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AMETHYST
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Amethyst is the February birthstone and belongs to the quartz group of gemstones. Its deep colour purple is very desirable and goes back to an ancient Greek fable. Fine examples of this birthstone come from Brazil and Russia. |
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SAPPHIRE
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Sapphire is the September birthstone and got its name from the Greek word for blue, however sapphire comes in a variety of colours such as yellow, green and the most expensive, a pinkish-orange colour, called “Padparadschah”, which means lotus flower. |
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GARNET
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Garnet is the January birthstone. It comes in a varied range of colour from dark green to dark red. Garnets come from Brazil to Sri Lanka to Czechoslovakia to Africa. A green variety comes from Africa and is called Tsavorite. |
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TOPAZ
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Topaz is the November birthstone and varies in colour from yellow to orange to blue. Many topaz are heat treated or irradiated to enhance the colour. The smoky colour and yellow colour are commonly confused with quartz. |
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AQUAMARINE
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Aquamarine is the March birthstone and belongs to the same family, Beryl as emeralds. Most fine aquamarine comes from Brazil and is a brilliant light blue colour. |
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RUBY
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Ruby is the July birthstone and is the hardest mineral next to a diamond. It belongs to the Corundum family along with Sapphire. The finest (pigeon blood) colour is found in Burma. |
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TOURMALINE
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Pink tourmaline is the October birthstone. No other gemstone has the richness in colour variation as tourmaline. It grows in long crystals which are sometimes bi-colour from green to red. |
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DIAMOND
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Diamond is the April birthstone and is the hardest substance on earth. Diamonds vary in colour in nature from white to blue to pink to yellow, and are formed at high temperatures and pressures fifty miles or more underground. Large deposits have been found from South Africa to Russia and now in Canada. |
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EMERALD
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Emerald is the birthstone for May. It belongs to the Beryl family and varies from light to dark green. Emerald is one of the most coveted of all birthstones and is mostly found in South America and Africa, especially in Columbia and Zambia. |
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OPAL
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Opal is used along with tourmaline as the October birthstone. Opal is a very sensitive birthstone made in nature primarily of silicon and trapped water. Opals vary from white with little colour to dark with intense colour play. |
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PEARL
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Pearl is the birthstone for June. For years, they have harvested from the ocean naturally, and cultured in round and free-form shapes. Pearls come in various colours from white to black and various sizes from less than a millimeter and up, with the most frequently used being about 6 millimeters. |
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PERIDOT
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Peridot is the August birthstone and varies in colour from yellow-green to a strong lime green colour. Peridot was brought to Europe by the Crusaders in the middle ages, but goes back to ancient times where deposits near the Red Sea have been mined from 3,500 years. |
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