Amber is formed from the resin of extinct coniferous trees and is found in sedimentary deposits. The resin is produced by trees as a defence against invading insects and disease.

Hardness - 2.5

Inclusions - Insects would often get trapped in the sticky resin, and as a result, have been found perfectly preserved in Amber. These fossils have helped us uncover information on the evolutionary history of many insects. Some of the specimens found date back millions of years so, without them, we would know very little about many small insects and spiders.

Localities - Baltic region, Poland former USSR.

Mythicism - Amber was thought to cure numerous ailments with its alleged healing properties, it is also sometimes used as a an ingredient in modern day perfumes.

The very rare and valuable Alexandrite is extremely pleochroic; it changes from green in daylight to red, mauve or brown under incandescent light, such as a light bulb. It is referred to by some as "an emerald by day and a ruby by night"

Due to its rarity, it is usually as expensive as the traditionally most precious gems, Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire.

Alexandrite was first found in Russia during the year 1830. Czar Alexander II came of age on the day the finest of the gems were found, so the name Alexandrite was given to the gem.

Hardness - 8.5

Inclusions - Typical inclusions include tiny crystals that look like black spots, silky threads or tiny elongated tubes. When certain types of long, thin inclusions are visible they can create the phenomenon called chatoyancy, or the cat’s-eye effect, increasing the Alexandrite’s value.

Localities - Ceylon, Russia, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, China, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar, Tasmania and the United States.

Mythicism - Some believe that, with its changing colour, it is a reminder that life is not only what it seems to be.

Birthstone - Alternates with Pearl and Moonstone as the birthstone for the month of June

Andalusite was first discovered in the Spanish province Andalucia, hence the name.

The colour of this stone varies greatly and has very distinctive pleochroism. This means that, when turned, the same stone may appear yellow, green or red. Because of this, Andalusite looks quite unlike any other gemstone, with patterns of colour dancing around the facets. The best colour play is seen in fancy shapes, particularly rectangular cushion shapes.

Andalusite is also known for its interesting variety Chiastolite, which displays a distinctive pattern within the cross-section of the crystal. The pattern is usually cross-shaped, and is caused by dark inclusions of carbon or clay. Chiastolite is often cut into slices and polished to perfectly feature these rare markings. This gem forms in granites, pegmatites and in many metamorphosed rocks. It is also insoluble in any fluid, and infusible when heated with a flame.

Hardness - 7.5

Inclusions - Carbon and clay inclusions are present in Chiastolite.

Localities - Spain, Sri Lanka, Brazil and France.

Birthstone - None, but strongly associated with the Virgo star sign

Mythicism - It has been said that people attracted to Andalusite are fighters. However, by wearing the stone, the possessor supposedly becomes wise, gives up fighting and embarks upon a journey to find true love.

Despite being relatively soft, Apatite can make beautiful gemstones or beads however the wearer should take care not to damage the stone. Whilst Apatite comes in white, yellow, green, blue and violet most often the gem-quality stones are yellow or blue.Spanish apatite is often called “asparagus stone”, due to its yellowish green colour. Being a pleochroic gemstone blue apatite’s body colour can change from green-blue to blue depending on which way viewed.

As some of the most abundant phosphate minerals on earth, Apatites are often confused with other minerals hence its name originates from the the Greek word apate, meaning, “to deceive”.

Hardness - 5

Localities - Burma, Spain, Brazil, Canada, USA and Sri Lanka.

Mythicism - Mystics believe that Apatite can stimulate the thoughts and ideas of the wearer. It is said to help you maintain focus, concentrate effectively, think clearly, and communicate better.

Aquamarine translates to “water of the sea” and they are the light green, greenish blue to blue variety of Beryl. The colour is due to the iron present.

Today the most valued colours are a rich saturated blue described as “Santa Maria”, referencing the exquisite Aquas extracted from the famous mine Santa Maria de Itabira in Brazil.

Aquamarines can be found in alluvial deposits but those which occur in pegmatites can grow to a significant size. The largest ever faceted Aqua started as a 2ft long crystal and ended as the Dom Pedro Aquamarine which is 10,363 carats and stands 35cm tall. Proudly on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in America.

A lot of aquas are heat treated to enhance its colour by removing any green hue and leaving pure blue.

Hardness - 7.5

Inclusions - Whilst many gem-quality Aquas are clean, many have long two-phase tube inclusions which run parallel to the length of the crystal. Evocative of falling rain.

Localities - Brazil, Madagascar, Burma, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Nigeria.

State Gemstone - Colorado

Mythicism - Due to its association with the sea, Aquamarine was traditionally a sacred gem for sailors. It is believed that the Greeks wore amulets made of Aquamarine engraved with Poseidon, The Lord of the Sea, to help protect them on voyages.

Birthstone - March

Beryl forms some of the most well known and prized gemstones. Varieties encompass the majority of the colour spectrum, from light to emerald green, light to deep blue, yellow, pink, purple, red, orange, brown and colorless. Beryl is transformed from its colourless state to one of its many hued varieties through trace elements of chromium and iron.

This mineral family widely occurs as prismatic crystals with a hexagonal cross section; they are generally found in pegmatites, ranging vastly in size. Crystals can range from single carats to extremely large and flawless examples displayed in museums.

Inclusions - The most common inclusions are long hollow tubes that run parallel to the long axis of the crystal. These may be liquid or gas filled inclusions.

Localities - Parts of Europe, Madagascar, Mozambique, south Africa, Zambia and the USA.

Mythicism - Ancient literature notes that Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, used powdered Beryl to cure eye injuries.

There are many Cat’s Eyes gems, including Tourmaline, Quartz, Spinel, Apatite, Scapolite, and Feldspar. However, the most prized is the Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye.

The Cat’s Eye effect is a phenomenon that gives certain gemstones the appearance of a cat’s narrowing pupil, hence the name. It really is spectacular with its narrow, bright band of light on a shimmering golden background, which seems to glide magically across the surface when the stone is moved.

Cat's Eyes colour ranges from a golden honey to mint green; the finest of all show a ‘milk and honey’ effect. When light is directed at the side of the stone, one side will be milky white and the other remains gold. When the stone is rotated, the colors switch.

Hardness - 8.5

Inclusions - The characteristic that gives this stone its name is the wonder known as chatoyancy, which is French for Cats Eye. The reason for this characteristic is the very fine inclusions within the stone. When a light source is directed on these inclusions it creates a bright strip that appears and runs perpendicular to the inclusions.

Localities - Sri Lanka, India, Brazil, China.

Mythicism - Due to it's golden hue, it has often been associated with wealth; this idea is certainly not without foundation, since high-quality cat's eye is up among the gemstones of the luxury class.

Coral is an organic gem; rather than being a mineral with a crystal structure, it is formed through a biological processes. Tiny living marine creatures called Coral Polyps secrete a substance which forms the tall, branching, tree-like structures which create colonies that can reach a height of up to 1m.

The branch forks are the thickest areas of Coral and it is from these parts that the precious raw material used in jewellery, large coral beads or carvings is harvested.

Coral inhabits deep water, rocky bottom habitats and typically collect on banks, seamounts, under ledges, and in and around caves; generally where there are strong currents.

Corals grow in a wide range of colours from red, white, blue to black. The most popular are the red hues such as pale pink, salmon or deep dark red.

Hardness - 3.5

Inclusions - High-quality coral is of an even colour and free of cracks, blotches, striations and holes.

Localities - Canary Islands, Taiwan, Malaysian, Australia, Italy and Hawaii.

Mythicism - Coral is one of the seven treasures in Buddhist scriptures and has been associated with the protection from evil.

Birthstone - April

Most people are familiar with Corundum; however, very few people know it by its mineral name. They are more familiar with the deep red coloured gemstone, Ruby and the blue specimen, Sapphire.

Colorless corundum is known as White Sapphire and any other color is known as Fancy sapphire.

Natural and synthetic corundum have a wide variety of industrious uses because of their toughness, hardness, and chemical stability. They are used to make industrial bearings, scratch-resistant windows for electronic instruments, wafers for circuit boards, and many other products.

"Emery boards" are a manicure and nail-care product that is made by gluing abrasive papers to a thin piece of cardboard. They obtained their name in the 1800s when crushed emery was used as the abrasive. Today's emery boards are not made with emery. Instead, many of them have a coarse side of synthetic corundum and a fine side of garnet abrasive.

Corundum has a vitreous to adamantine lustre and forms prismatic, tabular or rhombohedral crystals.

Hardness - 9

Inclusions - Corundum can be many colours but always has a white streak. If the streaks appear on more than two sides of the stone it creates the star shaped optical effect, asterism. These gems are then labelled Star Stones.

Localities - Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Chrysoberyl is one of the most interesting, yet least known, of the important gems. There are multiple varieties of Chrysoberyl, each with its own name and unique physical properties and their colours range from green, greenish yellow, and yellow to brown.

Alexandrite and Cat’s Eye are the most popular due to their peculiar and fascinating optical properties.

In spite of its name it is not actually a Beryl at all. The name is said to be from the Greek words chrysos, meaning golden and beryllos, which refers to the chemical element content of Beryllium.

Crystals are tabular or prismatic and are commonly twinned.

Hardness - 8.5

Inclusions - Stepped twin planes are occasionally present as well as needles and feathers.

Localities - Brazil, Madagascar

Mythicism - Known for thousands of years in Asia, it was highly valued for the protection it afforded from the “evil eye”.

Birthstone - Leo

Demantoid is the most valuable Andradite Garnet. It is an emerald green colour due to the presence of chromium. The high refractive index, which in other garnet gems can be masked by the depth of their colour, renders these remarkable stones very brilliant. This matched with their high dispersion means these gems are full of life.

They resemble Diamonds in this respect, hence the name Demantoid. The best Demantoids can be found in Russia and Namibia.

Hardness - 6.5 and brittle, so the facet edges can become abraded

Inclusions - Demantoids often have diagnostic “horsetail” inclusions which are made up of radiating fibrous golden threads around a small crystal.

Localities - Russia (Ural Mountains), Namibia, Iran and Italy.

Diamonds are the most famous mineral in the world. They are not only prized and famed for their exceptional hardness, but also for their high brilliance and their remarkable dispersion rate of light.

Most diamonds form under extreme pressure and at very high temperatures, typically at depths of over 90 miles inside Earth's crust. On average, Diamond formation occurs over periods of 1 to 3 billion years, until they are surfaced through deep volcanic eruptions of a rare type of magma called kimberlite. The kimberlite magma erupts from rare volcanic vents known as pipes or diatremes.

Colourless Diamond is the most popular but you can also find Diamond in Champagne and Cognac depending on it impurities.

Diamond is used as an industrial abrasive as it is the hardest mineral on Earth. No other mineral can scratch the surface; only other diamonds can polish them.

The crystals form as octahedral, cubes, dodecahedra and tetrahedral, often with curved faces. They also occur in rounded masses and as microcrystalline masses.

The name 'diamond' was apparently taken from the Greek word, 'adamas', meaning 'invincible', a sheer testament to its remarkable and superior hardness.

Hardness - 10

Inclusions - Pinpoints are tiny crystals that can either appear by themselves or in clusters. Larger clusters of minute pinpoints can create a cloud, which is a hazy area in the Diamond, affecting the diamond's clarity.

Localities - Australia is the main producer of Diamonds today, other localities include Sierra Leone, Zaire, Botswana, USA and Brazil.

Mythicism - Diamonds are alleged to empower the wearer with purity, love and joy which is why they are so symbolic of love and quite often used in engagement rings.

Roman literature, which first made mention of diamonds in the first century AD, also stated that Cupid’s irresistible arrows were tipped with diamonds.

At one time, Jewish high priests used diamonds to determine the innocence or guilt of someone accused of a crime. Their belief was that a diamond held before a guilty person would dull and darken, while a diamond held before an innocent person would glow with increased brilliance.

Birthstone - April

Emeralds are the most valuable member of the Beryl family and owe their distinctive green colour to traces of chromium sometimes with vanadium found present during crystal growth. Most Emeralds have visible inclusions that permeate the stone, affectionately called the jardin.

Emeralds have been mined in Egypt since around 1500 BC where there were a group of mines near the Red Sea, the Cleopatra's mines. Cleopatra is said to have bestowed visiting dignitaries with emeralds engraved with her portrait.

Hardness - 7.5

Inclusions - Emerald can contain three-phase inclusion. A micro-pocket of liquid with a trapped gas bubble & small solid crystal due to growing.

Localities - The finest and rarest Emeralds can be found in Columbia with a distinctive vibrant green. Other sources Brazil, Zambia, Austria, India, China Australia, South Africa, Egypt, the USA, Norway, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

State Gemstone - North Carolina

Mythology - In Egyptian times emeralds represented rebirth, fertility and immortality. More recently they are believe to strengthen memory, provide mental clarity and ease a stressed state.

Birthstone - May

Feldspar is by far the most abundant group of minerals in the earth's crust, forming about 60% of terrestrial rocks, gem quality, however, is rather rare. Feldspar forms directly from cooling magma and is a major component of granite and most other igneous rocks.

The entire feldspar group is divided into two main branches, the potassium feldspars: microcline and orthoclase, and the sodium/calcium feldspars known as the plagioclase. Feldspars tend to twin easily; one crystal can even be multiply twinned on the same plane, producing parallel layers of twinned crystals. They have two directions of cleavage at nearly right angles. Feldspars also tend to crystallise in igneous environments, but are also present in many metamorphic rocks.

Feldspars are primarily used in industrial applications for their alumina and alkali content.

Most of the products we use on a daily basis are made with feldspar: glass for drinking, glass for protection, fiberglass for insulation, the floor tiles and shower basins in our bathrooms, and the tableware from which we eat. Feldspar is part of our daily life.

The name "feldspar" is said to come from "field stone", because when Feldspar weathers, it releases large amounts of plant nutrients, such as potassium, which enrich the soil.

Hardness - 6

Localities - Italy, Turkey, America

Goshenite is named after Goshen, Massachusetts, in the USA, where it was founded; it is also carries the nickname ‘Mother of Gemstones’.

Being the colourless variety of Beryl, Goshenite has the remarkable ability to mimic and take on characteristics of a wide range of other precious gemstones. Good quality, colourless Goshenite is already a great substitute for Diamond; when impurities such as Chromium or Manganese are added, the gemstone transforms to present as Emerald or Morganite. If you were to use radiation to irradiate Goshenite, the result would be an imitation Heliodor or Golden Beryl.

Goshenite is found nearly exclusively in hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, or larger igneous intrusions that invade aluminous schist, shale or impure limestone.

Allegedly, colourless Beryl was once used for the lenses in glasses. This may be why the German word for glasses is brille.

Hardness - 7.5

Inclusions - The most common inclusions are long hollow tubes that run parallel to the long axis of the crystal. These may be liquid or gas filled inclusions.

Localities - Canada, Brazil and the former USSR.

Mythicism - Goshenite apparently appears in some translations of the Bible, in which the wheels of God's chariot are said to be made from clear Beryl.

The first major Heliodor was discovered in Klein Spitzkoppe, Namibia in 1910.

Heliodor has always been linked to the sun due to its yellow or golden colour also, Heliodor is sometimes synonymous with helios, which is the Greek word for sun. Its captivating colouring, ranging from a pastel yellow to a rich gold, or sometimes a slightly greenish, yellow, develops through traces of iron. On rare occasions, heliodor can contain the radioactive material, uranium oxide.

The crystals are often striated with tiny ridges, parallel to their length, and may be of vast size; specimens up to 18 feet long have been recorded. It also forms in massive, compact, and columnar habits.

Around 1914, the world-famous jeweller Lucas von Cranach designed a set of Heliodor jewellery for the German Kaiser Wilheim II, which brought the gem to the attention of the public.

Hardness - 7.5

Inclusions - A rain like appearance is created by both liquid and gas bubbles trapped within the crystal, in spiky and tube formations. These small inclusions range in size from 0.1 to 1 mm and are usually only visible in detail by microscopic study.

Localities - Russia, Brazil, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Mythicism - Carrying a piece of Heliodor can apparently boost feelings of courage and wellbeing. Heliodors happy energy is so strong that it tends to attract positive energy to itself, leaving no room for the negativity of any toxic people around it.

Iolite is the name given to gem-quality crystals of Cordierite. These gems are a deep blue, purple colour and display strong pleochroism meaning the body colour changes from blue to yellow depending on how you view the crystal. Care therefore needs to be taken when orientating the cut.

Sometimes referred to as the “Vikings’ Compass”, since a slice of Iolite could determine the direction of the sun on an overcast day therefore aiding navigation across the open seas.

Hardness - 7 to 7.5

Localities: -The Vikings would have got their Iolite from deposits in Norway and Greenland but its also mined in Sri Lanka, Burma, India & Madagascar.

Mythicism - In ancient times it was thought that by wearing Iolite an artist could unlock their creativity.

For centuries Jade was thought to be a single gemstone, but in 1836 two types were recognised; Jadeite and Nephrite.

The colour of jadeite is typically green but can be white, grey, lavender and when stained by iron oxides, brown or yellow. The highest quality is semitransparent and a distinctive vivid green and is known as “Imperial Jade”.

Nephrite jade can vary in colour from dark green to a pure white which is referred to as “mutton fat jade”. Its colour is less vibrant than Jadeite and is often mottled.

Jadeite is slightly harder than nephrite and was the favoured material for the fashioning of implements employed by primitive man.

Rough Jade is often found in boulders with the most valued source being Burma.

“A Jade” means that the Jadeite is untreated while “B Jade” means that the material has been bleached or impregnated with synthetic resins. Finally “C Jade” means that a dye has been use to improve the colour from colourless to either green or lavender which potentially has been used in conjunction with a resin, “B+C Jade”.

Hardness - Jadeite 6.5 to & and Nephrite 6.0 to 6.5

Inclusions - Jade is a microcrystalline material which means no inclusions however if the material is dyed you will notice that the colour is concentrated in the cracks.

Localities - Burma, Guatemala, Japan, Russia and USA.

State Gemstone - Wyoming

Mythicism - Jade has always been highly regarded by the Chinese and was often buried with Kings to protect their body from decay. Jade is still thought of as protective hence the tradition of giving and wearing jade bangles in China.

The colour of Kyanite can vary from blue, white, green, yellow, pink to almost black. Crystals are often found in blades with darker bands of colour towards the center.

When cut they can give a bright vitreous lustre but the transparent blue gems often display distinctive colour banding. Since they can be soft they are often found as beads and cabochons.

Hardness - Between 5 and 7

Localities - Gem quality crystals are found in Burma, Brazil, Mozambique, Madagascar and Kenya.

Mythicism - Some say that Kyanite is good for communication and speaking the truth making it useful for performers and public speakers.

Lapis lazuli is a blue rock made up of several different minerals, including lazurite, sodalite, hauyne, calcite and pyrite. This gives it an intense dark blue mottled with white calcite and yellow pyrite.

Lapis Lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan for over 6000 years, in the Sar-i Sang mines in the Badakhshan Province. Revered for its intense colour this stone has been used for decorating the funeral mask of King Tutt through to being used as a mineral pigment by being ground into a powder. This gave Renaissance painters the most expensive and rich colour, ultramarine.

Nowadays it is mined in other areas and you can find it cut as cabochons or beads.

Hardness - 5.5

Localities - The deepest blue material still comes from Afghanistan but also found in China, Russia and Chile.

Mythicism - This stone has been worn in the past under the belief that it will protect the wearer from evil.

Malachite has a distinctive green colour banding often in concentric curved if it has grown with a botryoidal habit. The rich deep green colour is due to the copper content.

This vivid green meant was used as a mineral pigment where it was ground and used for green paint.

Malachite has been a very popular carving material as well as being fashioned into beads , cabochons and used in decorative objects as inlay.

Hardness - 4

Localities - Africa is the most important producer but you can also find malachite in Australia, USA and Zambia.

Mythicism - In the past, malachite was worn to ward off danger and illness.

Moonstone displays an adularescence or schiller effect, which is an optical phenomenon due to the diffraction of light. Light hits thin, alternating layers of the components Orthoclase and Albite within the gem and produces either a white or blue adularescence. The overall body color of the Moonstone is generally due to iron content.

Moonstone became widely popular at the end of the 19th century and was featured in Edwardian and Art Nouveau jewellery.

Hardness - 6 to 6.5

Inclusions - Characteristic inclusions in Moonstone include tiny tension cracks called Centipedes. They are called this because they resemble those long, thin creatures with many legs. Moonstone inclusions secure its identity; pairs of tiny stress cracks running parallel to the vertical axis of the crystal and smaller cracks running alongside them, have been likened to and are known as “centipedes".

Burmese moonstones are characterised by oriented needle inclusions.

Localities - Burma and Sri Lanka

Mythicism - Some legends say it was formed out of the rays of the moon. Others claim you can see the future in a moonstone during a waning moon.

Moon worshipers would recharge the energy of their stones by placing it in direct light of a full moon. Moonstone is believed to be very powerful at reuniting lovers who have quarrelled. If your spouse or lover is mad at you, you should perhaps consider giving him or her a gift of moonstone jewellery.

Birthstone - June

Coloured by manganese impurities, the pink, rose, peach and violet varieties of Beryl are called Morganite. The gemstone is tainted sporadically by yellow patches and colour banding but these impurities are usually removed through heat treatments.

This glittering stone acquires vitreous luster and the transparency state varies from transparent to translucent.

Morganite occurs in complex granite pegmatites in tabular crystal form. It is also found in alluvial deposits and in large sizes as rough.

The gemmological world used to view this stone simply as 'pink beryl', and didn’t consider it as a gemstone in its own right. It wasn’t until 1911, on the suggestion of the New York gemmologist G. F. Kunz, it was renamed Morganite, in honour of the banker and gem enthusiast John Pierpont Morgan.

You will be able to see the largest faceted morganite, which is about 600 carat in the collection at the British Museum. This particular stone was found in Madagascar.

Hardness - 7.5-8

Inclusions - Faceted Morganite usually does not have inclusions that are visible to the eye.

Localities - Madagascar, Brazil, Namibia, Italy, Zimbabwe and Pakistan.

Mythicism - Today, the astrologers suggest wearing this stone to cure the problems that takes place due to chaotic modern life. It relieves stress and provides peace at mind, body and soul.

Pearls are formed in shellfish through a natural defense against irritants such as grit. The mollusc produces a material called nacre, which is a mix of aragonite and conchiolin, and excretes this to cover up the irritant within its shell. A build up of this material is what forms the pearl. The light interference between the layers of Nacre are what cause the pearls lustre. Without this lustre, the pearl would drop considerably in value.

Many shellfish can produce pearls but the best quality come from Margaritifera, an Oyster and Unio, a muscle.

Pure white or white with a faint tint of pink or yellow are the most desirable colours. They are sensitive to acids; dryness and humidity so are less durable than many other gems.

Cultivated or natural, the pearl ranks as a major gemstone. if the diamond is called the king of gems, the pearl is definitely the queen.

Hardness - 2.5 - 4.5

Localities - Freshwater Pearls are usually harvested from the Indian Ocean. Japan has perfected a process that allow them to cultivate larger pearls.

State Gemstone - Kentucky

Mythicism - Pearls were once thought to be tears of the gods.

Birthstone - June

Peridot is the gem variety of the mineral Olivine. Its olive green colour is due to the presence of iron but very rarely it can be brown. It has often been called the "evening emerald" due to this pronounced colour. Whilst having little brilliance and lustre it still possesses a subtle luxurious charm.

Hardness - 6.5

Inclusions - Due to internal stress cracks created around black chromite crystals, Peridots have a diagnostic inclusion which resembles water-lily leaves.

Localities - Egypt, China, Burma, Brazil and South Africa.

Mythology - Thought to possess magical powers and healing properties.

Birthstone - August

Ruby is one of the four recognized precious stones. The others are Emerald, Sapphire, and Diamond. They are sometimes labelled the most expensive gem mineral as they are geologically rarer than Diamond.

Ruby gets its red coloring from trace amounts of chromium. The most desirable shade of ruby is a deep red with a hint of blue which is referred to as "pigeon's blood."

The name Ruby originates from the Latin word, ruber, meaning red.

Ruby forms as a bipyramidal, prismatic, tabular, or rhombohedral crystals and can be found in metamorphic and igneous rocks.

The first ever functional laser was created with a synthetic ruby crystal by Theodore H. Maiman in 1960. Synthetic rubies are used not only in laser technology, but also in microelectronics.

Hardness - 9

Inclusions - Thin mineral inclusions called needles are common. When the mineral is rutile and needles are present in intersecting groups, it is called silk. Needles might be short or long and slender, and they might appear to be woven tightly together.

Localities - Burma, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Vietnam, Russia, Australia and Norway. Because of its hardness and density, ruby can also be found in river gravels.

Mythicism - If there is one gemstone that represents the passion of love, it is the ruby. It is also a traditional gift for those celebrating 15th or 40th anniversaries. Legend has it that Ruby was said to be able to remove the wearers evil thoughts, thus preserving their mental and bodily health.

Birthstone - July

Sapphires are the blue variety of the Corundum family of gemstones, with fancy sapphires meaning all other colours apart from red, which are called Rubies.

They are given their blue colour by a combination of iron with titanium and range from the palest blue through to dark inky almost black. The cut will depend on the colour and clarity, with more included stones being cut en cabochon. They can also display highly desirable asterism to give a Star Sapphire.

The name sapphire means blue and comes from the Greek word sappheirios. Highly saturated vivid, velvety blue clean Sapphires from Kasmir are the most sought after blue gemstones in the world, closely followed by those from Sri Lanka.

Sapphire forms as bipyramidal, prismatic, tabular or rhombohedral crystals.

Hardness - 9

Inclusions - Sapphire inclusions can tell us a lot about the stones including whether it is natural or synthetic, whether it has been treated and even the locality from which it was mined.

The most important inclusion in a natural sapphires are straight colour zoning and patches of very fine rutile needles, called “silk”.

Treatments - Treatment is fairly common in Sapphires with rough often undergoing low-level heat treatment before being cut. This will dissolve the silk therefore improving the colour and clarity.

Localities - The most desirable come from India, Sri Lanka and Burma. You can also find them in Thailand, Australia, Montana USA, Nigeria, Cambodia, China, Kenya,Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar.

Mythicism - Long ago people believed that sapphires protected the wearer from envy and harm. An ancient Persian legend says that the earth rests upon a giant sapphire, and that its colour is reflected in the sky.

"A maiden born when autumn leaves. Are rustling in September's breeze, A Sapphire on her brow should bind; To bring her joy and peace of mind." ~Author unknown

Birthstone - September

This mineral occurs as well formed prismatic crystals which can be found in impressive sizes. Often grown in pegmatites they can reach bolder size. The crystal which went on to be cut into the one of the world larges cut gems weighed 81.57lbs. This formed the majestic El Dorado which weighing 31,000cts.

The gem quality crystals range in colour from yellow through to orange or even red crystals as well as brown, blue, green and colourless. It is these colourless stones which are treated to make the abundant blue stones you find in mainstream jewellery.

Topaz gems range from transparent to translucent and display a bright vitreous lustre.

Yellow - The range of yellow to orange hues which are found in gem quality Topaz give rise to some specific names. Imperial Topaz is a warm reddish orange to orange-red colour and was given this regal title during the 19th Century when ownership of this gem in Russia was restricted to the royal family. Whilst now being open to all, its rarity means this hue still retains its prestigious standing. The yellowish brown to orange gems are given the illustrative name of Sherry Topaz.

Blue - Natural blue Topaz is very rare and is a light soft blue. The blues which we find today are treated colourless stones which go through a two-stage process. First they are irradiated to give a yellow to brown colour which is then heated to produce the more stable range of blues. They are marketed with certain names to indicate hue: Sky blue, London Blue and Swiss Blue.

Hardness - 8

Treatments - Heat treatment is commonly used on brown stones to remove the yellow hue leaving a vibrant pink.

Localities - The most important source of Topaz is Brazil, where the pegmatite give us fine and sizeable specimens. Other sources are Mexico, USA, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Madagascar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

State Gemstone - Utah

Mythicism - It was traditionally believed to radiate good health for the wearer and during the Renaissance could be used to break magic spells.

Birthstone - November

Tsavorite is a transparent, green grossular garnet. Its colour can vary from bluish green to yellowish green depending on the amount of vanadium and chromium present.

This green gem-quality grossular garnet was first discovered by Geologist Campbell Bridges in Tanzania in 1967 and then in Kenya in 1970. He along with Henry Platt, the president of Tiffany & Co. at the time, decided to name the gem after the nearby nature reserve, the Tsavo National Park on the Kenya-Tanzania border.

Hardness - 7.25

Localities - Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Madagascar and Pakistan.

Mythology - Said to be a stone of wealth as well as having restorative and freeing qualities.

This mineral rarely forms crystals but when they occur, it is as small, short, prismatic specimens. The colour is pale to sky blue to dark green.

Turquoise is a polycrystaline mineral which forms in igneous and sedimentary aluminum rich rocks that have been much altered by copper-rich seeping groundwater. The gem quality material occurs in nodules and seams often with veins of matrix running through and can be translucent to opaque. When polished it has a waxy or dull vitreous “porcelain” lustre.

The colour varies from a green, blue-green through to a pure and a rich sky blue evocative of a Robin’s egg. The highly sought after turquoise from Arizona is called Sleeping Beauty Turquoise and is largely free from veining.

Turquoise has been used for decoration all around the world for thousands of years from adorning the domes of Iranian palaces, to being used in Aztec icons and being buried with ancient Egyptian rulers.

Hardness - 5.5 to 6

Treatments - Turquoise can be stabilised with a resin or plastic if it is very porous to make the stone more durable and this is often hard to detect. You can also find reconstructed turquoise which is made up of powdered turquoise with resin which is far from the natural stone but can look very deceptive.

Localities - USA, Mexico, Egypt, China but some of the best still comes from Iran.

Mythicism - It has long been thought to protect from evil and regards as a stone of the gods.

Birthstone - December