With November comes the falling of leaves, the smell of flavoured coffee up-and-down the high street, and bundles of people draped in scarves, hats and gloves to keep out the chill. The sights, smells, and frosty-feel to the air are some of the things we think of when asked about this month, but there’s also… read more…
Opal is the birthstone for October, and Australia’s national gemstone. It is a hydrated amorphous form of silica, classed as a mineraloid. Opal is formed from a mixture of silicon dioxide and water. This creates silica deposits that eventually form an opal. It comes in multiple colours. This includes white, grey, red, orange, yellow, green, blue,… read more…
Sapphire is the birthstone for September, and the gem of the 45th wedding anniversary. They are usually a deep, beautiful blue, but natural “fancy” sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colours; “parti sapphires” show two or more colours. There are also star sapphires, opaque gems with a star like appearance. The stones are… read more…
Peridot is August’s Birthstone. It is said to symbolise good fortune. Known as the ‘Evening Emerald‘, it has a summery green hue which matches perfectly with cream silk and rich tans. The stone is fragile and cracks easily. As a result, gem quality pieces are rare, and it tends to come in small slivers. The… read more…
Ruby is July’s Birthstone. It is also associated with 40th wedding anniversaries. Rubies are evaluated on the 4 Cs, but also based on where they were mined, and their colour. Deep red, or ‘pigeon blood’ rubies are the most valuable. Rough rubies are most often found in museums; they are more typically cut for jewellery…. read more…
Pearl is June’s Birthstone. The main factors determining the value of a pearl include lustre, colour, size, lack of surface flaw and symmetry, with size being the most important factor. It is also important whether the pearl is natural or cultured. While white pearls are the most popular, you can also get black, pink, blue, champagne,… read more…
Emerald is May’s Birthstone. Emeralds are rare and valuable, and mostly used in jewellery. The rich green emerald colour is still the most important factor in gem quality, with clarity a close second (as the stone is prone to inclusions). History Historically, emeralds have been mined in Egypt, India and Austria. Nowadays the two biggest… read more…
Diamond is the April Birthstone and the stone of 60th anniversaries. The gem is a very precious gem used in jewellery and industry. It comes in a variety of colours and is classified according to the 4 Cs; Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat. History “Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all things… read more…
Aquamarine is the March Birthstone and the stone of 19th wedding anniversaries. The gem is a variety of Beryl, and a semi precious gem often used in jewellery. Deeper colours are highly prized and the stone is usually ‘eye-clean’; meaning it has no or very few inclusions and cracks. This is in contrast with it’s… read more…