Aquamarine is also mined in Nigeria, Zambia, China, India, Australia and US.
• The very best of stones are called Santa Maria, and come from the Santa Maria de Itabira mine in Brazil.

• Aquamarine is believed to bestow courage, insight, and victory. It also symbolizes youth, fidelity, hope, and health.
• This birthstone can fade upon prolonged exposure to light.
• The etymology of the word comes from Latin, from the words water “aqua” and sea “mare”. Aquamarine is strongly connected through color and symbolism to the bottomless blue of seawater.
• The majority of aquamarines are flawless.

• Ancient Romans believed the gemstone was sacred to Neptune, the god of the sea. The sailors used to ware aquamarine talismans, as protection against dangers at sea.
• They also believed the gem had fallen from the jewel boxes of sirens and washed onto shore.
• Aquamarine is believed to give mental peace and clarity, providing emotional and mental balance. It has been used as an aid in meditation and to assist in self-expression.

• Stones with a clear blue color without green or gray are the most valuable.
• As part of the normal finishing process, some aquamarines are heated to remove traces of yellow.
• Aquamarine is also known for being the anniversary gem for the 19th year of marriage.

• Aquamarine was first discovered in India more than two thousands years ago, people have attributed various magical and spiritual properties to it. The Hindus used it to spark mental clarity and develop public speaking capabilities.
• The majority of aquamarines on the market today are faceted stones, or faceted beads, however they can be cut as cabochons and are known in rare cases to produce an asterism.

Did you Know?

• Amethyst is purple variety of the mineral quartz.
• Amethyst comes from Greek and it means sober, not drunken.

• It must always be purple in order to be an amethyst, but it can have a wide range of purple shades.
• The structure of amethyst is long prismatic crystals that have a six sided pyramid at either end.
• Amethyst is often cut as brilliant round cuts because it succeeds in maximizing the color.
• The color purple is traditionally the color of royalty and amethyst has been used for a very long time to adorn the rich and powerful monarchs and rulers.

• Amethyst is considered a stabilizing force for those struggling to overcome addictive behaviors.
• A large Amethyst is among the closely guarded gemstones in the British Crown Jewels.
• Deposits of this gemstone are found in Brazil, Canada, Australia, India, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Sri Lanka; and in the United States.

• It is said to strengthen the bond in a love relationship, so it is an ideal anniversary or engagement gem.
• The darker more intense colors are more valuable than the lighter smoky or lavender color.
• One of the largest cut amethysts in the world is 343 carats and is housed at the National History Museum in London.
• Amethyst has a hardness of 7 on Moh’s scale.
  
• Amethyst had a sobering effect on those “drunk” on love’s passion.

• Amethyst is symbolic of piety, spirituality, and a devotion to God, so rich purple gemstones are used worldwide to ornament churches and crosses used in religious ceremony, and they frequently found in the rings and on the rosaries worn by bishops and priests.

Did you know?

• Turquoise is the modern December birthstone.
• Turquoise is one of the most valuable non-transparent minerals.
• Most turquoise is cryptocrystalline, meaning that the crystals can only be seen by a microscope.
• The finest turquoise comes from Iran.

• Turquoise is considered a sacred stone for the North American Indians as well as the Tibetans.
• Turquoise promotes mental and spiritual clarity and expansion and enhances wisdom, trust , kindness and understanding.
• The color varies from very green blue to light sky blue shades.
• The hardness of the stone ranges between 5 – 6.
• It is generally accepted that turquoise gets its name from “pierre turquoise” a French phrase meaning “Turkish stone.”
• Turquoise was mined by early Egyptians as early as 6000 BC.
• In ancient Persian, the sky-blue gemstones were originally worn around the neck or on the hand as protection to ward off unnatural death.

• Today the beautiful stone is considered a good luck “charm” for aviators, flight staff and other professionals who need to ward off accidents.
• Turquoise is considered to be a good luck charm, while opal, the other non-crystalline gems, is considered unlucky.

• The American Indians believed that the celestial blue of this stone was stolen from the heavens by storms, and that if one went to the end of the rainbow and searched the damp earth, he would find a turquoise.
• Napoleon made one turquoise crown for his wife Empress Marie-Luise named Marie-Luise Diadem. 950 diamonds were set in silver. They weigh 700 carats. 79 original emeralds were replaced by Persian turquoise cabochons.

Inspired by: Bernadine fine art jewelry, Turquoise is December’s Birthstone and Birthstones for December.

Learn more about turquoise in our post Turquoise jewelry.

Learn about the other birthstones of December in: A December birthstone: Tanzanite and December birthstone – Blue Zircon.

Citrine a form of Quartz Stone

Citrine is a form of quartz stone that is normally ranges from shade of brown to yellow & happens to be the most valuable of available quartz gemstones. It is commonly used gemstone is necklaces & rings setting. Citrine is a combination of quartz & ferric iron; it can also be manufactured artificially from other gemstones.

How Citrine forms

In natural conditions, it is of yellow or orange in color & is of lighter shade in comparison to heat-treated stones which turn orange-brown or reddish-brown. Mostly the citrines sold to public are amethysts which have been heat treated. Sometimes the crystals in amethyst deposits by natural means of heating are change to citrine minerals of brown variety. Citrine is also produced by heat treatment of smoky quartz.

Chemical Composition

Chemical composition of Citrine is silicon dioxide & has a hexagonal structure, visible as clusters of pyramids based on a geode. The crystals can be translucent or transparent but the basal cleavage is indiscernible with specific gravity of 2.6-2.7.

History & Availability

Citrine is commonly found in Brazil, Ural Mountains in Russia, Minas Gerais, Dauphine & Madagascar but most of the Citrine is manufactured by heat treatment instead of natural means.

In ancient times it was used as an amulet for protecting the wearer from evil thoughts & snake’s venom. It is also one of the two birthstones for the month of November.

Naturally occurring Citrines

Naturally, citrines are usually pale yellow but specimens which are heated have reddish or orange shades. Normally Citrine starts out as amethyst then changes to Citrine because of heat emission by magnetic bodies. The Citrine can be changed back to a purple shade using the process of beta radiation.

Citrine is very popularly used in jewelry creation. Its vivid colors, lightness, transparency add to its popularity. They look best when hung free like drops in earrings rather than being set in-between. Go ahead pick those glistening citrine jewelry and add sparkle to your jewelry collection.