Gemstone Education
Garnet
January - the regal garnet symbolizes friendship, loyalty and devotion
From ruby red to smoky brown, the garnet birthstone sparkles with colour. Garnet gets its name from the pomegranate, as it bears a striking resemblance to its seeds. The garnet birthstone is also January's birthstone and a beloved jewellery choice.
Color
Deep red. While garnet comes in a wide variety of colours that range from red to orange-brown to green to purple, red is the most common.
Durability
Fair to good toughness. Good for everyday wear.
Amethyst
February - the vibrant amethyst represents peace and tranquility.
Amethyst is the birthstone of February, making amethyst jewellery a special gift for those who were born in this month. Amethyst is not only a sight to behold, but also the colour of royalty and a traditional symbol of peace, tranquility and protection. Available in shades of purple ranging from a light lavender to a deep, dark and royal purple, amethyst is an attractive gemstone in virtually any setting, including white gold, yellow gold and rose gold.
Important sources include Brazil, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Uruguay, the USA, and Zambia.
Color
All shades of purple ranging from pale lilac to deep violet.
Durability
Fair to good toughness. Good for everyday wear.
Aquamarine
March – Ice-blue aquamarine celebrates happiness and beauty.
Reminiscent of a pool of sparkling water, aquamarine is the birthstone for March. Aquamarine jewelry symbolizes youth, hope and health, making it a lovely choice for anyone with a zest for life. Aquamarine's color tones are subtle and varied with a soft luster that's easy to fall in love with.
Notable sources include Brazil, China, India, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
Color
Blue, with hints of cyan and green
Durability
Fair toughness. More internally clean than emerald, aquamarine is somewhat tougher although still brittle. Aquamarine can be chipped or scratched if struck
Diamond
April - The sparkling diamond is the ultimate symbol of love.
Diamond jewellery, such as diamond rings and diamond earrings, is a classic favorite. This elegant accessory goes perfect with everything and pairs beautifully with any precious metal including white gold, rose gold and gold. Diamond rings, diamond earrings and other diamond jewellery have been staple additions to any elegant and sophisticated outfit for many, many years.
Notable sources of diamond include Russia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and Angola.
Color
Colourless, yellow, brown, or grey. Can also be treated to create a variety of colours.
Durability
Very durable. Good for everyday wear. Although the hardest of gemstones, diamonds can still be chipped if struck sharply.
Emerald
May - Verdant emerald symbolizes loyalty faithfulness and love
With its rich green colour, the emerald is a classic and elegant gemstone. Cleopatra loved emerald jewellery, as have members of high society for thousands of years. Emerald is the birthstone of May, making emerald necklaces, emerald rings and other emerald jewellery a vibrant choice for those born in that month. You'll love emerald rings and emerald necklaces set in yellow, white, or rose gold. Whether you love the colour or want to make a powerful jewellery choice, emerald jewellery is a sight to behold.
Colombia is the most-famous source of emerald, but others include Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Pakistan, Nigeria, Russia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Color
Dark to medium green with hints of blue.
Durability
Fair to poor toughness. Emeralds can show wear in the form of scratches and chips if not worn with care.
Pearl
June - Lustrous pearl embodies peace, beauty and friendship.
Cultured pearls are an elegant choice and suitable for many special occasions, from proms, weddings, and formals to business and casual functions. With their creamy, lustrous texture and iridescence, cultured pearls shine in their own unique way. As the birthstone of June, cultured pearls make a fantastic June birthday gift. Available in many styles, cultured pearls range from nostalgic to modern. Cultured pearls are a beautiful choice for bridal gifts and whispering sweet nothings to the one you love.
Pearls are made up of layer upon layer of lustrous nacre produced within mollusk shells. Because pearls are so seldom found in nature, humans have created a system of producing cultured pearls. In this process, tiny irritants are inserted inside the mollusk shell. As nacre builds up around the irritants over time, beautiful cultured pearls are created. Almost all pearls you find in stores today are cultured.
Primary sources of ocean pearls include the Persian Gulf; the Gulf of Manaar; along the coasts of Madagascar, Burma (Myanmar), and the Philippines; many islands in the South Pacific, northern Australia; the coastal lines of Central and northern South America; and some small beds in Japan. Primary sources of freshwater pearls include United States, China, Japan, and some places in Europe.
Color
Pink, silver, cream, white, golden, grey, blue, black, and green. They can also be dyed.
Durability
Usually good durability, but variable. Pearls can scratch or show wear, especially when mounted in rings.
Ruby
July - This vivid gem epitomizes integrity, confidence & strength.
The colour red is the colour of the July birthstone. Many cultures associate red with fire, courage, passion and good fortune. Some consider this a stone for royalty in addition to being a stone for love. If you hadn’t guessed, the ruby – a gemstone ranging from orange to purplish red – is the birthstone for July. That means that, if you or someone in your life has a July birthday, ruby jewellery makes for a thoughtful gift.
The ruby birthstone instantly captivates with its rich red colour. The word ruby stems from the Latin word “ruber” meaning red. In Sanskrit, ruby is called “Ratnaraj” which means “King of Precious Stones”. Curiously, the July birthstone shares a chemical make-up with the sapphire gemstone that is classically blue. It is considered one of the cardinal gems alongside emerald, sapphire,amethyst and diamond.
ruby sources include Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Kenya, Madagascar, and Vietnam.
Color
Rubies can range from soft pink to deep, almost blood red. The gemstone’s place of origin can affect its colour. For example, rubies from Asia tend to be slightly pinker than rubies from Africa.
Durability
Rubies are tough with a 9 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Peridot
August - The lush peridot brings fame, dignity and protection.
The colour green is also the colour of the August birthstone. Many cultures often link green with nature and renewal. This is why the colour green is associated with healing and protection. The peridot – a gemstone ranging from pale to lush green – is also associated with August birthdays. That means that, if you or someone in your life has an August birthday, peridot jewellery makes for a thoughtful gift.
The August birthstone is a gorgeous, brilliant gemstone that will capture your imagination. Legend has it that the peridot gemstone wards off bad dreams. These August gemstones have long been cherished for their healing properties as well.
Primary peridot sources include Burma (Myanmar), Australia (Queensland), Brazil (Minas Gerais), China, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, and the United States (Arizona).
Color
Yellowish grass-green to darker olive-green. Peridot can also have brown or bright lime tones. Some say the intensity of the green colour depends on the amount of iron in the gem.
Durability
Fair to good toughness. Good for everyday wear.
Sapphire
September - The many colours of sapphire symbolize truth, sincerity and commitment.
Instantly recognizable, sapphire is an impressive blue gemstone that symbolizes purity, loyalty, and trust. Sapphire is one of the most popular gemstones thanks to its alluring blue colour, notable clarity, and hardness. Sapphire jewellery, such as rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, has a classic appeal but can look modern just as easily. It is also a popular choice as an accent stone in engagement rings. Sapphire is the birthstone of September, making sapphire gemstone jewellery a beautiful birthday gift.
Sources include Australia, Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Montana, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and the United States (Montana).
Color
Blue sapphires are the birthstone for September. Sapphires can also be green, purple, pink, yellow, white, or orange, although these shades are more rare.
Durability
This gemstone has very good to excellent toughness, making it good for everyday wear. Although it's one of the hardest gemstones, sapphires can still be chipped or scratched if struck.
Opal & Tourmaline
October - Iridescent opal embodies long and lasting love.
Opal is a unique and gorgeous gemstone known for its radiant play-of-colour. This play-of-colour occurs when light reflects off of silica chips present in the stone. Versatile opal easily complements many metal colours, but it looks especially lovely set in yellow or rose gold. It also pairs well with many coloured gemstones. Opal is October's birthstone, making opal jewellery such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings a memorable birthday gift. One thing is for sure - no other gemstone is quite like opal.
Primary opal sources include Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and the United States (Nevada, Idaho).
Color
Multicoloured opal is typically white with colourful flecks, known as play-of-colour. The base colour can range widely as well. Warm base colours are rarer and more valuable than cool colours.
Durability
This gemstone has fair to poor toughness. Because they have no regular crystalline structure and often contain a high percentage of water, opals should be treated with care.
Tourmaline is a fascinating mineral that can actually exhibit two or more colours in one crystal. Tourmaline possesses one of the widest colour ranges, reproducing every conceivable colour in a rainbow. It is vitreous on crystal surfaces and greasy on fractures.
Sources of tourmaline include Brazil (Minas Gerais, Paraiba), Afghanistan, Australia, Burma (Myanmar), India, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United States (California, Maine), Zaire, Elba (Italy) and Switzerland (Tessin).
Citrine
November – Warm citrine is said to bring hope, health and fidelity.
Each month corresponds to a particular gemstone. The birthstone for November birthdays is the beautiful citrine. Named after the French word for lemon “citron”, this gem comes in citrus-y hues. It ranges from pale yellow to rich orange. But the November birthstone dazzles in many different types of citrine jewellery. From a November birthstone necklace to citrine earrings and rings, there’s a little something for every November baby.
Because of its sunny hue, citrine pairs especially well with warm yellow gold. It pairs perfectly with the main holiday in November: Thanksgiving. It’s a variety of mineral quartz and the colour depends on where the stone came from originally.
Sources of citrine include Brazil, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, and the United States.
Color
Citrine has a yellow hue that can range from light yellow to golden to brownish-red.
Durability
Citrine has fair to good toughness. It is good for everyday wear with some care
Blue Topaz
December - Majestic blue topaz brings the wearer wisdom & understanding.
Topaz stones come in a rainbow of colours: white, pink, yellow, orange, pale green, golden brown, and, of course, blue. Blue is the most popular shade of topaz and the birthstone for December. Pure topaz is actually colourless. The gemstone gets its colour from impurities or heat treatment. Rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with blue topaz are a gorgeous choice for a December birthday gift. No matter the occasion, blue topaz jewellery is sure to be adored.
It can be found with fluorite and cassiterite in various areas including the Ural and Ilmensky Mountains of Russia, in Afghanistan, SriLanka, CzechRepublic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Flinders Island, Australia, Nigeria and the United States
Color
Topaz comes in many colours, but blue is the most popular and the traditional December birthstone.
Durability
Topaz has very good durability, which makes it suitable for everyday wear.
