Gemstone Information

Natural Gemstones

A natural gemstone is any stone that has crystallized in the earth unassisted by man before it is mined. Gemstones are rated on the Mohs Scale of Hardness which indicates the durability of the stone in jewelry. Minerals are ranked from the softest (1 for talc) to the hardest (10 for diamond).

Amethyst
Amethyst is often considered the color of royalty because amethyst have long been treasured by ancient kings and emperors. They were once prized even more than diamonds. The amethyst is often referred to as the Bishop’s Stone, as it is worn by bishops to symbolize their triumph over worldly vices. Known as the gem of optimism and good fortune, amethyst reveals the positive vibrations surrounding those who wear it. Amethyst is a member of the quartz family, and it comes in a variety of purple shades of varying intensity–from pale lilac to deep purple. Amethyst is considered the most highly prized variety of quartz. Deposits for amethyst are found in Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar, and regions of Africa.

Do not expose amethyst to direct sunlight or extreme or prolonged heat which can cause damage and fading. It ranks 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Amethyst is the traditional birthstone for the month of February, and the anniversary gemstone representing the 6th and 9th year of marriage.

Blue Topaz
Blue topaz was once extremely rare; however, now it is one of the most available color topaz on the market.  Most topaz found in nature are colorless. To get their blue color, a colorless topaz goes through a process called “irradiation” which is used to heat and color the stone blue. Most blue topaz are mined in Brazil, Sri Lanka and Australia. Do not expose blue topaz to direct sunlight, or extreme or prolonged heat which can cause damage and fading. It ranks 8 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. It is the shared birthstone for the month of December with turquoise and blue zircon, and is the anniversary gemstone representing the 4th year of marriage.

Carnelian
The word carnelian is derived from the Latin word carno, carnis meaning flesh, in reference to the color of the stone. Carnelian was used over 2,000 years ago during the Roman era to make signet rings for imprinting a seal with wax on correspondence or other important documents.

Carnelian is a member of the microcrystalline group within the quartz stone family. Heated to improve color, the Carnelian varies from orange to a brown colored chalcedony. Sources are found in India, Brazil, and Uruguay. It ranks 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Carnelian is the anniversary gemstone representing the 17th year of marriage.

Garnet
Garnet traces its roots to the Nile Delta in 3100 B.C., where Egyptian artisans would craft the gemstone into beads or inlay them into hand-wrought jewelry. Legend proclaims this jewel had the ability to illuminate the night sky. Stories of The Ark say Noah used garnet as a lamp on his bow as he cast about on the ocean. Garnet received its name from the ancient Greeks because the color reminded them of the "granatum," or pomegranate seed. The garnets in jewelry designed by James Avery are generally in the red-violet to red-brown color range. Garnets mainly come from the East Coast of Africa. Small deposits are also found in the U.S., Czech Republic, and India. It ranks 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Garnet is the traditional birthstone for the month of January, and the anniversary gemstone representing the 2nd year of marriage.

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