Gemstone Quick Guide PDF

THE PRECIOUS & SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMSTONE QUICK GUIDE DIAMONDS EXPLAINED DIFFERENT DIAMOND CUTS ROUND BRILLIANT MARQUISE RADIANT OVAL PRINCESS EMERALD CUSHION BAGUETTE ASSCHER PEAR HEART TRILLIANT DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED...

THE PRECIOUS & SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMSTONE QUICK GUIDE DIAMONDS EXPLAINED DIFFERENT DIAMOND CUTS ROUND BRILLIANT MARQUISE RADIANT OVAL PRINCESS EMERALD CUSHION BAGUETTE ASSCHER PEAR HEART TRILLIANT DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A ROUND DIAMOND? THE ROUND DIAMOND HAS LONG BEEN CONSIDERED THE STANDARD FOR ALL OTHER DIAMOND SHAPES. A ROUND DIAMOND HAS 58 FACETS CUT INTO IT AND IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS. THE UPPERMOST PART OF THE GEM IS CALLED THE CROWN, AND IS THE LARGEST FLAT SURFACE OF THE STONE. THE MIDDLE PART IS REFERRED TO AS THE GIRDLE, AND IS THE WIDEST PART OF THE DIAMOND. THE BASE, OR PAVILION, IS THE BOTTOM OF THE STONE, AND IS CALIBRATED SPECIFICALLY TO ALLOW FOR THE MOST SPARKLE. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A RADIANT DIAMOND? THE RADIANT CUT DIAMOND IS A BEAUTIFULLY SYMMETRICAL, NON-TRADITIONAL CUT, THE RADIANT CUT COMBINES THE BRILLIANCE OF A ROUND AND THE PURITY OF AN EMERALD CUT. TRIMMED CORNERS GIVE THIS LOOSE DIAMOND SHAPE VERSATILITY TO SHINE IN ALL KINDS OF JEWELRY, ESPECIALLY ENGAGEMENT RINGS. THE FACETING OF A RADIANT CUT GIVES IT A FIERY LOOK COMPARED TO A PRINCESS CUT, WHILE MAINTAINING SOFT, CUT CORNERS. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A PRINCESS CUT DIAMOND? RELATIVELY SPEAKING, THE PRINCESS CUT IS A NEWER STYLE. SQUARE IN SHAPE AND WITH MANY FACETS, PRINCESS CUT DIAMONDS LOOK ESPECIALLY STUNNING WHEN FLANKED IN A SETTING BY TRIANGULAR STONES. IF A PRINCESS CUT DIAMOND IS TO BE USED FOR A RING, IT IS MORE FLATTERING TO A HAND WITH LONG, TAPERED FINGERS, AS ITS SQUARE SHAPE CAN MAKE FINGERS LOOK SHORTER AND THICKER. A DIAMOND THAT IS PRINCESS CUT TENDS TO HAVE MORE DEPTH, AS OPPOSED TO EXTENSIVE SURFACE AREA. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A CUSHION CUT DIAMOND? CUSHION CUT DIAMONDS, ALSO REFERRED TO AS THE MINE CUT OR OLD MINE CUT, DERIVE THEIR NAME FROM THE SHAPE, WHICH RESEMBLES A PILLOW. THESE LOOSE DIAMONDS ARE SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE, BUT UNLIKE THE PRINCESS CUT DIAMOND, THEIR CORNERS ARE ROUNDED. ALTHOUGH GENERALLY LESS BRILLIANT THAN ROUND BRILLIANT DIAMONDS, CUSHIONS HAVE MORE FIRE. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS AN ASSCHER CUT DIAMOND? THE ASSCHER CUT WAS DEVELOPED IN HOLLAND BY TWO BROTHERS, WITH THE LAST NAME OF ASSCHER, IN 1902. LIKE THE EMERALD CUT, THE ASSCHER CUT IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE A “STEP” DESIGN. IT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A “SQUARE EMERALD CUT,” AS IT HAS THE SAME DRAMATIC FLAT PLANES THAT OFFER THEATRICAL FLASHES OF LIGHT, BUT IN THE SHAPE OF A SQUARE INSTEAD OF A RECTANGLE. THE ASSCHER CUT HAS GAINED POPULARITY ONLY WITHIN THE LAST DECADE. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A HEART DIAMOND? FOR THE ULTIMATE HOPELESS ROMANTIC, A HEART SHAPED DIAMOND IS THE DEFINITIVE EXPRESSION OF LOVE. THE HEART CUT IS ACTUALLY A PEAR CUT DIAMOND WITH THE ADDITION OF A SMALL CLEFT ON THE ROUNDED BOTTOM. HEART CUT DIAMONDS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO CRAFT AND THE SKILL OF THE CUTTER IS CRUCIAL TO THE FINAL FIRE AND BRILLIANCE OF THE GEM. IN ORDER TO GET THE BEST SPARKLE FROM THIS CUT, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE STONE BE AS CLOSE TO ONE CARAT AS POSSIBLE, IF NOT LARGER. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A MARQUISE DIAMOND? THE FAMOUS MARQUISE CUT WAS COMMISSIONED BY LOUIS XIV OF FRANCE, WHO WANTED A DIAMOND REPRESENTATION OF THE MARQUISE DE POMPADOUR’S BEAUTIFUL SMILE. THE ELONGATED SHAPE OF THE MARQUISE CUT, WITH EACH END CUT TO A FINE POINT, HAS BEEN A POPULAR CHOICE WITH DIAMOND LOVERS FOR CENTURIES. THIS PARTICULAR CUT IS WELL-LOVED FOR ITS ELEGANCE AS A SOLITAIRE, AS WELL AS ITS ABILITY TO BE MATCHED WITH—AND ENHANCE THE SPLENDOR OF—OTHER GEMSTONES. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS AN OVAL CUT DIAMOND? AN OVAL CUT DIAMOND IS GEOMETRICALLY SYMMETRICAL, WITH AN EVEN, DRAWN OUT, SPHERICAL SHAPE. WHILE THE OVAL CUT IS NOT EXTREMELY POPULAR, MANY FIND IT TO BE A FLATTERING SHAPE THAT MAKES FINGERS APPEAR LONGER AND THINNER WHEN IN A RING SETTING. FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE LOOK OF A ROUND CUT DIAMOND BUT WOULD LIKE SOMETHING MORE UNIQUE, THE OVAL BRILLIANT CUT IS A WONDERFUL ALTERNATIVE. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS AN EMERALD CUT DIAMOND? EMERALD CUT DIAMONDS ARE RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE WITH TRIMMED CORNERS. THE FLAT PLANES OF THE CORNERS LOOK SIMILAR TO STAIR STEPS, WHICH IS WHY AN EMERALD CUT IS CONSIDERED A “STEP” CUT. DUE TO ITS ELONGATED SHAPE, AN EMERALD CUT DIAMOND TENDS TO BE LESS FIERY THAN A ROUND DIAMOND. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MORE SURFACES THAT ARE WIDE AND FLAT ON AN EMERALD CUT DIAMOND THAN ON A ROUND CUT GEM, SO FLASHES OF LIGHT TEND TO BE MORE VIVID WITH THIS STYLE. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A BAGUETTE DIAMOND CUT? A BAGUETTE DIAMOND IS A STEP-CUT DIAMOND COMMONLY USED AS A SIDE STONE OR ACCENT STONE. BAGUETTE DIAMONDS ARE LONG AND RECTANGULAR OR TAPERED AND FEATURE 14 FACETS. BAGUETTE DIAMONDS STEPPED ONTO THE SCENE IN THE 20TH CENTURY AS A MODERN AND FUNCTIONAL CUT. TODAY, BAGUETTE DIAMONDS HAVE BECOME A POPULAR CHOICE FOR THREE-STONE ENGAGEMENT RINGS DUE TO THEIR SHAPE AND AVERAGE CARAT SIZE. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND? A PEAR SHAPED DIAMOND IS A STUNNING BLEND OF A MARQUISE AND EITHER AN OVAL OR ROUND CUT. IT GETS ITS NAME BECAUSE OF ITS RESEMBLANCE TO THE FRUIT, AND HAS ALSO BEEN COMPARED TO THE SHAPE OF A TEARDROP. BECAUSE OF ITS UNUSUAL SHAPE, PEAR CUT DIAMONDS REQUIRE A SPECIAL SETTING THAT SUPPORTS THE HEAVIER ROUND BASE, WHILE PROTECTING THE POINTED END AT THE SAME TIME. DIAMOND CUTS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A TRILLIANT CUT DIAMOND? TRILLIANT CUT DIAMONDS ARE TRIANGULAR IN SHAPE AND ARE CUT WITH A MINIMUM OF 43 FACETS. THE TRILLIANT CUT CAN ALSO BE REFERRED TO AS TRILLION OR TRILLIAN. TRILLIANT CUT GEMS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE AS BRILLIANT AS ROUND CUT STONES AND ARE OFTEN USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR BUYERS WHO WANT SOMETHING MORE MODERN. DIAMONDS WITH A TRILLIANT CUT HAVE AN EQUILATERAL SHAPE, WHICH GIVES OFF CONSIDERABLE LIGHT REFLECTION AND COLOR - ALTHOUGH MOST TRILLIANT CUT STONES HAVE 43 FACETS. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED DIAMOND HUE COLOR CHART DIAMONDS EXPLAINED ANATOMY OF A DIAMOND DIAMONDS EXPLAINED UNDERSTANDING THE 4 C'S DIAMONDS EXPLAINED UNDERSTANDING THE 4 C'S DIAMONDS EXPLAINED CLARITY CATEGORIES FL - FLAWLESS: NO INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL BLEMISHES WHEN EXAMINED UNDER A 10X MICROSCOPE. IF - INTERNALLY FLAWLESS: NO INTERNAL INCLUSIONS, BUT MINOR SURFACE BLEMISHES WHICH CANNOT BE REMOVED WITH POLISHING, SUCH AS SURFACE GRAIN LINES OR NATURAL AND EXTRA FACETS ON THE CROWN. VVS1, VS2 - VERY, VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED: MINUTE INCLUSIONS, SUCH AS REFLECTIVE INTERNAL GRAINING, WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO LOCATE USING A 10X MICROSCOPE. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED CLARITY CATEGORIES VS1, VS2 - VERY SLIGHTLY INCLUDED: SMALL INCLUSIONS, SUCH AS SMALL INCLUDED CRYSTALS, WHICH ARE VISIBLE USING A 10X MICROSCOPE. SI1, SI2 - SLIGHTLY INCLUDED: INCLUSIONS THAT CAN BE SEEN EASILY UNDER A 10X MICROSCOPE, AND MAY ALSO BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE USING A WHITE BACKGROUND. I1 - INCLUDED 1: INCLUSIONS CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE AND ARE QUITE OBVIOUS UNDER A 10X MICROSCOPE. I2 - INCLUDED 2: INCLUSIONS CAN BE SEEN WITH THE NAKED EYE AND MAY INTERFERE WITH TRANSPARENCY AND BRILLIANCE. I3 - INCLUDED 3: DARK INCLUSIONS WHICH ARE VERY NOTICEABLE TO THE NAKED EYE, WHICH INTERFERE WITH TRANSPARENCY. DIAMONDS IN THIS CATEGORY MAY CONTAIN CLEAVAGES THAT ARE LIKELY TO WORSEN WITH WEAR. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED COLORED DIAMONDS COLORED DIAMONDS EXPLAINED HUE HUE IS THE DOMINANT COLOR OF THE DIAMOND. IT CAN BE AFFECTED BY THE PRESENCE OF ‘MODIFIERS’ OR ‘TINTS’, WHICH ARE ADDITIONAL HUES WITHIN A STONE. A DIAMOND CAN BE A SINGLE COLOR, SUCH AS PINK, OR IT CAN HAVE A SECONDARY COLOR, FOR EXAMPLE IF A PINK DIAMOND HAD A PURPLE TINT, IT WOULD BE DESCRIBED AS A ‘PURPLISH- PINK DIAMOND’. A SINGLE COLOR CAN POTENTIALLY HAVE MULTIPLE MODIFIERS WHICH ARE LISTED AHEAD OF THE PRIMARY COLOR IN THE COLOR DESCRIPTION. COLORED DIAMONDS EXPLAINED SATURATION SATURATION REFERS TO THE STRENGTH OR INTENSITY OF THE HUE OF MAIN COLOR EXHIBITED FROM THE DIAMOND. SATURATION OF DIAMONDS WITH A LIGHTER TONE CAN RANGE FROM ‘LIGHT’ TO ‘INTENSE’ TO ‘VIVID’. FOR DARKER DIAMONDS, DESCRIPTIONS CAN RANGE FROM ‘DARK’ TO ‘DEEP’. A GOOD WAY TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS IMAGINING A GLASS OF RED FOOD COLORING NEXT TO A GLASS WITH ⅔ WATER AND ⅓ FOOD COLORING. THE HUE ITSELF (RED) HAS NOT CHANGED, BUT THE SATURATION WOULD BE MORE DILUTED, AND LIGHTER IN TONE. COLORED DIAMONDS EXPLAINED TONE TONE REFERS TO HOW LIGHT OR DARK THE DIAMOND APPEARS. THIS IS TYPICALLY DETERMINED BY HOW MUCH BROWN, BLACK, GRAY OR WHITE IS PRESENT IN THE STONE. IMAGINE THE GLASS OF FOOD COLORING. IF YOU WERE TO MIX A LITTLE BLACK FOOD COLORING WITH THE RED, ITS HUE WOULD STILL BE RED, THE SATURATION WOULD STILL REMAIN THE SAME, BUT IT WOULD BE DARKER IN TONE. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A WHITE DIAMOND? YOU’LL OFTEN HEAR THE TERM “WHITE” APPLIED TO COLORLESS DIAMONDS THAT FALL WITHIN THE GIA D-TO-Z COLOR SCALE OR CHART. BUT DIAMONDS IN THE D-TO-Z RANGE ARE NOT WHITE AT ALL. THEIR HUES CAN RANGE FROM COLORLESS (LIKE A DROP OF PURE WATER) TO HAVING TINTS OF LIGHT YELLOW, LIGHT BROWN OR GRAY. THE RARITY, AND THEREFORE THE VALUE, OF THESE DIAMONDS IS BASED IN PART ON HOW CLOSELY THEY APPROACH COLORLESSNESS. THE MORE COLORLESS THE DIAMOND, THE MORE RARE AND EXPENSIVE IT IS. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A PINK DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE PINK, PURPLISH- PINK, PINK CHAMPAGNE, BROWNISH-PINK. THE EXACT REASON FOR THEIR PINK COLOR REMAINS A MYSTERY TO EXPERTS. GEOLOGISTS HAVE SPECULATED THAT A DEFORMATION IN THE ATOMIC STRUCTURE OF THE KIMBERLEY REGION IN AUSTRALIA AND RESULTING MINERAL CAUSED THE FORMATION OF PINK DIAMONDS. KNOWN TO REPRESENT CREATIVITY, FEMININITY, LOVE AND ROMANCE. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A YELLOW DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE CANARY YELLOW, BROWNISH-YELLOW, GREENISH-YELLOW, ORANGE-YELLOW. THE YELLOW COLOR IS CAUSED BY NITROGEN PRESENT WITH THE STONE’S CRYSTAL STRUCTURE. USUALLY, NITROGEN ATOMS ARE REPLACED WITH CARBON ATOMS WHICH REACT WITH LIGHT TO CREATE A YELLOW COLOR. KNOWN FOR INCREASING SELF-CONFIDENCE, BOOST CREATIVITY AND CLARITY OF THOUGHT. YELLOW PROMOTES JOY, HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A BLUE DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE BLUE, GRAYISH- BLUE, GREENISH-BLUE, TURQUOISE, AQUAMARINE. THE BLUE COLOR IS CAUSED BY THE PRESENCE OF BORON ATOMS. THE HIGHER THE CONCENTRATION OF BORON, THE HIGHER THE INTENSITY OF COLOR. ONLY ONE IN 200,000 DIAMONDS SHOW BLUE. OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH ELEGANCE AND SOPHISTICATION, BLUE DIAMONDS PROMOTE CALMNESS AND SERENITY, TRUTH AND PURPOSE. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A BROWN DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE CHAMPAGNE, LIGHTLY TINTED BROWN, COGNAC, CHOCOLATE, HAZEL, HONEY, CLOVE. THE BROWN COLOR IS CAUSED BY INTERNAL PARALLEL GRAIN LINES. THE HUE CAN BE MODIFIED BY STRUCTURAL DISTORTIONS IN THE DIAMOND LATTICE WHICH AFFECT ITS ABSORPTION OF LIGHT. OFTEN CONNECTED WITH THE EARTH AND NATURE, HARMONY AND TRADITION. BROWN DIAMONDS EXPRESS SUBTLE ELEGANCE, WHILST SIGNALING HARMONY WITHIN A RELATIONSHIP. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A GREEN DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE GRAYISH-GREEN, YELLOWISH-GREEN, BLUEISH-GREEN, BROWNISH-GREEN. THE GREEN COLOR IS DUE TO MILLIONS OF YEARS OF EXPOSURE TO NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIATION. OCCASIONALLY THE GREEN HUE MAY BE AS A RESULT OF HYDROGEN. BELIEVED TO EMBODY THE ESSENCE OF LIFE, YOUTH, VITALITY AND BALANCE. GREEN IS ALSO THE COLOR OF FAITH & TRUTH AND IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH LOVING & HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS AN ORANGE DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE REDDISH-ORANGE, YELLOWISH-ORANGE, BROWNISH-ORANGE. THE ORANGE COLOR IS A COMBINATION OF STRUCTURAL DEFORMITIES AND THE PRESENCE OF NITROGEN. BELIEVED TO INSPIRED BOLDNESS, CREATIVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY, ORANGE DIAMONDS ARE EXOTIC AND EVOCATIVE. ORANGE IS AN EMOTIONAL STIMULANT AND IS OFTEN LINKED TO ENERGY, SELF-RESPECT AND SUCCESS WITHIN RELATIONSHIPS. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A PURPLE DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE VIOLET, PINKISH- PURPLE, GRAYISH-PURPLE. THE PURPLE COLOR WITHIN DIAMONDS IS CAUSED BY THE INTERNAL GRAIN FORMATION AND, ON OCCASION, PRESENCE OF HYDROGEN A REGAL COLOR REPRESENTING NOBILITY AND LUXURY, PURPLE DIAMONDS ARE THOUGHT TO BRING THEIR OWNER UNIVERSAL CONNECTIONS. IT ALSO BRINGS GUIDANCE, INSPIRATION, WISDOM AND INNER STRENGTH AS WELL AS INDICATING A LIFELONG CONNECTION WITHIN RELATIONSHIPS. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A RED DIAMOND? COLOR VARIATIONS INCLUDE BROWNISH-RED, PINKISH-RED, PURPLISH-RED. THE RED COLOR IN DIAMONDS IS CAUSED BY THE PROCESS OF ‘PLASTIC DEFORMATION’. THIS IS WHEN THERE IS A SLIPPING OR DISTORTION OF THE ATOMIC LATTICE. SYMBOLIZING PASSION AND INTENSE LOVE, RED DIAMONDS ARE THOUGHT TO INSPIRE A MAGIC THAT LASTS A LIFETIME. AS WELL AS BRINGING GOOD LUCK, RED IS KNOWN TO CHANNEL POWER, ENERGY AND SELF-AWARENESS. DIAMONDS EXPLAINED WHAT IS A BLACK DIAMOND? THERE AREN'T STRICTLY COLOR VARIATIONS, THERE ARE NO FLASHES OF COLOR BUT WHITE OR GRAY INCLUSIONS MAKE THEM VERY UNIQUE. THE BLACK COLOR IN DIAMONDS IS CAUSED BY MANY DIFFERENT GRAPHITE INCLUSIONS. SOME STONES HAVE TRACES OF NITROGEN & HYDROGEN WHICH CAN AFFECT THEIR COLOR. SYMBOLIZING STRENGTH, INNER POWER, AND ARE THOUGHT TO BRING THE WEARER THE ABILITY TO FACE ANY ADVERSITIES. SIGNIFIES BELIEF IN A RELATIONSHIP(S). QUICK GUIDE GEMSTONE + SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS AN EMERALD? EMERALDS ARE THE MOST HIGHLY VALUED GEMSTONE (APART FROM DIAMONDS) AND ARE THE RAREST GEMSTONE AVAILABLE. THEY ARE CONSIDERED THE GEM OF ROYALTY AND ROMANCE. EMERALDS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR DEEP GREEN COLOR AND NATURAL INCLUSIONS THAT MAKE EACH ONE DISTINCT. EMERALDS ARE MAY'S BIRTHSTONE AND GIFTED TRADITIONALLY ON THE 55TH MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY. THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR EMERALD IS NATURAL BERYL. THE GREEN COLORING IS ATTRIBUTED TO TRACE ELEMENTS OF CHROMIUM AND VANADIUM. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS A RUBY? RUBY IS A DEEP RED COLORED GEMSTONE ONLY SECOND IN POPULARITY FOR COLORED STONES. RUBIES, SCIENTIFICALLY KNOWN AS CORUNDUM, ARE A NATURAL GEMSTONE MINED FROM THE EARTH AND DERIVE THEIR COLOR FROM NATURAL ELEMENTS LIKE CHROMIUM. RUBIES ARE TYPICALLY MINED FROM MADAGASCAR, NEPAL, THAILAND & AUSTRALIA. RUBIES ARE MOST COMMONLY USED IN JEWELRY, SPECIFICALLY IN RIGHT HAND RINGS & EARRINGS. THEY ARE ALSO VERY POPULAR AS A 40TH MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS A SAPPHIRE? SAPPHIRE IS A HARD CRYSTALLIZED SUBSTANCE KNOWN AS CORUNDUM. SAPPHIRES COME IN A VARIETY OF COLORS (BLUE, PINK, YELLOW & WHITE), BUT ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR RICH, DEEP ROYAL BLUE COLOR. FOUND IN SEVERAL REGIONS AROUND THE WORLD, SAPPHIRES HAVE BECOME THE MOST POPULAR PRECIOUS GEMSTONE, BEHIND DIAMONDS. SAPPHIRES GET THEIR BLUE COLOR FROM TRACE ELEMENTS OF TITANIUM. SAPPHIRES ARE MINED FROM SRI LANKA, MADAGASCAR, KASHMIR, THAILAND & AUSTRALIA. EACH IS KNOWN TO PRODUCE A VARIETY OF COLORS. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS ALEXANDRITE? ALEXANDRITE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY GEMSTONE THAT APPEARS GREEN OR RED DEPENDENT ON THE LIGHT IT IS OBSERVED UNDER. THIS COLOR CHANGE EFFECT IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE 'ALEXANDRITE EFFECT'. THE RARITY OF THIS MATERIAL AND ITS CHAMELEON-LIKE QUALITIES MAKE ALEXANDRITE ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST DESIRABLE GEMSTONES. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS AMMOLITE? AMMOLITE IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE RAREST GEMSTONES IN THE WORLD. THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS UNIQUE TO A GEOLOGICAL DEPOSIT KNOWN AS THE BEARPAW FORMATION. JUST ONE AREA IS KNOWN TO YIELD GEM- QUALITY AMMOLITE IN COMMERCIAL QUANTITIES, AROUND THE ST. MARY RIVER IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA. AMMOLITE HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN OTHER AREAS BUT IT IS RARELY OF HIGH-QUALITY. THE LIMITED AREAL EXTENT OF THIS DEPOSIT IS THE PRIMARY REASON WHY AMMOLITE IS SO RARE. ESTIMATES SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE ONLY SIX TO EIGHT YEARS OF MINING LEFT. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS TOURMALINE? COLOR IS KING FOR TOURMALINE, WHICH IS FOUND IN MORE HUES, SHADES AND NUANCES THAN ANY OTHER GEM. INDEED, NOT ONLY DOES TOURMALINE COME IN EVERY POSSIBLE COLOR, BUT SOME TOURMALINE'S HAVE MORE THAN ONE COLOR IN THE SAME STONE. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS TANZANITE? TANZANITE IS A TRICHOIC STONE THAT REFLECTS DIFFERENT COLORS, RANGING FROM LIGHT BLUES OR LILACS TO DEEP INDIGOS AND VIOLETS. IT WAS DISCOVERED IN THE 1960S AND NAMED AFTER TANZANIA BY TIFFANY & CO. THE FAMOUS JEWELRY FIRM DECLARED IT TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STONE DISCOVERED IN THE LAST 2,000 YEARS. TANZANITE IS SO RARE BECAUSE IT IS FOUND AND MINED IN A SMALL AREA ONLY FOUR KILOMETERS WIDE AND TWO KILOMETERS LONG AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO IN THE MANYARA REGION OF NORTHERN TANZANIA. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS OPAL? OPAL IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR GEMSTONES AND THE BIRTHSTONE FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. A NICE PRECIOUS OPAL CAN FLASH EVERY COLOR OF THE SPECTRUM WITH AN INTENSITY AND QUALITY OF COLOR THAT SURPASSES THE FIRE OF DIAMOND. THE BEST OPALS COMMAND PRICES PER CARAT THAT RIVAL EXPENSIVE DIAMONDS, RUBIES, SAPPHIRES, AND EMERALDS. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS A GARNET? IT'S NAME COMES FROM LATIN GRANATUS MEANING SEED, BECAUSE IT OFTEN RESEMBLES SMALL ROUND SEEDS WHEN FOUND IN ITS MATRIX ROCK. IT OCCURS IN EVERY COLOR EXCEPT BLUE AND MOST VARIETIES ARE NAMED FOR THEIR COLOR. PYROPE GARNETS ARE PURPLISH RED, ORANGEY RED, CRIMSON, OR DARK RED. GARNETS ARE FORMED WHEN HIGH TEMPERATURES AND/OR PRESSURE IS A FACTOR. THEY ARE FOUND IN THE U.S. (ARIZONA), SOUTH AFRICA, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, MYANMAR (BURMA), SCOTLAND, SWITZERLAND AND TANZANIA. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS AMETHYST? THIS COLORFUL QUARTZ HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST PRIZED GEMSTONES FOR CENTURIES. THIS STONE VARIES IN COLOR FROM NO DISTINGUISHABLE COLOR TO LIGHT LAVENDER, TO A RICH DEEP PURPLE. ACCORDING TO ANCIENT GREEK MYTHOLOGY, THIS GEMSTONE WAS SAID TO BE DYED BY THE TEARS OF THE GOD DIONYSUS & HAS BEEN USED IN ROYAL JEWELRY ACROSS THE CENTURIES AS THE COLOR PURPLE HAS BEEN USED TO SYMBOLIZE ROYALTY. YOU CAN FIND STUNNING EXAMPLES OF THIS IN THE ROYAL JEWELS WORN BY THE ENGLISH MONARCHY. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS AQUAMARINE? AQUAMARINE IS A BEAUTIFUL BLUE STONE (SOMETIMES WITH A GREEN HUE) THAT IS COMPOSED OF THE MINERAL BERYL. MOREOVER, IT IS AN EXTREMELY PRIZED GEM THAT CAN BE USED IN A VARIETY OF JEWELRY SUCH AS AQUAMARINE RINGS, NECKLACES, AND BRACELETS. AQUAMARINE HAS A CLEAR BLUE COLOR THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE COOL BLUE OF A CRYSTAL CLEAR OCEAN. AQUAMARINE IS THE BIRTHSTONE FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH AS WELL AS THE TRADITIONAL GIFT FOR THE 19TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT ARE PEARLS? PEARL IS ONE OF THE OLDEST, MOST DESIRED AND MOST SPECTACULAR GEMSTONES IN THE WORLD. FORMED DIFFERENTLY TO MOST GEMS, PEARL IS AN ORGANIC CREATION FOUND IN THE SEA, A NATURAL PHENOMENA THAT ACTUALLY OCCURS AS PART OF THE DEFENSE MECHANISM OF A MOLLUSK SHELL. COMING IN ALL SHAPES, SIZES AND COLORS, PEARL HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE REMARKABLY VERSATILE WHEN IT COMES TO JEWELRY DESIGN, AND HAS A FASCINATING AND RICH HISTORY BUILT UP OVER THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS PERIDOT? PERIDOT IS A GEM-QUALITY MAGNESIUM-RICH MINERAL, OLIVINE DENOTED BY THE FORMULA (MGFE)2 SIO4. THIS LOVELY YELLOW-GREEN GEMSTONE CAN BE FOUND IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES. RICH IN IRON AND MAGNESIUM, PERIDOT GEMSTONES ARE OFTEN FOUND IN BASALTS. MOST NOTABLY, THIS SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMSTONE HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS AUGUST’S BIRTHSTONE AND IS ASSOCIATED AS THE GEMSTONE ONE GIFTS FOR THE 15TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS TOPAZ? TOPAZ IS A BEAUTIFUL GEMSTONE THAT COMES IN A VARIETY OF UNIQUE COLORS. TOPAZ COLORS INCLUDE COLORLESS, RED, YELLOW, ORANGE, BLUE, AND GREEN. LONDON BLUE TOPAZ IS A VARIETY OF TOPAZ THAT IS KNOWN FOR ITS RICH, SKY-BLUE HUE. MOREOVER, BLUE TOPAZ IS THE BIRTHSTONE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, AND TRADITIONALLY SIGNIFIES THE MEANING OF PEACE, COMMUNICATION, AND UNDERSTANDING. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS CITRINE? CITRINE IS THE YELLOW VARIETY OF QUARTZ, AND ITS NAME COMES FROM THE OLD FRENCH WORD FOR LEMON. ITS WARM COLOR IS SAID TO BE A GIFT FROM THE SUN, MAKING THIS GOLDEN GEMSTONE THE PERFECT OPTION FOR BRIGHTENING UP A TYPICALLY CHILLY AUTUMNAL MONTH. CITRINE HAS BEEN A POPULAR DECORATIVE GEMSTONE SINCE ANCIENT TIMES. GEMSTONES EXPLAINED WHAT IS RUSSALITE? DISCOVERED IN 1988 DEEP IN THE SIBERIAN MOUNTAINS AND MINED ONLY 3 MONTHS PER YEAR & IS ONE OF THE NEWEST, MOST EXCITING GEMSTONES. AN ALL NATURAL, UNTREATED GEM, RUSSALITE HAS EARNED THE DISTINCTION AS THE MOST VIBRANT, TRANSLUCENT OF ALL GREEN GEMSTONES. RUSSALITE GEMS REQUIRE SPECIAL CUTTING EXPERTISE. ONLY ABOUT 10% OF THE ROUGH ENDS UP IN A POLISHED GEM. RUSSALITE IS COLORED BY THE PRESENCE OF CHROMIUM, THE SAME ELEMENT THAT GIVES THE COLOR TO EMERALD. QUICK GUIDE BIRTHSTONES GARNET RUBY (JANUARY) (JULY) AMETHYST PERIDOT (FEBRUARY) (AUGUST) AQUAMARINE SAPPHIRE (MARCH) (SEPTEMBER) TOURMALINE DIAMOND (OCTOBER) (APRIL) EMERALD TOPAZ (MAY) (NOVEMBER) ALEXANDRITE TANZANITE (JUNE) (DECEMBER) QUICK GUIDE METALS METALS EXPLAINED WHAT IS GOLD? THE HIGHER THE PROPORTION OF GOLD USED IN THE FINAL METAL, THE MORE VALUABLE AND EXPENSIVE THE METAL WILL BE. 10KT GOLD CONTAINS 41.7% PURE GOLD (417 PARTS PER THOUSAND). 14KT GOLD CONTAINS 58.5% PURE GOLD (585 PARTS PER THOUSAND). 18KT GOLD CONTAINS 75% PURE GOLD (750 PARTS PER THOUSAND). METALS EXPLAINED WHAT IS SILVER - STERLING? STERLING SILVER IS A WHITE-GRAY COLORED METAL, WHICH IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN GOLD, PLATINUM AND TITANIUM. SILVER IS A SOFTER METAL THAN GOLD, TITANIUM, AND PLATINUM, AND DOES NOT HAVE THE HARDNESS OF THE OTHER METALS. STERLING SILVER IS 92.5% PURE SILVER AND IS USUALLY STAMPED AS 925. METALS EXPLAINED WHAT IS PLATINUM? PLATINUM IS 30 TIMES RARER THAN GOLD AND IS FOUND IN VERY FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD, MAINLY SOUTH AFRICA AND RUSSIA, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT IN ZIMBABWE, CANADA AND SOUTH AMERICA. FOR 950 PLATINUM THE STAMP WILL NORMALLY BE EITHER THE NUMBER 950 OR PLATINUM, PT OR PLAT. FOR 900 PLATINUM THE STAMP WILL NORMALLY BE THE NUMBER 900. METALS EXPLAINED WHAT IS TITANIUM? TITANIUM IS A STRONG, LOW-DENSITY, HIGHLY CORROSION-RESISTANT AND LUSTROUS WHITE NATURAL ELEMENT. IT’S THE HARDEST NATURAL METAL IN THE WORLD. IT’S HIGHLY DURABLE AND IS MAINLY USED TO ALLOY AIRCRAFT METALS. IT IS ALSO A POPULAR CHOICE FOR PIERCING JEWELRY BECAUSE OF ITS HYPOALLERGENIC PROPERTIES. IT’S LIGHTWEIGHT AND SHATTERPROOF. METALS EXPLAINED WHAT IS TUNGSTEN? TUNGSTEN IS A STEEL-GRAY METAL WITH STRENGTH AND A HIGH MELTING POINT THAT MAKES IT A FAVORITE OF THE METAL FABRICATION INDUSTRY. METALLIC TUNGSTEN IS HARDER THAN GOLD ALLOYS AND IS HYPOALLERGENIC, MAKING IT USEFUL FOR RINGS THAT WILL RESIST SCRATCHING, ESPECIALLY IN DESIGNS WITH A BRUSHED FINISH. METALS EXPLAINED WHAT IS STAINLESS STEEL? STAINLESS STEEL IS A CONTEMPORARY METAL CONTAINING CHROMIUM AND/OR NICKEL – THAT IS RESISTANT TO TARNISH AND RUST. BECAUSE MOST STAINLESS STEEL JEWELRY IS NOT PLATED, IT IS AN EXCELLENT ALTERNATIVE FOR WEARERS WITH ALLERGIES AND SENSITIVITY TO BASE METALS SUCH AS COPPER OR BRASS. QUICK GUIDE PRONGS SINGLE DOUBLE TRIPLE V PRONG / DOUBLE CHEVRON DECORATIVE PRONGS EXPLAINED PRONG COUNT FOUR (STANDARD) SIX TWO (VERTICAL) FOUR EIGHT TWO (DIAGONAL) (HORIZONTAL) QUICK GUIDE SETTINGS FRENCH V-SPLIT CHANNEL SETTING SURFACE PRONG PAVE BAR SET SHARED PRONG BEAD BRIGHT BEZEL SET QUICK GUIDE SETTINGS SCALLOP SETTING FISHTAIL SETTING FLUSH SETTING STYLE GUIDE FOR WOMEN FOR MEN