Blog — Gemstones

Summer is my favorite time of year, but all that fun-in-the-sun can be hard on your jewelry. Here are a few tips to help you make it through beach season with your favorite jewels in tact: It’s best to keep your jewelry out of the sun. Gemstones can be sensitive to light. Amethyst and topaz for example, can fade in color when exposed to sunlight. Pearls can become dry and brittle when subjected to extreme heat and light. It’s best to leave your gemstone jewelry at home when you are headed out for a beach day. Be careful with sunscreen....

Green amethyst is one of the most popular gems I work with.  The soft green color is flattering on just about everyone.  Other gems like purple amethyst or blue topaz give the wearer a bold pop of color, but green amethyst reads more like a neutral.  You can really wear it with everything.  But did you know that green amethyst is actually a misnomer? The accurate name of green amethyst is prasiolite (pronounced "PRAYS-ee-oh-light”). Prasiolite is a yellow-green variety of quartz.  Most prasiolite is produced by heating natural amethyst, which changes the color of the amethyst from purple to green. ...

March babies are lucky as they have one of the most beautiful birthstones, the aquamarine. Aquamarine is a color variety of the mineral beryl and can be found on most continents. These gems are blue or slightly greenish-blue, and the finest specimens are clear “as water” and transparent. Aquamarine’s name comes from the Latin for seawater. Ancient Romans believed that aquamarine would protect against any dangers while traveling at sea, and that it provided energy and cured laziness. Fun Facts:  The largest gem-quality aquamarine crystal ever mined was 19 inches long, found in Brazil in 1910.  The largest cut aquamarine...

Read myths, tales, and trivia about Moonstone. As June's birthstone, gem looks beautiful set in sterling silver and gold, and has been used in jewelry for millennia.  What could be more beautiful than the light of the moon, captured in a gemstone?