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| Sapphire | I
am Sapphire,
beloved for centuries as the ultimate blue gemstone. The ancient
Persian rulers believed that it was my reflection that gave blue
color to the heavens, indeed, my very name in Latin, "Sapphiru,"
means blue. |
These diverse colors are referred to as "fancy" color
Sapphires.
One of Nature's most durable
gemstones, Sapphire shares this quality with its sister, the Ruby.
Red corundum is Ruby; all other members of this mineral species are
called Sapphire.
Sapphire is found in many parts of
the world, but the most prized Sapphires are from Myanmar (Burma),
Kashmir and Sri Lanka. The purer the blue of the Sapphire, the
greater the price the gemstone can command, however, many people
find that the darker hues of Sapphire can be just as appealing.
Sapphire has been credited with
profound powers such as the ability to protect the wearer against
poisons and evil spirits. It occurs readily in sizes up to 2
carats, and yet, it is not unusual to see gemstones in sizes of 5
to 15 carats. |
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| Ruby | I am Ruby. Celebrated in the Bible and in ancient Sanskrit
writings as the most precious of all gemstones, I have been the
prized possession of emperors and kings throughout the ages. My
inner fire has been the inspiration for innumerable legends and
myths, and to this day, no red gemstone can compare to my fiery,
rich hues. |
Many people associate its brilliant crimson colors with
passion and love, making Ruby an ideal choice for an engagement
ring. Ruby is the red variety of the corundum mineral species,
while all other colors of corundum are called Sapphire.
Ruby is mined throughout Southeast
Asia. While Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) produce exquisite examples
of this gemstone that the ancient Sinhalese people called
"Ratnaraj," the King of Gems.
This most sought after gemstone is
available in a range of red hues, from purplish and bluish red to
orangish red. Ruby is readily available in sizes up to 2 carats,
but larger sizes can be obtained. However, in its finest quality,
any size Ruby can be scare. In readily available small sizes, Ruby
makes an excellent accent gemstone because of its intense, pure red
color. |
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| Tanzanite | I am Tanzanite.I am an exotic,
vivid blue, kissed by purple hues. I was born in the mineral rich
soil of Eastern Africa and discovered in Tanzania in 1967. As a
relative newcomer to the gemstone kingdom, time has not blessed me
with the rich legend and lore which surround my gemstone peers, but
I do have the beauty, rarity and durability to rival any gemstone.
Let me introduce myself to you. |
Part of the Zoisite mineral species, Tanzanite is named
after the country where is it mined and to date, has been found
nowhere else on earth.
Tanzanite, one of the most popular
blue gemstones available today, occurs in a variety of shapes and
sizes and also provides a striking assortment of tonal qualities.
Rarely pure blue, Tanzanite almost always display its signature
overtones of purple. In smaller sizes, Tanzanite tends toward the
lighter tones, and the lavender color is more common. While in
larger sizes, Tanzanite typically displays deeper, richer
color. |
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| Tourmaline
| I
am Tourmaline. I am
every color of the rainbow. Sometimes I am serene and pastel.
Sometimes I feel like celebrating, and I display bold, brilliant
colors. Sometimes I am festive, and I combine more than one color.
The people of ancient Ceylon called me "turmali," the Sinhalese
word for "more colors." |
For centuries I have adorned the jewels of royalty. The
Empress Dowager Tz'u Hsi, the last empress of China, valued my rich
pink colors above all other gemstones.
Vivid reds, hot pinks, verdant greens
and blues abound in this marvelous gem variety. Earth tones as
varied as a prairie sunset are readily available. Not only does
Tourmaline occur in a spectacular range of colors, but it also
combines those colors in a single gemstone called "bi-color" or
"parti-color" Tourmaline. One color combination with a pink center
and a green outer rim called "watermelon" Tourmaline, is cut in
thin slices similar to its namesake.
Tourmalines are available in faceted
or cabochon cuts and a range of sizes and shapes. They are mined in
many parts of the world including Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa
and the United States. They share birthstone status with Opal for
the month of October. |
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| Spinal | I am Spinel. Centuries ago, in
Sanskrit writings, I was called the daughter of Ruby, adored, yet
somehow different. I grace the Crown Jewels of Great Britain as the
"Black Prince Ruby" and have resided in the regalia of kingdoms
throughout history. | Found in Myanmar (Burma) and Sri
Lanka, Spinel comes in a variety of colors including oranges,
pinks, blues, lavenders, mauves and vivid reds. While common in
sizes up to 2 carats, larger gemstones can also be acquired.
Spinel is thought to protect the
owner from harm, to reconcile differences, and to soothe away
sadness. However, the strongest reasons for buying a Spinel are its
rich, brilliant array of colors and its surprising
affordability. |
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| Tsavorite
Garnet | I am Garnet, so called by the
ancient Greeks because my color reminded them of the "granatum," or
pomegranate seed. Noah used my inner fire as a lamp on his bow as
he cast about on the ocean. I trace my roots as a gemstone to the
Nile Delta in 3100 B.C., where Egyptian artisans would craft me
into beads or inlay me into hand-wrought jewelry. | The versatile Garnet comes in
a virtual rainbow of colors, from the deep red Bohemian Garnet to
the vibrant greens of the Russian Demantoid and African Tsavorite.
The oranges and browns of Spessartite and Hessonite hail from
Namibia and Sri Lanka and the subtle pinks and purples of the
rhododendron flower, are also yours to explore.
Garnet is the traditional birthstone
for the month of January, however, red need not be your color of
choice if you are born in this month. Rich orange and golden hues,
striking greens, petal soft colors of violet and lavender, all
await your selection. |
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| Emerald | I am Emerald. My luscious green
colors can be found nowhere else in Nature. Since the dawn of time,
I have beckoned man with my verdant hues. I have long been regarded
as the symbol of fertility, rebirth and springtime. | The ancient Egyptians mined me nearly 4,000 years
ago, and Cleopatra was an avid collector. South America's rich
bounty of Emeralds was discovered by 16th Century Spanish explorers
who found large Emeralds in the possession of the Aztecs and
Incas.
Today, most of the world's Emeralds
are mined in Colombia, Brazil and Zambia, and are cut in a variety
of different shapes, ranging from the traditional rectangular
step-cut, known as the "emerald cut," to rounds, ovals, squares and
cabochons.
As one of the most revered of all
gemstones, Emerald has long been regarded as the quintessential
green in Nature. Most natural Emeralds have inclusions, often
called "Jardin," or gardens, which are regarded as Emerald's
natural birthmarks.
The birthstone for May and a talisman
for Gemini, Emerald symbolizes rebirth and youth. Believed by the
ancients to empower the owner with foresight into the future,
Emerald is regarded as an amulet for good fortune. |
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| Aquamarine | I am Aquamarine, and I capture the beauty of the sea.
Neptune, the King of the Sea, gave me as his gift to the mermaids,
and from then on, I have brought love to all who have owned
me. |
Aquamarines are found in a range of blue shades, from
the palest pastel to greenish-blue to a deep blue. While the choice
of color is largely a matter of taste, the deeper blue gems are
more rare. No matter what size, color or shape of Aquamarine you
may desire, your jeweler will be able to help you obtain the
perfect gem. Remember that Aquamarine is a pastel gemstone, and
while color can be quite intense in larger gemstones, the smaller
Aquamarines are often less vivid.
This elegant colored gemstone is
the birthstone of March and is the symbol of youth, hope, health
and fidelity.
Aquamarines are mined in a number of
exotic places including Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan and
Mozambique, but most of the gemstones available today come from
Brazil. |
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| Chalcedony | I am ornamental gemstones. I am
Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Chalcedony and Turquoise. It is believed I
possess the essence of life, and I am considered to be God's given
gift to man.
Jade, stone of heaven, is not
just one gemstone but two. One, called Nephrite, has been found
throughout the world but was especially prized by the ancient
Chinese who called it Yu, which means "precious stone of great
beauty."
The other Jade, a relative newcomer
when compared to Nephrite, is called Jadeite. It has been mined in
Myanmar (Burma) since the late 18th Century and is highly sought
after for its intense green color although it, like Nephrite, comes
in a range of colors. | LAPIS LAZULI, TURQUOISE Lapis, with its
deep, azure blue, often flecked with golden pyrite inclusions, was
treasured by ancient Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations. Persian
legend says that the heavens owed their blue color to a massive
slab of Lapis upon which the earth rested.
Turquoise, with its robin's egg blue
hue, is among the oldest known gemstones. It graced the necks of
Egyptian Pharaohs and adorned the ceremonial dress of early native
Americans and has been attributed with healing powers as well as
promoting the wearer's status and wealth.
CHALCEDONY Agates, Jaspers,
Bloodstone, Carnelian and black Onyx, all make up the Chalcedony
gemstones. A form of Quartz, the Romans prized them as seals, and
the Victorians carved them into an endless array of cameos and
intaglios. To this day, the elegant appeal of black Onyx makes it
the choice of those who prefer basic black. |
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| Cultured
Pearl | I am pearl. I am unique in the
world of colored gemstones as I am the only gemstone formed within
a living creature. I am a treasured gift of the sea, revered for my
color, shape and luster. Old Arabian legend says that I was formed
when dewdrops filled with moonlight fell into the ocean and were
swallowed by oysters. American Indians found me in the mollusks of
the Mississippi River and strung me onto necklaces, adorned their
headdresses, and set me into copper ornaments. | Pearls were so cherished by
man that as the sources of natural Pearls became exhausted, he
learned to cultivate them by implanting an irritant into an
oyster.
Today, cultured Pearls are grown and
harvested in many parts of the world including the fresh waters of
the Tennessee River. The majority of cultured Pearls come from
Japan, China and the South Pacific.
Cultured Pearls come in many
beautiful colors, from palest cream and white to rose, lilac,
green, gold, gray, and the dramatic Tahitian black. Cultured Pearls
come in many shapes and sizes, and can be acquired in both
graduated and uniform strands. They can be purchased singly or in
pairs for rings, pendants and earrings. June birthdays and third
and thirtieth anniversaries are celebrated with the gift of
Pearls. |
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| Citrine | I am Quartz. In my abundance, I am found in every corner of the
earth. in my purest form, I am colorless, but I am most prized for
my purple and golden varieties. | As a purple gemstone, I am
known as Amethyst, and I was treasured by the Roman gods as a
talisman to ward off the intoxicating powers of Bacchus. In my
golden form, Citrine, the ancients revered me as a gift of the sun
and a powerful antidote to the viper's venom.
Amethyst, the
traditional birthstone for the month of February, is available in
small and large sizes, although as with all gemstones, very large
sizes in rich, deep colors have always been rare. Designers
celebrate Amethyst as the idea choice for jewelry because of its
regal color, variety of sizes and shapes, affordability, and wide
tonal range, from light to dark purple.
Citrine, derived from the French word for lemon,
in all of its glorious golden and yellow colors, is the most
affordable of all the earth-toned gemstones and is the alternate
birthstone for November.
Occasionally, Mother Nature combines the colors of
Amethyst and Citrine into a single, exciting gemstone we call
Ametrine. While Brazil is the primary source of these three
gemstones, both Amethyst and Citrine are found in other locales,
Zambia being a significant source for Amethyst. |
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Add
More Color To
Your Life |
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Gemtech Int'l. Corp. D/B/A Yosepha Jewelry
Designs
Member
American Gem
Trade Association
Manufactors Jewelers and silversmith Association
Southern Jewelers Association
Ohio Jewelers Association
Jewelers board of Trade |
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