Gemstone Detective Blog

Now, while ruby isn't my birthstone, it holds a particularly special place in my heart.

How Much Do You Know About Ruby? Ready to put your ruby knowledge to the test? Take this fun quiz and see how much you really know.

January’s birthstone Garnet. As well as being the birthstone for January, garnet is the gem for a 2nd wedding anniversary. It is thought to bring luck and keep its wearer safe. People throughout history and from all over the world have worn garnet as a talisman against harm in battle. What better gemstone to help you tackle the challenges of a new year and a new decade?

Discovered by a Masai tribesman in 1967, Tanzanite is a very young gem in commercial terms. Nevertheless, it has achieved spectacular success and is now the most popular blue stone after sapphire.

Of all the colours, the most expensive is referred to as Imperial Topaz. This whisky-coloured stone with hints of pink is now mined in Brazil, but was originally mined in Russia’s Ural Mountains and named in honour of the Russian royal family.

Tourmaline is also believed to have health-giving and healing properties. It was once thought that tourmaline had the power to induce sleep in feverish patients. Modern-day crystal healers often use tourmaline to promote vitality and vigour in those they treat.

The vast majority of the world’s precious opal is mined in Australia and, of all the country’s opal mining localities, Lightning Ridge is probably the most famous.

The word sapphire comes from the ancient Greek sappheiros meaning ‘blue’, which itself comes from a Hebrew word meaning ‘precious gem’ and possibly from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘dark coloured’.

Its clarity makes peridot a sparkly gem — perfect for parties and occasion jewellery.  Perhaps  this quality is the reason that peridot is referred to as the ‘stone of light’.  The Egyptians called it ‘the gem of the sun’.

The beautiful ruby trapiche ring from the “Somewhere In The Rainbow Collection” shown above is from Jeffrey Bergman.

Associated with purity and beauty, pearls are a traditional gift for a bride on her wedding day. They appear in myth and folklore the world over, often (and unsurprisingly) associated with the moon. The ancient Chinese believed that pearls formed in a dragon’s head and the ancient Greeks that they were the tears of the gods.

Alexandrite is one of a handful of very special gems called ‘phenomenal gems’, which are so called because they display unusual optical phenomena. Our first of June’s birthstones has a startling optical effect—it’s a colour change gem.

And the last interesting fact about May’s birthstone…Pliny the Elder, a Roman natural historian, wrote that stone cutters used emeralds to rest their eyes.

April’s birthstone – Springtime’s known as ‘the only pretty ring time’ so if you were born in April, make sure yours sports a diamond! De Beers were right that a diamond is forever—measuring 10 on the Mohs scale, diamond is the earth’s hardest natural substance and can only be scratched by another diamond. Believed by ancient civilisations to be solidified lightning, splinters from stars or tears from the gods, diamonds have long been associated with mystical powers. Diam

Aquamarine gemstones are usually heat treated, which improves the clarity still further and removes some of the green colour. As is often the case with gemstones, the darker the colour of your aquamarine, the more valuable it is.

Talking of romance, amethyst also signifies everlasting love, so amethyst jewellery would make a heartfelt gift for a partner with a February birthday – just make sure it’s not misconstrued as a comment on their drinking habits!

Garnet is not a hard stone. Measuring 6.5-7.5 on the Mohs scale, it’s prone to scratching and therefore is not ideal in rings worn every day.

Understanding why sapphires are so popular isn’t hard. Sapphires, though, are very hard indeed. It’s their hardness that makes sapphire such a good choice for rings worn every day. Resistant to scratches, a sapphire ring will not lose its dazzling good looks, like a softer stone.