Birthstone, Anniversary Chart And Info
JANUARY/GARNET
Garnet can occur naturally in colors ranging from orange to deep red, and also in shades of green. The Brilliance of the Garnet makes this gemstone a most prized possession. During the 18th Century , genuine garnets were considered the most trreasured jewel to own, and it was worn by only the most wealthy and influential people. The hardness is 6.5-7.5. Garnet was believed to have magical properties- such as preventing skin diseases; assuring the wearer of love, faithfulness, & safety from wounds; protecting the wearer from evil & terrifying dreams!Aren't garnets those wonderful deep-red gemstones you often find in antique jewellery? Well yes, to a certain extent, a deep, warm red indeed being the colour most frequently found in garnets. Sadly, however, far too few people are aware that the world of the garnets is far more colourful than that. Spectacular finds, especially in Africa, have enhanced the traditional image of the garnet with a surprising number of hues - even if red does continue to be its principal colour. Thanks to their rich colour spectrum, garnets today can quite happily keep pace with changes of style and the colour trends of fashion. And thanks to the new finds, there is a reliable supply of them too. So in fact this gemstone group in particular is one which gives new impetus to the world of jewellery today.
By the term 'garnet', the specialist understands a group of more than ten different gemstones of similar chemical composition. It is true to say that red is the colour most often encountered, but the garnet also exists in various shades of green, a tender to intense yellow, a fiery orange and some fine earth-coloured nuances. The only colour it cannot offer is blue. Garnets are much sought-after and much worked gemstones - the more so because today it is not only the classical gemstone colours red and green which are so highly esteemed, but also the fine hues in between. Furthermore, the world of the garnets is also rich in rarities such as star garnets and stones whose colour changes depending on whether they are seen in daylight or artificial light.
Genuine Garnets are found in Africa, India and So. America.
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FEBRUARY/AMETHYST
Amethyst can be found in varying shades of purple. A top quality stone will be clear deep purple, with no flaws. The hardness is 7. The word amethyst comes from the Greek, meaning "not drunken, without drunkenness". It was believed to protect from the effects of wine, especially if held under the tongue while drinking. (We do not recommend trying this!)Its colour is as unique as it is seductive, though in fact this gemstone of all gemstones is said to protect its wearer against seduction. The amethyst is extravagance in violet. For many thousands of years, the most striking representative of the quartz family has been a jewel coveted by princes both ecclesiastical and secular. Moses described it as a symbol of the Spirit of God in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews, and the Russian Empress Catherine the Great sent thousands of miners into the Urals to look for it. In popular belief, the amethyst offers protection against drunkenness - for the Greek words 'amethystos' mean 'not intoxicated' in translation. A more apt stone for the month of February, particularly if there is to be plenty going on in the way of carnival celebrations, could thus hardly be wished for.
A large number of further miraculous powers are attributed to the amethyst in all sorts of cultures. It was said to protect crops against tempests and locusts, bring good fortune in war and in the hunt, drive out evil spirits and inspire the intellect. A little study of the works of Pliny will reveal that this gemstone, if worn round the neck on a cord made from dog's hair, affords protection against snakebite. Later, Hieronymus even reported that eagles placed an amethyst in their nest in order to protect their young from the selfsame danger. Apart from these powers, gemstone therapists say that the amethyst has a sobering and cleansing effect. Amethyst has also been said to quell excessive stomach acid and, according to Hildegard von Bingen, served to combat insect bites and beautify the skin. But the amethyst not only had a firm niche in medicine; Amethyst is mined in So. America, Russia and India.
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MARCH/AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine is a beautiful light blue-green stone in it's top color form. A nice stone will be clear, without visible flaws. Some commercially available aqua is treated with heat, to improve its color. Such treatments do not affect the stone's strength, or value. The hardness is 7.5-8. Aquamarine is derived from the Latin, "beryllus aquamarinus", meaning resembling seawater. It is traditionally a sailor's talisman.
Aquamarine from the light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the sea, aquamarines shine over an extraordinarily beautiful range of mainly light blue colours. Aquamarine is a fascinatingly beautiful gemstone. Women the world over love it for its fine blue shades which can complement almost any skin or eye colour, and creative gemstone designers are inspired by it as they are by hardly any other gem, which enables them to create new artistic cuts again and again.
Its light blue arouses feelings of sympathy, trust, harmony and friendship. Good feelings. Feelings which are based on mutuality and which prove their worth in lasting relationships. The blue of aquamarine is a divine, eternal colour, because it is the colour of the sky. However, aquamarine blue is also the colour of water with its life-giving force. And aquamarine really does seem to have captured the lucid blue of the oceans. No wonder, when you consider that according to the saga it originated in the treasure chest of fabulous mermaids, and has, since ancient times, been regarded as the sailors' lucky stone. Its name is derived from the Latin 'aqua' (water) and 'mare' (sea). It is said that its strengths are developed to their best advantage when it is placed in water which is bathed in sunlight. However, it is surely better still to wear aquamarine, since according to the old traditions this promises a happy marriage and is said to bring the woman who wears it joy and wealth into the bargain. An ideal gem, not only for loving and married couples.
Primary sources for Aquamarine are Brazil, Russia and Madagascar.
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APRIL/DIAMOND
Diamonds can be found in almost every color of the rainbow, but the colorless stone has been the most popular for decades. The hardness is 10. The word, diamond, is from the Greek "adamas"- meaning unbreakable or indomitable. They were believed to render all poisons harmless & to drive away madness, night spirits, and evil dreams. Diamond is the modern birthstone for April, so we would like to take this opportunity to say a few words about fancy coloured diamonds, which are more to our taste than the colourless type: they're rarer, more valuable, and a great deal more colourful (although the colours do tend to be a little on the pale side).
Fancy coloured diamonds are not a mass-market product such as those which are advertised everywhere and sold by numbers. They have more personality than that. Fancy coloured diamonds are almost as much fun as coloured gemstones! Like coloured gemstones, each one is different. They come in fabulously expensive pale pinks and blues, pale to bright yellows, oranges, greens, and all those brown colours that are now given names like cognac and champagne. So, buy a diamond instead of a coloured gemstone if you must, but at least consider a fancy coloured one which will give your jewellery more character, more individuality and more colour!
They are mostly found in South Africa.
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MAY/EMERALD
Emerald. A deep green stone, natural emeralds almost always have visible inclusions, and need special care when setting & cleaning. A natural Emerald without flaws is very rare, and expensive! The hardness is 7.5-8. This stone is fragile, and care should be taken in cleaning & wearing- no sharp knocks on table edges or doorways! This stone has been linked to fertility & the Earth Goddess, is sacred to the Goddess Venus, and was worn by women to ease the pain of childbirth. Emerald is a cousin to the Aqua, both are in the Beryl family of stones.Emeralds are fascinating gemstones. They have the most beautiful, most intense and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined: emerald green. Inclusions are tolerated. In top quality, fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds.
The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green gemstone'. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red Sea in Egypt. Having said that, these gemstone mines, already exploited by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as 'Cleopatra's Mines', had already been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the early 19th century. The green of the emerald is the colour of life and of the springtime, which comes round again and again. But it has also, for centuries, been the colour of beauty and of constant love. In ancient Rome, green was the colour of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. And today, this colour still occupies a special position in many cultures and religions. Green, for example, is the holy colour of Islam. Many of the states of the Arab League have green in their flags as a symbol of the unity of their faith. Yet this colour has a high status in the Catholic Church too, where green is regarded as the most natural and the most elemental of the liturgical colours. Emeralds are found in Colombia Brazil, Africa, Russia, Pakistan, and Zambia.
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JUNE/ALEXSANDRITE OR PEARL
Pearl & Alexandrite are both commonly used for this month. Pearls are formed inside a mollusk, a response to an irritant felt by the animal. They can be found in many shades of whites, and many shapes- from perfectly round to fanciful baroque. Pearls are organic gems, created when an oyster covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre. Long ago, pearls were important financial assets, comparable in price to real estate, as thousands of oysters had to be searched for just one pearl. They were rare because they were created only by chance.The quality of pearls is judged by the orient, which is the soft iridescence caused by the refraction of light by the layers of nacre, and lustre, the reflectivity and shine of the surface. Fine pearls do not have any flaws or spots in the nacre: it has an even, smooth texture. Other factors which affect value are the regularity of the shape, size, and colour: rose tints are the most favoured.
Alexandrite is one of the few color-change stones. It will appear to be different colors in natural and flourescent lighting. It is rare in it's natural form, but can be found in a synthetic form, with the same color-change properties.This rare gemstone is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. The discovery was made on the day the future tsar came of age. Although alexandrite is a relatively young gemstone, it certainly has a noble history. Since it shows both red and green, the principal colours of old Imperial Russia, it inevitably became the national stone of tsarist Russia. The hardness is 8.5. Pearls are attributed to the Goddess Venus as a symbol of innocence. Pearls are readily found in both sea & fresh-water varieties. Alexandrite is found in Russia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Brazil.
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JULY/RUBY
A Ruby is found in varying shades of red; deep, clear stones are desirable. Some may have seen "star rubies", these are cabachon (domed) stones that reflect an asterisk light effect on the domed surface. When flawless, a Ruby is more valuable than a diamond. For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone should have: magnificent colour, excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. In addition to that, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities.
For a long time India was regarded as the ruby's classical country of origin. In the major works of Indian literature, a rich store of knowledge about gemstones has been handed down over a period of more than two thousand years. The term 'corundum', which we use today, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kuruvinda'. The Sanskrit word for ruby is 'ratnaraj', which means something like 'king of the gemstones'. And it was a royal welcome indeed which used to be prepared for it. Whenever a particularly beautiful ruby crystal was found, the ruler sent high dignitaries out to meet the precious gemstone and welcome it in appropriate style. Today, rubies still decorate the insignia of many royal households. The hardness is 9. Historically, the Ruby is associated with royalty & the power or life and death. It was attributed the power to prevent loss of blood, strengthen the heart, and negate poisons. They are a cousin to the Sapphire. Rubies are found in Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Afghanistan, India and Kenya.
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AUGUST/PERIDOT
The Peridot is a light green, almost electric color. The hardness is 6.5-7. It is believed to cure liver disease & dropsy; to free the mind from envious thoughts; and to dispel terrors of the night. For full magical power, it should be set in gold. Peridot is the stone assigned to the sun.The vivid green of the peridot, with just a slight hint of gold, is the ideal gemstone colour to go with that light summer wardrobe. No wonder – since the peridot is the gemstone of the summer month of August.
The peridot is a very old gemstone, and one which has become very popular again today. It is so ancient that it can be found in Egyptian jewellery from the early 2nd millennium B.C.. The stones used at that time came from a deposit on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, some 45 miles off the Egyptian coast at Aswan, which was not rediscovered until about 1900 and has, meanwhile, been exhausted for quite some time. Having said that, the peridot is also a thoroughly modern gemstone, for it was not until a few years ago that peridot deposits were located in the Kashmir region; and the stones from those deposits, being of an incomparably beautiful colour and transparency, have succeeded in giving a good polish to the image of this beautiful gemstone, which had paled somewhat over the millennia.
The ancient Romans too were fond of this gemstone and esteemed its radiant green shine, which does not change even in artificial light. For that reason they nicknamed it the 'emerald of the evening'. Peridot is also found in Europe in medieval churches, where it adorns many a treasure, for example one of the shrines in Cologne Cathedral. During the baroque period, the rich green gemstone once again enjoyed a brief heyday, and then it somehow faded into oblivion.
Peridot is plentifully found in Australia, Brazil, Burma, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
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SEPTEMBER/SAPPHIRE
Sapphire is found in a rainbow of colors, all but red. (Red Sapphire is actually Ruby, it's cousin!) There are also "star sapphires"- which are domed stones that show a starlight effect on the top. The hardness is 9. Sapphires are traditionally connected with the eye & the sky- therefore with vision & the ability to read the future. Sapphires render black magic harmless, and help the wearer discern falsehoods. Buddhists believe the Sapphire brings purity & spiritual enlightenment.In earlier times, some people believed that the firmament was an enormous blue sapphire in which the Earth was embedded. Could there be a more apt image to describe the beauty of an immaculate sapphire? And yet this gem comes not in one but in all the blue shades of that firmament, from the deep blue of the evening sky to the shining mid-blue of a lovely summer's day which casts its spell over us. However, this magnificent gemstone also comes in many other colours: not only in the transparent greyish-blue of a distant horizon but also in the gloriously colourful play of light in a sunset – in yellow, pink, orange and purple. Sapphires really are gems of the sky, although they are found in the hard ground of our 'blue planet'.
Blue is the main colour of the sapphire. Blue is also the favourite colour of some 50 per cent of all people, men and women alike. We associate this colour, strongly linked to the sapphire as it is, with feelings of sympathy and harmony, friendship and loyalty: feelings which belong to qualities that prove their worth in the long term – feelings in which it is not so much effervescent passion that is to the fore, but rather composure, mutual understanding and indestructible trust. Thus the blue of the sapphire has become a colour which fits in with everything that is constant and reliable. That is one of the reasons why women in many countries wish for a sapphire ring on their engagement. The sapphire symbolises loyalty, but at the same time it gives expression to people's love and longing. Perhaps the most famous example of this blue is to be found in music, in George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". And the blue of the sapphire even appears where nothing at all counts except clear-sightedness and concentrated mental effort. The first computer which succeeded in defeating a world chess champion bore the remarkable name 'Deep Blue'.
Sapphire is readily found in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Australia India, Madagascar, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.
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OCTOBER/OPAL OR TOURMALINE
Opal & Tourmaline are both representative of this month. Opals are usually opaque white stones with rainbow color specks or flashes that play over the surface. They can be found in breathtaking form! All of Nature’s splendour seems to be reflected in the manifold opulence of fine Opals: fire and lightnings, all the colours of the rainbow and the soft shine of far seas. Australia is the classical country of origin. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts.
Numerous legends and tales surround this colourful gemstone, which can be traced back in its origins to a time long before our memory, to the ancient dream time of the Australian aborigines. It is reported in their legends that the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow, in order to bring the message of peace to all the humans. And at the very spot, where his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and started sparkling in all the colours of the rainbow. That was the birth of the Opals.
The group of fine Opals includes quite a number of wonderful gemstones, which share one characteristic: they shine and sparkle in a continually changing play of colours full of fantasy, which experts describe as “opalising”. Depending on the kind, place of occurrence, and colour of the main body, we differentiate Dark or Black Opal, White or Light Opal, Milk or Crystal Opal, Boulder Opal, Opal Matrix, Yowah Nuts from Queensland – the so-called “picture stones“, and also Mexican and Fire Opal. Opal variations are practically unlimited. They all show in their own special way that unique play of colours – except for Fire Opal, which due to its transparency, however, is nevertheless also considered a Fine Opal specimen. If Opals are lacking the typical play of colours, they are simply named “Common Opal”.
Tourmaline is a transparent stone, usually occurring in shades of pinks & greens.Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colours of the rainbow. And that is why it is still referred to as the 'gemstone of the rainbow' today.
The name tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words 'tura mali'. In translation, this means something like 'stone with mixed colours', referring to the colour spectrum of this gemstone, which outdoes that of all other precious stones. There are tourmalines from red to green and from blue to yellow. They often have two or more colours. There are tourmalines which change their colour when the light changes from daylight to artificial light, and some show the light effect of a cat's eye. No two tourmalines are exactly alike. This gemstone has an endless number of faces, and for that reason it suits all moods. No wonder that magical powers have been attributed to it since ancient times. In particular, it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, and is said to render them firm and long-lasting. Tourmaline hardness 7-7.5.
Opals are thought to possess the virtues of all the stones whose colors appear there. The Roman senator Nonius chose exile rather than surrendering an Opal to Mark Anthony. Tourmaline comes from the Sanskrit "turamali". Tourmaline is found in the United States (southern California and Maine), Brazil, and Madagascar. Opals are found predominantly in Australia.
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NOVEMBER/TOPAZ
The topaz has been known for at least 2000 years and is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. These so-called apocalyptic stones are intended to serve in protection against enemies and as a symbol of beauty and splendour. It cannot be proved conclusively whether the name of the topaz comes from the Sanskrit or the Greek, though the Greek name 'topazos' means 'green gemstone'. The Romans dedicated the topaz to Jupiter.
The colour in which the topaz is most commonly found is yellow, and that is the colour in which it occurs in one of the major German gemstone rocks, the Schneckenstein (a topaz-bearing rock said to resemble a snail) in Saxony. In the 18th century, it was mined there during a period of over 60 years. However, most of the crystals were hardly a centimetre in diameter. You had to go to Siberia or Brazil to find crystals as large as your fist. Having said that, anyone who is interested can convince himself of the beauty of cut specimens in the topaz set in Dresden's Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault). The enormous and magnificent topaz from the Portuguese crown, the Braganza, was for a long time thought to be a diamond. It weighs 1680 ct..
In mysticism, the topaz is attributed with a cooling, styptic and appetising effect. It is said to dispel sadness, anger and nocturnal fears, to warn its wearer of poisons and protect him or her from sudden death. It is reputed to make men handsome and intelligent and sterile women fertile and happy. However, it is probably better not to rely too much on its magical powers, since it was also claimed that you could immerse your hand in boiling water after a topaz had been thrown into it and retract it again unharmed! It is the stone of the month November.
In the Empire style, the topaz was still widespread, but then the more reasonably priced citrine took over from it and even usurped its name - gold topaz. Since then, the topaz has been a rather exotic figure in the jewellery trade, and has been given the additional predicate 'pure' to make it clear that the topaz, not the quartz topaz, is meant. And it is still waiting for its well deserved comeback to this day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- DECEMBER/BLUE ZIRCON
Blue Zircon usually starts out as a brownish-green stone, and is heated to turn it blue. Stones of more than a couple of carats are rarely seen, due to the difficulty in cutting this material. Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the gods, a glowing tree covered in gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. Zircon has long played a supporting role to more well-known gemstones, often stepping in as an understudy when they were unavailable.
In the middle ages, zircon was said to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and promote honour and wisdom in its owner. The name probably comes from the Persian word 'zargun', which means 'gold-coloured', although zircon comes in a wide range of different colours.
Natural zircon today suffers on account of the similarity of its name to cubic zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation. Many people are unaware that there is a beautiful natural gemstone called zircon.
Zircon occurs in a wide range of colours, but for many years the most popular was the colourless variety, which looks more like diamond than any other natural stone because of its brilliance and dispersion.
Today the most popular colour is blue zircon, which is considered an alternative birthstone for December. Most blue zircon is of a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems have a bright blue colour. Zircon is also available in green, dark red, yellow, brown, and orangThe hardness is 6-6.5. Zircon is said to drive away evil spirits & bad dreams, banish grief & melancholy, restore appetite, induce sleep, & protect against lightning! It is mined in Sri Lanka & Burma, mainly. Gem varieties occur in stream gravels and detrital deposits, particularly in Indochina and Sri Lanka, but also in Burma, Australia, and New Zealand.
(HARDNESS SCALE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Talc(1) Gypsum(2) Calcite(3) Fluorite(4) Apatite(5) Orthoclase(6) Quartz(7) Topaz(8) Corundum(9) Diamond(10)
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ANNIVERSARY CHART
1st Anniversary - Gold
2nd Anniversary - Garnet
3rd Anniversary - Pearls
4th Anniversary - Blue Topaz
5th Anniversary - Sapphire
6th Anniversary - Amethyst
7th Anniversary - Onyx
8th Anniversary - Tourmaline
9th Anniversary - Lapis Lazuli
10th Anniversary - Diamond
11th Anniversary - Turquoise
12th Anniversary - Jade
13th Anniversary - Citrine
14th Anniversary - Opal
15th Anniversary - Ruby
16th Anniversary - Peridot
17th Anniversary - Watches
18th Anniversary - Cat's Eye or Chrysoberyl
19th Anniversary - Aquamarine
20th Anniversary - Emerald
21st Anniversary - Iolite
22nd Anniversary - Spinel
23rd Anniversary - Imperial Topaz
24th Anniversary - Tanzanite
25th Anniversary - Silver Jubilee
30th Anniversary - Pearl Jubilee
35th Anniversary - Emerald
40th Anniversary - Ruby
45th Anniversary - Sapphire
50th Anniversary - Golden Jubilee
55th Anniversary - Alexandrite
60th Anniversary - Diamond Jubilee
65th Anniversary - Blue Spinel
70th Anniversary - Sapphire Jubilee
75th Anniversary - Diamond Jubilee
80th Anniversary - Ruby Jubilee
Garnet can occur naturally in colors ranging from orange to deep red, and also in shades of green. The Brilliance of the Garnet makes this gemstone a most prized possession. During the 18th Century , genuine garnets were considered the most trreasured jewel to own, and it was worn by only the most wealthy and influential people. The hardness is 6.5-7.5. Garnet was believed to have magical properties- such as preventing skin diseases; assuring the wearer of love, faithfulness, & safety from wounds; protecting the wearer from evil & terrifying dreams!Aren't garnets those wonderful deep-red gemstones you often find in antique jewellery? Well yes, to a certain extent, a deep, warm red indeed being the colour most frequently found in garnets. Sadly, however, far too few people are aware that the world of the garnets is far more colourful than that. Spectacular finds, especially in Africa, have enhanced the traditional image of the garnet with a surprising number of hues - even if red does continue to be its principal colour. Thanks to their rich colour spectrum, garnets today can quite happily keep pace with changes of style and the colour trends of fashion. And thanks to the new finds, there is a reliable supply of them too. So in fact this gemstone group in particular is one which gives new impetus to the world of jewellery today.
By the term 'garnet', the specialist understands a group of more than ten different gemstones of similar chemical composition. It is true to say that red is the colour most often encountered, but the garnet also exists in various shades of green, a tender to intense yellow, a fiery orange and some fine earth-coloured nuances. The only colour it cannot offer is blue. Garnets are much sought-after and much worked gemstones - the more so because today it is not only the classical gemstone colours red and green which are so highly esteemed, but also the fine hues in between. Furthermore, the world of the garnets is also rich in rarities such as star garnets and stones whose colour changes depending on whether they are seen in daylight or artificial light.
Genuine Garnets are found in Africa, India and So. America.
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FEBRUARY/AMETHYST
Amethyst can be found in varying shades of purple. A top quality stone will be clear deep purple, with no flaws. The hardness is 7. The word amethyst comes from the Greek, meaning "not drunken, without drunkenness". It was believed to protect from the effects of wine, especially if held under the tongue while drinking. (We do not recommend trying this!)Its colour is as unique as it is seductive, though in fact this gemstone of all gemstones is said to protect its wearer against seduction. The amethyst is extravagance in violet. For many thousands of years, the most striking representative of the quartz family has been a jewel coveted by princes both ecclesiastical and secular. Moses described it as a symbol of the Spirit of God in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews, and the Russian Empress Catherine the Great sent thousands of miners into the Urals to look for it. In popular belief, the amethyst offers protection against drunkenness - for the Greek words 'amethystos' mean 'not intoxicated' in translation. A more apt stone for the month of February, particularly if there is to be plenty going on in the way of carnival celebrations, could thus hardly be wished for.
A large number of further miraculous powers are attributed to the amethyst in all sorts of cultures. It was said to protect crops against tempests and locusts, bring good fortune in war and in the hunt, drive out evil spirits and inspire the intellect. A little study of the works of Pliny will reveal that this gemstone, if worn round the neck on a cord made from dog's hair, affords protection against snakebite. Later, Hieronymus even reported that eagles placed an amethyst in their nest in order to protect their young from the selfsame danger. Apart from these powers, gemstone therapists say that the amethyst has a sobering and cleansing effect. Amethyst has also been said to quell excessive stomach acid and, according to Hildegard von Bingen, served to combat insect bites and beautify the skin. But the amethyst not only had a firm niche in medicine; Amethyst is mined in So. America, Russia and India.
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MARCH/AQUAMARINE
Aquamarine is a beautiful light blue-green stone in it's top color form. A nice stone will be clear, without visible flaws. Some commercially available aqua is treated with heat, to improve its color. Such treatments do not affect the stone's strength, or value. The hardness is 7.5-8. Aquamarine is derived from the Latin, "beryllus aquamarinus", meaning resembling seawater. It is traditionally a sailor's talisman.
Aquamarine from the light blue of the sky to the deep blue of the sea, aquamarines shine over an extraordinarily beautiful range of mainly light blue colours. Aquamarine is a fascinatingly beautiful gemstone. Women the world over love it for its fine blue shades which can complement almost any skin or eye colour, and creative gemstone designers are inspired by it as they are by hardly any other gem, which enables them to create new artistic cuts again and again.
Its light blue arouses feelings of sympathy, trust, harmony and friendship. Good feelings. Feelings which are based on mutuality and which prove their worth in lasting relationships. The blue of aquamarine is a divine, eternal colour, because it is the colour of the sky. However, aquamarine blue is also the colour of water with its life-giving force. And aquamarine really does seem to have captured the lucid blue of the oceans. No wonder, when you consider that according to the saga it originated in the treasure chest of fabulous mermaids, and has, since ancient times, been regarded as the sailors' lucky stone. Its name is derived from the Latin 'aqua' (water) and 'mare' (sea). It is said that its strengths are developed to their best advantage when it is placed in water which is bathed in sunlight. However, it is surely better still to wear aquamarine, since according to the old traditions this promises a happy marriage and is said to bring the woman who wears it joy and wealth into the bargain. An ideal gem, not only for loving and married couples.
Primary sources for Aquamarine are Brazil, Russia and Madagascar.
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APRIL/DIAMOND
Diamonds can be found in almost every color of the rainbow, but the colorless stone has been the most popular for decades. The hardness is 10. The word, diamond, is from the Greek "adamas"- meaning unbreakable or indomitable. They were believed to render all poisons harmless & to drive away madness, night spirits, and evil dreams. Diamond is the modern birthstone for April, so we would like to take this opportunity to say a few words about fancy coloured diamonds, which are more to our taste than the colourless type: they're rarer, more valuable, and a great deal more colourful (although the colours do tend to be a little on the pale side).
Fancy coloured diamonds are not a mass-market product such as those which are advertised everywhere and sold by numbers. They have more personality than that. Fancy coloured diamonds are almost as much fun as coloured gemstones! Like coloured gemstones, each one is different. They come in fabulously expensive pale pinks and blues, pale to bright yellows, oranges, greens, and all those brown colours that are now given names like cognac and champagne. So, buy a diamond instead of a coloured gemstone if you must, but at least consider a fancy coloured one which will give your jewellery more character, more individuality and more colour!
They are mostly found in South Africa.
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MAY/EMERALD
Emerald. A deep green stone, natural emeralds almost always have visible inclusions, and need special care when setting & cleaning. A natural Emerald without flaws is very rare, and expensive! The hardness is 7.5-8. This stone is fragile, and care should be taken in cleaning & wearing- no sharp knocks on table edges or doorways! This stone has been linked to fertility & the Earth Goddess, is sacred to the Goddess Venus, and was worn by women to ease the pain of childbirth. Emerald is a cousin to the Aqua, both are in the Beryl family of stones.Emeralds are fascinating gemstones. They have the most beautiful, most intense and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined: emerald green. Inclusions are tolerated. In top quality, fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds.
The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green gemstone'. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red Sea in Egypt. Having said that, these gemstone mines, already exploited by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as 'Cleopatra's Mines', had already been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the early 19th century. The green of the emerald is the colour of life and of the springtime, which comes round again and again. But it has also, for centuries, been the colour of beauty and of constant love. In ancient Rome, green was the colour of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. And today, this colour still occupies a special position in many cultures and religions. Green, for example, is the holy colour of Islam. Many of the states of the Arab League have green in their flags as a symbol of the unity of their faith. Yet this colour has a high status in the Catholic Church too, where green is regarded as the most natural and the most elemental of the liturgical colours. Emeralds are found in Colombia Brazil, Africa, Russia, Pakistan, and Zambia.
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JUNE/ALEXSANDRITE OR PEARL
Pearl & Alexandrite are both commonly used for this month. Pearls are formed inside a mollusk, a response to an irritant felt by the animal. They can be found in many shades of whites, and many shapes- from perfectly round to fanciful baroque. Pearls are organic gems, created when an oyster covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre. Long ago, pearls were important financial assets, comparable in price to real estate, as thousands of oysters had to be searched for just one pearl. They were rare because they were created only by chance.The quality of pearls is judged by the orient, which is the soft iridescence caused by the refraction of light by the layers of nacre, and lustre, the reflectivity and shine of the surface. Fine pearls do not have any flaws or spots in the nacre: it has an even, smooth texture. Other factors which affect value are the regularity of the shape, size, and colour: rose tints are the most favoured.
Alexandrite is one of the few color-change stones. It will appear to be different colors in natural and flourescent lighting. It is rare in it's natural form, but can be found in a synthetic form, with the same color-change properties.This rare gemstone is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. The discovery was made on the day the future tsar came of age. Although alexandrite is a relatively young gemstone, it certainly has a noble history. Since it shows both red and green, the principal colours of old Imperial Russia, it inevitably became the national stone of tsarist Russia. The hardness is 8.5. Pearls are attributed to the Goddess Venus as a symbol of innocence. Pearls are readily found in both sea & fresh-water varieties. Alexandrite is found in Russia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Brazil.
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JULY/RUBY
A Ruby is found in varying shades of red; deep, clear stones are desirable. Some may have seen "star rubies", these are cabachon (domed) stones that reflect an asterisk light effect on the domed surface. When flawless, a Ruby is more valuable than a diamond. For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone should have: magnificent colour, excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. In addition to that, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities.
For a long time India was regarded as the ruby's classical country of origin. In the major works of Indian literature, a rich store of knowledge about gemstones has been handed down over a period of more than two thousand years. The term 'corundum', which we use today, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kuruvinda'. The Sanskrit word for ruby is 'ratnaraj', which means something like 'king of the gemstones'. And it was a royal welcome indeed which used to be prepared for it. Whenever a particularly beautiful ruby crystal was found, the ruler sent high dignitaries out to meet the precious gemstone and welcome it in appropriate style. Today, rubies still decorate the insignia of many royal households. The hardness is 9. Historically, the Ruby is associated with royalty & the power or life and death. It was attributed the power to prevent loss of blood, strengthen the heart, and negate poisons. They are a cousin to the Sapphire. Rubies are found in Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Afghanistan, India and Kenya.
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AUGUST/PERIDOT
The Peridot is a light green, almost electric color. The hardness is 6.5-7. It is believed to cure liver disease & dropsy; to free the mind from envious thoughts; and to dispel terrors of the night. For full magical power, it should be set in gold. Peridot is the stone assigned to the sun.The vivid green of the peridot, with just a slight hint of gold, is the ideal gemstone colour to go with that light summer wardrobe. No wonder – since the peridot is the gemstone of the summer month of August.
The peridot is a very old gemstone, and one which has become very popular again today. It is so ancient that it can be found in Egyptian jewellery from the early 2nd millennium B.C.. The stones used at that time came from a deposit on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, some 45 miles off the Egyptian coast at Aswan, which was not rediscovered until about 1900 and has, meanwhile, been exhausted for quite some time. Having said that, the peridot is also a thoroughly modern gemstone, for it was not until a few years ago that peridot deposits were located in the Kashmir region; and the stones from those deposits, being of an incomparably beautiful colour and transparency, have succeeded in giving a good polish to the image of this beautiful gemstone, which had paled somewhat over the millennia.
The ancient Romans too were fond of this gemstone and esteemed its radiant green shine, which does not change even in artificial light. For that reason they nicknamed it the 'emerald of the evening'. Peridot is also found in Europe in medieval churches, where it adorns many a treasure, for example one of the shrines in Cologne Cathedral. During the baroque period, the rich green gemstone once again enjoyed a brief heyday, and then it somehow faded into oblivion.
Peridot is plentifully found in Australia, Brazil, Burma, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
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SEPTEMBER/SAPPHIRE
Sapphire is found in a rainbow of colors, all but red. (Red Sapphire is actually Ruby, it's cousin!) There are also "star sapphires"- which are domed stones that show a starlight effect on the top. The hardness is 9. Sapphires are traditionally connected with the eye & the sky- therefore with vision & the ability to read the future. Sapphires render black magic harmless, and help the wearer discern falsehoods. Buddhists believe the Sapphire brings purity & spiritual enlightenment.In earlier times, some people believed that the firmament was an enormous blue sapphire in which the Earth was embedded. Could there be a more apt image to describe the beauty of an immaculate sapphire? And yet this gem comes not in one but in all the blue shades of that firmament, from the deep blue of the evening sky to the shining mid-blue of a lovely summer's day which casts its spell over us. However, this magnificent gemstone also comes in many other colours: not only in the transparent greyish-blue of a distant horizon but also in the gloriously colourful play of light in a sunset – in yellow, pink, orange and purple. Sapphires really are gems of the sky, although they are found in the hard ground of our 'blue planet'.
Blue is the main colour of the sapphire. Blue is also the favourite colour of some 50 per cent of all people, men and women alike. We associate this colour, strongly linked to the sapphire as it is, with feelings of sympathy and harmony, friendship and loyalty: feelings which belong to qualities that prove their worth in the long term – feelings in which it is not so much effervescent passion that is to the fore, but rather composure, mutual understanding and indestructible trust. Thus the blue of the sapphire has become a colour which fits in with everything that is constant and reliable. That is one of the reasons why women in many countries wish for a sapphire ring on their engagement. The sapphire symbolises loyalty, but at the same time it gives expression to people's love and longing. Perhaps the most famous example of this blue is to be found in music, in George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". And the blue of the sapphire even appears where nothing at all counts except clear-sightedness and concentrated mental effort. The first computer which succeeded in defeating a world chess champion bore the remarkable name 'Deep Blue'.
Sapphire is readily found in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Australia India, Madagascar, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.
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OCTOBER/OPAL OR TOURMALINE
Opal & Tourmaline are both representative of this month. Opals are usually opaque white stones with rainbow color specks or flashes that play over the surface. They can be found in breathtaking form! All of Nature’s splendour seems to be reflected in the manifold opulence of fine Opals: fire and lightnings, all the colours of the rainbow and the soft shine of far seas. Australia is the classical country of origin. Almost ninety-five per cent of all fine opals come from the dry and remote outback deserts.
Numerous legends and tales surround this colourful gemstone, which can be traced back in its origins to a time long before our memory, to the ancient dream time of the Australian aborigines. It is reported in their legends that the creator came down to Earth on a rainbow, in order to bring the message of peace to all the humans. And at the very spot, where his foot touched the ground, the stones became alive and started sparkling in all the colours of the rainbow. That was the birth of the Opals.
The group of fine Opals includes quite a number of wonderful gemstones, which share one characteristic: they shine and sparkle in a continually changing play of colours full of fantasy, which experts describe as “opalising”. Depending on the kind, place of occurrence, and colour of the main body, we differentiate Dark or Black Opal, White or Light Opal, Milk or Crystal Opal, Boulder Opal, Opal Matrix, Yowah Nuts from Queensland – the so-called “picture stones“, and also Mexican and Fire Opal. Opal variations are practically unlimited. They all show in their own special way that unique play of colours – except for Fire Opal, which due to its transparency, however, is nevertheless also considered a Fine Opal specimen. If Opals are lacking the typical play of colours, they are simply named “Common Opal”.
Tourmaline is a transparent stone, usually occurring in shades of pinks & greens.Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colours of the rainbow. And that is why it is still referred to as the 'gemstone of the rainbow' today.
The name tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words 'tura mali'. In translation, this means something like 'stone with mixed colours', referring to the colour spectrum of this gemstone, which outdoes that of all other precious stones. There are tourmalines from red to green and from blue to yellow. They often have two or more colours. There are tourmalines which change their colour when the light changes from daylight to artificial light, and some show the light effect of a cat's eye. No two tourmalines are exactly alike. This gemstone has an endless number of faces, and for that reason it suits all moods. No wonder that magical powers have been attributed to it since ancient times. In particular, it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, and is said to render them firm and long-lasting. Tourmaline hardness 7-7.5.
Opals are thought to possess the virtues of all the stones whose colors appear there. The Roman senator Nonius chose exile rather than surrendering an Opal to Mark Anthony. Tourmaline comes from the Sanskrit "turamali". Tourmaline is found in the United States (southern California and Maine), Brazil, and Madagascar. Opals are found predominantly in Australia.
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NOVEMBER/TOPAZ
The topaz has been known for at least 2000 years and is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. These so-called apocalyptic stones are intended to serve in protection against enemies and as a symbol of beauty and splendour. It cannot be proved conclusively whether the name of the topaz comes from the Sanskrit or the Greek, though the Greek name 'topazos' means 'green gemstone'. The Romans dedicated the topaz to Jupiter.
The colour in which the topaz is most commonly found is yellow, and that is the colour in which it occurs in one of the major German gemstone rocks, the Schneckenstein (a topaz-bearing rock said to resemble a snail) in Saxony. In the 18th century, it was mined there during a period of over 60 years. However, most of the crystals were hardly a centimetre in diameter. You had to go to Siberia or Brazil to find crystals as large as your fist. Having said that, anyone who is interested can convince himself of the beauty of cut specimens in the topaz set in Dresden's Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault). The enormous and magnificent topaz from the Portuguese crown, the Braganza, was for a long time thought to be a diamond. It weighs 1680 ct..
In mysticism, the topaz is attributed with a cooling, styptic and appetising effect. It is said to dispel sadness, anger and nocturnal fears, to warn its wearer of poisons and protect him or her from sudden death. It is reputed to make men handsome and intelligent and sterile women fertile and happy. However, it is probably better not to rely too much on its magical powers, since it was also claimed that you could immerse your hand in boiling water after a topaz had been thrown into it and retract it again unharmed! It is the stone of the month November.
In the Empire style, the topaz was still widespread, but then the more reasonably priced citrine took over from it and even usurped its name - gold topaz. Since then, the topaz has been a rather exotic figure in the jewellery trade, and has been given the additional predicate 'pure' to make it clear that the topaz, not the quartz topaz, is meant. And it is still waiting for its well deserved comeback to this day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- DECEMBER/BLUE ZIRCON
Blue Zircon usually starts out as a brownish-green stone, and is heated to turn it blue. Stones of more than a couple of carats are rarely seen, due to the difficulty in cutting this material. Hindu poets tell of the Kalpa Tree, the ultimate gift to the gods, a glowing tree covered in gemstone fruit with leaves of zircon. Zircon has long played a supporting role to more well-known gemstones, often stepping in as an understudy when they were unavailable.
In the middle ages, zircon was said to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and promote honour and wisdom in its owner. The name probably comes from the Persian word 'zargun', which means 'gold-coloured', although zircon comes in a wide range of different colours.
Natural zircon today suffers on account of the similarity of its name to cubic zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation. Many people are unaware that there is a beautiful natural gemstone called zircon.
Zircon occurs in a wide range of colours, but for many years the most popular was the colourless variety, which looks more like diamond than any other natural stone because of its brilliance and dispersion.
Today the most popular colour is blue zircon, which is considered an alternative birthstone for December. Most blue zircon is of a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems have a bright blue colour. Zircon is also available in green, dark red, yellow, brown, and orangThe hardness is 6-6.5. Zircon is said to drive away evil spirits & bad dreams, banish grief & melancholy, restore appetite, induce sleep, & protect against lightning! It is mined in Sri Lanka & Burma, mainly. Gem varieties occur in stream gravels and detrital deposits, particularly in Indochina and Sri Lanka, but also in Burma, Australia, and New Zealand.
(HARDNESS SCALE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Talc(1) Gypsum(2) Calcite(3) Fluorite(4) Apatite(5) Orthoclase(6) Quartz(7) Topaz(8) Corundum(9) Diamond(10)
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ANNIVERSARY CHART
1st Anniversary - Gold
2nd Anniversary - Garnet
3rd Anniversary - Pearls
4th Anniversary - Blue Topaz
5th Anniversary - Sapphire
6th Anniversary - Amethyst
7th Anniversary - Onyx
8th Anniversary - Tourmaline
9th Anniversary - Lapis Lazuli
10th Anniversary - Diamond
11th Anniversary - Turquoise
12th Anniversary - Jade
13th Anniversary - Citrine
14th Anniversary - Opal
15th Anniversary - Ruby
16th Anniversary - Peridot
17th Anniversary - Watches
18th Anniversary - Cat's Eye or Chrysoberyl
19th Anniversary - Aquamarine
20th Anniversary - Emerald
21st Anniversary - Iolite
22nd Anniversary - Spinel
23rd Anniversary - Imperial Topaz
24th Anniversary - Tanzanite
25th Anniversary - Silver Jubilee
30th Anniversary - Pearl Jubilee
35th Anniversary - Emerald
40th Anniversary - Ruby
45th Anniversary - Sapphire
50th Anniversary - Golden Jubilee
55th Anniversary - Alexandrite
60th Anniversary - Diamond Jubilee
65th Anniversary - Blue Spinel
70th Anniversary - Sapphire Jubilee
75th Anniversary - Diamond Jubilee
80th Anniversary - Ruby Jubilee
