sapphire watercolor by Michelle Constantinescu September’s birthstone is the beautiful, blue Sapphire. A type of corundum, an aluminum oxide which also includes Rubies. Sapphires are usually blue, but occur in many colors like yellow, purple, orange and even green. Red sapphires are called Rubies. Sapphires are almost as hard as diamonds. Sapphires are one of the rarest gemstones on the planet, more so than diamonds. Their deep blue color is so synonymous with sapphires that their name is Greek for “blue stone”. Sapphires are mined all over the world, with the most sought after pieces coming from Myanmar, Kashmir, and Sri Lanka. Sapphire is amazing for soothing and focusing the mind, allowing the release of frustration and unwanted thoughts. It...
Peridot watercolor by Michelle Constantinescu Peridot is one of two birthstones for August, Spinel being the second. Peridot is so widespread however, this blog will focus on it, rather than Spinel. One of the few gemstones that only exist in one color, Peridot is said to be the stone of strength and prosperity. Owing is beautiful and vibrant yellow-green color to the amount of iron in this magnesium rich type of olivine. Peridot’s namesake is debated on, most agree it derives from Arabic “faridat” meaning gem. an assortment of our pieces featuring Peridot Hawaiians use Peridot to symbolize the tears of Pele, the goddess of fire and lava. Much of the Peridot supply for the world comes from AZ. Often...
Ruby watercolor by Michelle Constantinescu So full disclosure I’m a July baby and even though some of the FACTS on rubies I might present here seem a little biased, I can assure you there are in fact not. Andrea thinks she scored with April – Diamond but she’s grossly misinformed…July babies have the best birthstone, rubies. Ruby is red gemstone formed from an aluminum oxide in the same family as sapphires. The word “ruby” comes from the Latin ‘ruber’ meaning ‘red’. The red in rubies comes from the element chromium. Fact #1. Rubies are the most valued gemstone. Yes, rubies are more valuable than diamonds. Rubies have a long history with mankind and date back to the ancient Hindus as large...
June is one of the red-headed stepchildren birth months as it has three birthstones to choose from because it’s spoiled brat who can’t make it’s mind up. Pearl, Alexandrite, (which is a super pretentious name, like we get it, you’re a Russian Czar, does it all have to be about you?) and Moonstone. We will focus on Moonstone as we think it’s the most versatile and most suited for jewelry. Moonstone watercolor by Michelle Constantinescu Moonstone is a type of feldspar, and is named for the flashy, almost opal-like colors and flash when exposed to light. Moonstone occurs naturally and is mined all over the world. The state gemstone of Florida because the moon landings launched from Kennedy Space Center,...
Emeralds What can you really say about Emerald other than the eponymous, totalitarian city-state you may remember at the end of the yellow brick road? You may not know much else so join us for our second birthstone blog on Emeralds. Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May and carries a deep, rich green color of Spring and is absolutely dripping with rebirth energy. One of the traditional gemstones for the astrological sign Cancer, Emeralds are considered a stone of love. One of the rarest gemstones, a well-cut emerald will consistently be priced higher per carat than diamonds. Until very recently only emeralds, rubies, and sapphires were considered precious gems, everything else was considered semi-precious. Emerald...
