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BIRTHSTONES
January GARNET
February AMETHYST
March AQUAMARINE
April DIAMOND
May EMERALD
June PEARL
July RUBY
August PERIDOT
September SAPPHIRE
October OPAL
November TOPAZ
December TURQUOISE
Jewellery of the month MAY 08
AMETHYSTS
Amethysts are the purple variety of quartz crystal. Amethyst is coloured purple or violet by traces of manganese or ferric iron thought to be in conjunction with radiation. During the 1850s large deposits of amethysts were discovered in Brazil making the mining of Amethysts easy. The consequence was that the price of amethysts plummeted and can still be bought relatively cheaply. A good stone should be a deep, rich velvety purple with a soft appearance but it is very rare to find a perfectly even coloured stone. Siberian amethysts are considered to be the best and tend to be a reddish mauve. Uruguayan examples are more violet in hue, and Mexian stones are a paler greyish mauve. On exposure to heat amethysts can become a yellow colour and it is often claimed that yellow quartz, citrine and cairngotm are 'burnt amethyst'. As amethyst is hard in nature it is suitable for use as jewellery , its lustre is vitreous/ glossy and it is water insoluble.
Jewellery of the Month JUNE 08:
FRESHWATER PEARLS: Currently there are only a limited selection of freshwater pearls. We are hoping to add to this selection as the months pass. To make the product more exciting our in house designer will be mixing the pearls with other semi precious stones to give a little variety. Please click on 'Freshwater Pearls' within the left hand navigation for our current selection.
Since pearls are partly composed of organic material, nacre tends to deteriorate over time hence, care needs to be taken to look after them. (Nacre is composed of two main substances, Argonite which is a crystalline form of calcium carbonate and conchiolin, a more complex substance which binds together with aragonite crystals like bricks in a wall. The unique way in which aragonite crystals are deposited gives the nacre coating the ability to reflect and refact light. Because nacre is translucent ,light has the ability to reflect of its exterior surface as well as from layers just below the surface. This gives the pearl a unique lustrre unlike that of any other gemstone}.
The culturing of freshwater pearls began in Lake Biwa in Japan in the 1930's. These 'all nacre' gems became so popular that the name 'Biwa' has often been mistakenly used to denote any freshwater pearl.Unfortunately because of pollution of the water Lake Biwa produces very few pearls today.
Try not to spray pearls with perfume, hairspray or any other cosmetic material which may hasten their demise. Anything acid is not good for pearls. Excessive dryness can crack them so store them in a case or pouch lined with soft material somewhere with at least a little humidity. It is a good idea to wipe your pearls with a soft damp cloth after wearing if your skin is acidic. A little olive oil can be good for your pearls if you feel like pampering them!
Jewellery of the Month JULY 08
RUBIES: Next to diamonds rubies are the most valuable of gemstones although a flawless high grade ruby can cost more than a diamond. When a ruby is sold with a certificate of origin from a recognised gemmologist the value of the stone is very much enhanced. Rubies are a form of corundum a mineral formed from aluminium oxide and have been mined for thousands of years. They have however only been appreciated as gemstones since the 18th Century. They are mainly found in Burma, Thailand West Africa and Kenya.
The shade of a ruby is determined by the amount of chromium in the stone and as always the clarity is of prime importance. Burmese stones tend to be of a blood like hute whilst Thai stones tend to have a more purple or brown colouring (because of iron content). Stones from Sri Lanki are rarely used in jewellery in the Western World because of their pale pink colour. Often stones are 'heat treated' to enhance the depth of colour and burn away any inclusions making the stone more desirable.
Synthetic rubies are also available and production of these was made originally in the 19th Century and lack the normal crystalline inclusions found in natural stones but sometimes contain tiny internal bubbles. The colour tends to be of bright cherry hues and compare favourably with natural Burmese stones of similar cut and polish