Gemstones

Alexandrite
Alexandrite is a gem variety of the mineral chrysoberyl that changes color from green, blue green, pale green to mauve, violet to red, purplish and red in incandescent light. The more dramatic the colour change, the more rare and valuable the stone. Alexandrite was discovered in 1830 in Russia, and was named after Czar Alexander I.

Stones over 5 carats are very rare, especially if the colour change is good. Because of the rarity of this gemstone, bigger sizes are very high priced. Alexandrite is sourced from Russia's Ural Mountains. Other sources include Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Brazil.

Amber
Amber, which is fossilized pine tree sap of Pinus Succinifera formed 50 million years ago, is ancient and valuable. Demand is especially strong for amber with insects embedded inside. Over 1,000 extinct species of insects have been identified in amber including termites, moths, caterpillars, spiders, pseudoscorpions etc. The two main sources of amber are the Baltic States and the Dominican Republic. The Baltic amber, "The gold of the North" is the earliest used gem material of all.

The largest mine is in the Baltic region in Russia, west of Kaliningard. Baltic amber is found in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia, and occasionally washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea as far away as Denmark, Norway, and England. Other amber sources including Myanmar (formerly Burma), Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania, Germany, Canada, Czechoslovakia, China, Japan and U.S.A. Amber has a number of medicinal uses attributed to it.

Amethyst
Amethysts is a violet, pale red violet or purple coloured quartz. Purple has long been considered a royal color. Fine amethysts are studded in the British Crown Jewels and were one of the favorite gemstones of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety. Bishops still offer wear amethyst rings.

In Tibet amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often made from it. The Greek word "amethystos" basically means "not drunken", so amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness. Amethyst is supposed to have super natural powers, bringing luck, quickens intelligence, protects against magics and ensures constancy. Amethysts range in color from pale Illac to deep purple. Very dark amethyst, mostly in small sizes are mined in Australia. Sometimes amethyst and citrine colors are found in the same crystal of quartz. These bicolor yellow and purple quartz gemstones are called ametrine. Amethyst is a birthstone of February.

Ametrine
Sometimes amethyst and Citrine colours are found in the same crystal of quartz, called "Ametrines". It is inexpensive when considering that it comes from only one mine in the world. The Anahi Mines in Bolivia is the major world producer of ametrine. Ametrine is most typically faceted in a rectangular shape with a 50/50 pairing of amethyst and citrine. Ametrine can also be cut to blend the two colours so that the resulting stone is a mix of yellow, purple, and peach tones throughout the stone. Ametrine is a durable gemstone and can be well used for jewellery.

Aquamarine
Aquamarine, derives it name from "sea water". It is the birthstone for March. It is mainly found in Brazil, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria, and other countries. It is normally pastel blue in color but the darker the color, the more valuable it is. The greenish ones are not so expensive.

Being very pale coloured, aquamarine has to have a very high clarity to hold a darker shade, so it has to be a bit bigger in size. Aquamarine is considered to have powers to protect against evil. Also it helps couples work out their differences and thus makes a good anniversary gift.

Citrine
Named from the French name for lemon, "Citron", Citrines have a lemony colour. The shades of yellow to gold to orange brown go very well with the luster of yellow gold. Citrine was considered in the ancient times to ward of evil thoughts and protect against snake venom. The darker, orange brown colour of citrine also called "Madeira Citrine", for the colour of wine, are the most expensive ones. Citrine is generally a bit less expensive than Amethyst. Citrine deposits on earth are mostly located in Brazil. Some of the other places are Madagascar, U.S.A., Argentina, Namibia, Russia, Spain and Scotland. Citrine is a birthstone for November.

Coral
Coral as a gemstone has been used for adornment since pre-historic times. It was also considered to be a powerful talisman against bad luck, injuries and accidents. It has colors ranging from white to red and there are some black corals also. As seen in the coral reef, it's formation in underwater colonies look more like trees. Coral colonies are found in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Pacific, off Japan and Taiwan.

Corals are most valuable when they are available in the colors red, black or pink. It being very soft as compared to the other gemstones, has to be stored very carefully to avoid scratches and should be kept away from all chemicals, even those which are not corrosive.

Diamond
Diamond is the hardest mineral on earth, combined with exceptional luster and a brilliant fire, diamonds happen to be the most highly priced substance on earth. Diamonds, which have a transparency of 100 percent, are the most popular. They are also available in colors from yellow and brown to green, blue, pink, red, gray, and black depending on the impurities present. Being very hard, only a diamond can cut or polish another diamond.

Exceptionally high temperatures and pressures are necessary to form diamonds. This can be found only at depths of 80 kilometers underground. India and Brazil used to be the primary producers of diamonds, mainly sifted out of river gravel. Since the discovery of diamond in the Kimberly rock, South Africa in 1870, it is the biggest diamond producer in the world. Other countries are Ghana, Sierra Leone, Zaire, Botswana, Namibia, the former USSR, the USA, and Brazil. Diamonds are graded by color, cut, clarity, and carat (weight)- the four "C's".

Emerald
The natural color of Emerald is green, which is considered to be the color of spring, and it is this reason that emerald symbolizes love and rebirth. Emerald, which has been around for almost 4000 years now is said to be good for both the mind and the heart. The Mughal emperors of India valued emeralds so much that they were given a place in their sacred texts - these emperors included Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal.

Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May. It is also the gemstone for the 20th marriage anniversary. In short, a symbol of perfect love. Ancient emeralds are generally from deposits in Egypt what is now Afghanistan. Columbia is considered to be the source of best emeralds in the world. Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Russia also produce fine emeralds. The most important factor, which is looked into when buying an Emerald is it's color, the more green the emerald, the more expensive it is. Emeralds are generally treated with oil, which is used to fill up the fissures and cracks in it's structure.

Emeralds are cut in a rectangular step-cut which is also called the emerald cut. Apart from this, the other shapes in which emeralds are cut, are round, oval, pear, and marquise. Due to their rich colour, emeralds are also cut in cabochon (smooth dome-shaped). A rare transparent, dark green emerald can be more valuable than a diamond of the same size!

Garnet
Garnet is a gemstone for all seasons. They are a closely related group of gemstones that are available in every color. Dark reds, tangerine orange, vivid lime green, soft bluish-pink, garnet is all these colors and more. Garnets have long been carried by travellers to protect them against accidents. The name garnet probably comes from pomegranate. Most people think automatically of small dark red gemstones, even though this is only one aspect of the world of garnets.

Garnet is the birthstone for January. Rhodolite, Malaya, Demantoid, Grossular, Hessonite, Spessartite, Almandine, Mandarin, and combinations between these are some of the varieties of garnets. One of the most popular is rhodolite garnet, which ranges from pink to purplish red in colour and is mined in Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. Tsavorite garnet is bright yellow green to grass green and is mined in Tanzania and Kenya. Demantoid garnet, a bright green colour with dazzling brilliance, is the most valuable since it is very rare. They are found in Russia, China, Korea, U.S.A., Namibia are Zaire. Others countries include Myanmar, China, Madagascar, Sri -lanka and South Africa.

Hematite
The stone is called Hematite because when it is cut, the saw coolant becomes of red color. In some countries it is also called 'Bloodstone' and means color 'Red' in Greek. When Hematite is cut into thin plates, it is red and transparent and once it is polished, it becomes metallic and shiny.

It is mainly used for bead necklaces and rings. Deposits can be found in Bangladesh, New Zealand, England.

Iolite
Iolite displays different colours in different directions in the same crystal. A cube cut from iolite will look a violet blue from one side, clear as water from the other, and a honey yellow from the top. Because of this, some people in the past called iolite "water sapphire". The name iolite comes from the Greek "ios", which means violet. Iolite resembles a sapphire, but affordable. The more transparent and blue the stone, the better. It is mined in India, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Brazil. Iolite is relatively hard but should be protected from blows.

Lapis Lazuli
Lapis is a dark blue colour gemstone often with sparkles of golden pyrite inclusions. The finest lapis is considered to be of solid, deep blue colour with no calcite spots and just a sprinkling of brassy yellow pyrite. Lazurite is the main mineral of this gemstone which is in the form of a micro-crystalline structure. The main and perhaps the only deposits of lapis lazuli are the ancient mines in Afghanistan, which have been producing fine quality gemstones since the pre-historic time. Though on a smaller scale, deposits of lapiz lazuli are also found in Pakistan, Angola, Italy, Labrador, Chile, Siberia and Colorado in the United States. This gemstone has to be protected from scratches, as it is not very hard.

Moonstone
Moonstone with its unique silky shimmer is a variety of feldspar. This shine is caused by the intergrowth of two different types of feldspar, with different refractive indexes. Moonstones come in a variety of colors. The body color can range from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, green, or pink. The clarity ranges from transparent to translucent.

The best moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity, and a colorless body color. Fine moonstone is quite rare. It is mined in Sri Lanka and Southern India. The rainbow variety can be found in Madagascar. Moonstones are usually cut in a smooth-domed cabochon to maximize the shimmery effect. It is a birthstone for June.

Opal
Opals play of colour, flashing and sparkling cannot be matched by any stone. Opal has been treasured throughout history and valued very high by all. Opal is made up of silica. Sedimentary in nature, opal has a grid alignment of silica spheres. The size of the spheres determine the wavelength and therefore the different colours. The brilliance of the colour gets enhanced by the regularity of the grid. Opal contains 6 to 10 percent water, therefore direct exposure to sunlight or heat can crack or deform opal. Opal was treasured in the Middle Ages and was called "ophthalmios" or eye stone, due to a widespread belief that it was beneficial to eyesight. Ancient opal came from the mines near Cervenica, Hungry, in what is now Eastern Slovakia.

Colours seen in opal depend on the body colour and transparency of the stone. The body colour determines the variety of opal. Opal with a black to dark grey body colour, has the most brilliant colours and is the most valuable. Fire opal, the next most costly type of opal, is transparent and is highly valued. White and milky opals tend to have more diffused colours due to the light back-ground colour. This is the most affordable type of opal. Generally, opal with red fire is the most valued because opal that shows red will also show other colours when rolled back and forth. Large flashes and broad patterns in opals are more rare and therefore more valuable than small pinpoint patterns.

Deposits are found in Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, U.S.A., Mexico, Russia, Czechoslovakia and Japan. Black opal is found only in Australia in Lighting Ridge, the most famous opal deposit in the world, which were discovered in 1903. Mexico and the state of Oregon in the United States produce volcanic opal called fire opal. Fire opal is transparent opal ranging in colour from colourless to yellow, orange and red. Sometimes it also shows play of colour in addition to its bright orange body colour. Opal is the birthstone of October.

Peridot
Peridot, a green stone, is a gem form of the mineral olivine. It is found only in the green colour ranging from brownish to yellow-green, olive green to a bottle green. It is the birthstone for the month of August. It's earliest recorded mining was in Egypt on an island called Zeberget. Most of the deposits today are concentrated in Arizona in the San Carlos reservation. Other important deposits are in Australia, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania, China and Sri-Lanka.

Rhodonite
Rhodonite, which means 'Rose' in Greek, has a vitreous luster and is red in color. It is used for wall tiles, necklaces and ornamental objects.

It can be found in Tanzania, Madagascar, Japan, Russia, Mexico, South Africa and United States.

Rock Crystal
Crystal in Greek means 'ice' and it's called so because it was the belief that Rock crystal was everlastingly frozen. Rock Crystals are mostly used for costume Jewellery and to imitate diamonds. It is also sometimes confused with glass.

Its deposits are mostly found in Brazil, United States and Madagascar.

Rose Quartz
The stone is called Rose Quartz because it's pink in color. Its coloring agents are titanium and manganese and its color can fade.

Its deposits are found in India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Madagascar and Brazil.

Ruby
Ruby belongs to the corundum group, which is a crystalline form of alluminium oxide. Ruby is one of the earliest gemstones discovered by man. It's name in the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit means 'The King of precious stones' or 'The Leader of precious stones'. Rubies today are even more valuable than the top quality colorless diamonds. In-fact, the hunt for a good quality ruby is a never-ending task, which is a full time profession for many gemologists. The most preferred colour of ruby is red.

A pure spectral red without any overtones of brown and/or blue, in fact it is said that a good specimen of ruby looks like a glowing piece of coal. All colors of corundum except red are known as sapphires. It is at times difficult to tell where ruby ends and sapphire begins, particularly in pink shades of corundum. After color, the other most important factors are clarity, cut, and size.

Rubies that are perfectly transparent, with no tiny flaws, are more valuable than those with inclusions visible to the eye. A well-cut stone should reflect back light evenly across the surface. Rubies and other gemstones are sold per carat. Larger rubies, because they are more rare, will cost more. Ruby sometimes displays a three-ray, six-point star. The star is best visible when illuminated with a single light sources. The star moves across the stone as the light moves. This effect, called "asterism" is caused by light reflected by "rutile" needles.

The value of star rubies is based on the intensity and attractiveness of the body color and sharpness of the star. The richest deposits of rubies is in Burma, now called Myanmar. The rubies from these mines are vivid in colour and have strong fluorescence when exposed to ultraviolet rays. Rubies from Kenya and Tanzania were discovered in the sixties. These rubies have excellent colour, but due to inclusions are not transparent enough to be rated the best. Same is the case with rubies from African mines. Sometimes, top-quality rubies are seen from Afganistan, Pakistan, or the Pamir Mountains of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Sapphire
Sapphire, is found in a range of colours, from midnight blue to the bright blue, golden yellow to firey redish-orange and delicate violets. The most famous and valuable sapphires are a rich intense royal blue. Sapphire symbolizes truth, sincerity and faithfulness, it is also the symbol of pure and wise rulers and therefore the British Crown jewels are full of sapphire. It is the favorite choice for an engagement ring. The birthstone for the month September, Sapphire, is also the gemstone for the sun-sign Taurus. Sapphires come from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, and Cambodia. Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Vietnam, Madagascar, and the United States also produce sapphire. The deposits in Montana in the United States produce a range of fancy colors.

The most famous sources for sapphire are Kashmir and Burma now known as Myanmar. However, today, these two sources account only for a very small quantity of the sapphire on the market. Most fine sapphire comes from Sri Lanka. Thailand and Cambodia are renowned for deep blue, even colors. Madagascar and Tanzania, produce sapphires too. The most valuable sapphires are of a vivid blue color. Black, gray, or green overtones in blue, reduces a stone's value. A paler blue stone will be less preferred than a darker hue. Sapphires from Kashmir have a velvety mist-like texture which enhances the richness of the blue. Sapphires in other than blue colour, are known as fancy sapphires.

Yellow, bright orange, lavender, purple and bluish green colors are very popular. The toughest and the most hardest of all gemstones, Next only to diamond, sapphire is used in the clockwork of wrist watches to make it scratch proof. Sapphires are most often cut in a cushion shape, rounded or rectangle. Sapphires are also cut in round brilliant, triangles, squares, emerald cut, marquises, pear, baquette and dome shaped cabochon. Some cabochon sapphire are polished to give a star effect similar to rubies, caused by rutile needles. The brightness of the star and the evenness of it's sides are the parameters to judge to star sapphire. A red sapphire is called a ruby. Pink shades of corundum are known either as pink rubies or pink sapphires.

Smoky Quartz
The stone belongs to the Quartz group and the prefix smoky depicts it's smoky color. If the stone is very dark it's also called 'morion' and 'cairngorm'.

Its deposits can be found in Russia, Madagascar, Scotland, Switzerland, Brazil and Ukraine.

Spinel
Spinel, especially red spinel was mistaken for ruby for many years because of the striking resemblance. Many famous rubies in crown jewels around the world are actually spinel. The most famous is the Black Prince's Ruby, a magnificent 170-carat red spinel that adorns the Imperial State Crown in the British Crown Jewels. Well-Known Timur Ruby is actually a 352-carat red spinel at present owned by Queen Elizabeth. Spinel occurs in all colours, the favorite being a ruby-like red.

The most sought after is a vivid hot pink with a tinge of orange that is found in Myanmar. Very rare are the blue coloured spinel, sometimes, called cobalt spinel. Spinel deposits occur in Myanmar, Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tadjikstan, New Zealand, India, Thailand, Nepal, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Finland and U.S.A. spinel is mined in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and, part of the former Soviet Union.

Tanzanite
A velvety blue variety of the mineral zoisite - tanzanite has a relatively short history. Having been discovered in the year 1967 and named after the country in which it was discovered by Tiffany & Co. who introduced it to the world market in 1969, it is often compared to the finest sapphire. Tanzanite shows different colours when viewed in different directions. One direction would display intense blue and other direction could show brown or paler blue.

Tanzanite is brown colour when found in ground. With gentle heating, the stone turns into a beautiful blue colour. The color of tanzanite is intense in sizes above ten carats. Smaller tanzanites are usually paler and tanzanites with purple colour are less expensive.

Topaz
Topaz is available in a wide range of colours going through brown, yellow, orange , sherry, red and pink topaz. The "Braganza" is the most famous topaz, set in the Portguese crown. Topaz is believed to dispel all enchantment and help to improve eye sight as well. The most common colour is yellow with a red tint. Pink to reddish orange are valuable. The most important supplier of topaz is Brazil. Other deposits are in Afghanistan, Australia, Myanmar, China, Japan, Namibia, Pakistan, Russia, Sri-Lanka and U.S.A. Light blue topaz are found in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall, England. Topaz is a birthstone for the month November.

Tourmaline
"Turmali" in Sinhalese means "mixed" and hence Tourmaline. Available in a wide range of colour, it is one of the most colourful variety where bicolour and tricolour tourmaline add to the already existing rainbow of colours. "Watermelon tourmaline", in which there is a pink center and green rind, is very popular. Other varieties are Achroite, Cat's eye Tourmaline, Dravite, Indicolite, rubellite and Schorl siberite.

Tourmalines of all colours are found in Brazil, especially in Minas Gerais and Bahia. Paraiba tourmaline have vivid blue and green colours. Tourmalines are hard and durable gemstones, mainly cut in long rectangular shapes due to their long and narrow crystal shape. Besides Brazil, tourmaline deposits are found in Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Russia, Switzerland, Kenya, Afghanistan, Sri-Lanka, Pakistan Nigeria, Australia, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Italy, Zaire and U.S.A.

Turquoise
Turquoise is one of the oldest known gem materials. As the name suggests, turquoise was believed to have come from Turkey, though this is not true. Persia has been the major source for thousands of years. The blue of this gemstone is so vivid and distinct that it has given its name to the colour. The Egyptians mined turquoise in 3,200 BC in the Sinai. The most important turquoise deposits are in Iran, Tibet, China, and the Southwestern United States.

Turquoise is a mineral usually found in association with copper deposits. Many ancient cultures considered turquoise to have powerful properties. In ancient Mexico, turquoise was reserved for the gods; mortals would not wear it. Turquoise from Iran is said to be the best because of it being a clear sky blue colour and no black veins running through it. Turquoise is a birthstone for the month December.