Say it with a Gem

The language of gemstones is an ancient way to speak from the heart. The gift of a gemstone has an extra layer of meaning from this long tradition.
 

Anniversary Gems

Gem Care and Handling

Although gemstones are among the most durable of substances, they do need some care. Following a few general rules will make sure that they last for generations still looking like the day you bought them.

First of all: keep them clean! Rings in particular tend to collect dust and soap behind the stone, particularly if you wear them all the time. To clean transparent crystalline gemstones, simply soak them in water with a touch of gentle soap. If necessary, use a soft toothbrush to scrub behind the stone.

Even the hardest gemstone variety can be vulnerable to breakage if it has inclusions that weaken the crystal structure.

Diamonds are very hard but can shatter in two with a single well-placed blow. Rubies and sapphires are the toughest gems but even they can chip if hit sharply.

Diamonds, rubies and sapphires, and other single-crystal gems can be cleaned with a touch of ammonia in water to remove all films and add extra sparkle.

Opaque gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, require special care. Never use ammonia or any chemical solution. These gem materials should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside the stone and discolor it.

Opals also require special care. Never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light which can dry out the water in opals.

Organic gems like pearls, coral, and amber should only be wiped clean with a moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous. Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, damage pearls in particular.

Store each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don't scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is set in. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.

Price Ranges ( per carat est, today )

Affordable ( 5 - 100) : amethyst, white opal, citrine, ametrine, peridot rhodolite garnet, blue topaz, iolite, kunzite, andalusite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, onyx, nephrite jade, amber

Classics ( 50 - 1000 ): tanzanite, tourmaline, aquamarine, imperial topaz

Traditional ( 250 - 10000 ) : ruby, emerald, blue sapphire

Connoisseur (  250 - 5000 ) : black opal, jadeite, pink topaz, cats eye, fancy sapphires, alexandrite

In every variety, especially the more expensive ones, you should expect to pay more for matched pairs, sets, and special shapes and cuts.
 

Gems by color

Red: ruby, garnet, tourmaline, spinel, alexandrite ( changes color )

Pink: ruby, sapphire, spinel, garnet, kunzite, morganite beryl, topaz, tourmaline

Orange: sapphire, garnet, mandarin garnet, citrine, topaz, fire opal

Yellow Gold: sapphire, citrine, chrysoberyl, topaz, heliodor beryl, zircon, amber, andalusite, tourmaline, garnet

Green: emerald, tourmaline, tsavorite garnet, demantoid garnet, peridot, jade, sapphire, chrome diopside, chrysoprase, alexandrite ( changes color )

Blue: sapphire, aquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, paraiba tourmaline, tanzanite, spinel, zircon, lapis lazuli, iolite, turquoise

Violet: amethyst, garnet, sapphire, spinel, tanzanite, jadeite

Muliticolor: ametrine, opal, multicolored tourmaline

modern birthstones

January - garnet
February - amethyst
March - aquamarine
April - diamond
May - emerald
June - pearl, moonstone
July - ruby
August - peridot
September - sapphire
October - opal, tourmaline
November - yellow topaz, citrine
December - turquoise, blue topaz

traditional birthstones
Traditional Birthstones is a list of the older birthstones. This list is sometimes combined with the modern birthstone list and the stones reflect various societal traditions from as far back as the 15th century.

January - garnet
February - amethyst
March - bloodstone
April - diamond
May - emerald
June - alexandrite
July - ruby
August - sardonyx
September - sapphire
October - tourmaline
November - citrine
December - zircon, lapis

By zodiac

capricorn - dec 22 jan 21 - ruby
aquarius - jan21 feb 21 - garnet
pisces - feb 22 mar 21 - amethyst
aries - mar 22 apr 20 - bloodstone
taurus - apr 21 may 21 - sapphire
gemini - may 22 june 21 - agate
cancer - june 22 july 22 - emerald
leo - jul 23 aug 22 - onyx
virgo - aug 23 sept 22 - carnelian
libra - sept 23 oct 23 - peridot
scorpio - oct 24 nov 21 - beryl
saggitarius - nov 22 dec 21 - topaz

 

 

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