Birthstones and their vivid colors have long been a way to connect your birth month with rare and unique gemstones. They are a meaningful gift for mom, a friend, spouse, or family member during a special occasion. But they mean much more than that as you’ll find out below. Whether you’re shopping for a birthstone or trying to determine the birthstone gem colors that match each month, you’ve come to the right place. We will cover the origins of these stones, how they’re typical uses, and describe each month’s birthstone. They’re great stones for rings, necklaces, earrings, b ..read more

It wasn’t long ago that spinel was thought to be a ruby due to its lustrous orange-red color. Mineralogist Jean Baptiste Louis Rome de Lisle was able to identify differences though between rubies and spinel minerals in 1783. Multiple stones previously assumed to be rubies are now able to be recognized as a spinel. There are two spinel gems, in fact, in the English crown jewels. Although spinel appears in a variety of colors such as pink, blue, purple and black, the brilliant reds are most popular and are sometimes referred to as “flame spinel.” Spinel deposits occur all over the world, but Sou ..read more

Discovered 2,000 years ago in India, the bold and beautiful ruby is considered the King of Gems. Signifying wealth, success, romance, health, and devotion, the gorgeous stone was utilized by ancient warriors on the battlefield, as well as royal figures throughout the world’s history. In the first century AD, the Roman scholar Pliny included rubies in his Natural History, describing their hardness and density.         Gemme Couture Red Velvet Ruby Diamond Bangle Bracelet     Deriving from the Mogok region of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, rubies have stayed at ..read more

Colored gemstone engagement rings are unique and, today, very desired engagement rings. It turns out that diamonds are not anymore girl’s best friend when wedding rings are in question. Diamonds may have been a girl’s best friend once upon a time, but it seems they’ve lost their sparkle among millennials. Young couples are increasingly choosing colorful stones such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires for engagement jewelry, eschewing from a long-standing tradition (and marketing push) towards diamonds. Millennials gravitate towards alternative engagement rings for a variety of ethical, financia ..read more

  All diamonds symbolize elegant beauty, but some go above and beyond to adorn royalty, inspire conspiracy and make a lasting impression on the world. From the world’s largest diamond to the crowning jewels of royalty, here is the list of the most famous diamonds the world has ever seen:   The Hope Diamond   The Hope Diamond The Hope Diamond is an antique blue 45.52 carats diamond. Widely considered the most famous diamond in the world, the Hope Diamond received its name from Henry Thomas Hope and was discovered centuries ago in the southern region of India. Long before the fa ..read more

The month of March is associated with two beautiful birthstones – one of them is Bloodstone, the other is Aquamarine. We wrote about the second one two times. Bloodstone may not have the overt beauty of aquamarine, but many prize this stone for its symbolism and other properties. But the other birthstone, bloodstone is even older and also been referred to as the birthstone for month March in earlier days. This stone was treasured in ancient times, and long served as the birthstone for March. March birthstone is a unique and powerful gemstone. It is a variety of prase (dark green/greenish-blue ..read more

Items of personal adornment from the Nile Valley are an important part of the history of jewelry. More than mere body ornament, Ancient Egyptian Jewelry was used to display rank, proclaim wealth, and designate social status. It was also fashioned into powerful amulets, objects of barter and trade, accouterments of daily attire, diplomatic gifts, military honors, and propagandistic tools. Where do We Get Information about Ancient Egyptian Jewelry?   Most valuable are ornaments recovered during excavations. Another important resource exists in the detailed recording of jewelry and jewelry-m ..read more

With every year and every season come new jewelry trends. It is impossible to characterize jewelry trends 2019 in one look, In fact, Bold seems to be the prevailing theme; whether large statement pieces or dainty pieces layered to create a statement look. One can forget to take a bag, but forgetting a bracelet or earrings today is considered a sign of bad taste! The main jewelry trends 2019 include the abundance of stones, multilayering, large-scale parts, and asymmetry.   Pile on the Necklaces   An accumulation of necklaces will thrill any jewelry lover.   Layered necklaces: C ..read more

  When we think of precious stones, diamonds, emeralds, and rubies jump to mind as the most valuable gemstones in the world. However (or perhaps surprisingly), there are so many gemstones that are even rarer and, in turn, even more valuable. There are roughly 200 varieties of natural gemstone known in the world today. Alongside the world’s precious gems (diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald) are numerous semi-precious stones, some of which are so incredibly rare that their value outstrips many of the world’s most valuable precious gems. Here are a few of the rarest gemstones from around t ..read more

Tourmaline is the birthstone for October, along with the opal. Tourmaline comes in a staggering variety of colors. This stone has one of the widest color ranges of all gems! Some color varieties are so prominent and popular that they’ve gained their own trade names. These types of tourmalines include Rubellite: Tourmaline that is red, purplish red, brownish red, orange-red, or pink. Paraiba: An intense greenish blue, only found in the state of Paraiba, Brazil. Chrome: Intense green. Watermelon: Pink in the center and green around the outside. Watermelon tourmaline from Afghanistan   The ..read more