Gem Guide

Almandite (Almandine) Garnet : Transparent to semi-translucent reddish orange to red, slightly purplish red to reddish purple, they are typically dark in tone. This form of Garnet has been used in jewelry as far back as early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. They are found in India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil and also Greenland, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania and the USA. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Amethyst (Quartz) : Transparent bluish purple to reddish purple. Amethyst is supposed to warden of drunkenness as it comes from the Greek work "amethystos" meaning "not intoxicated", in fact it is said to protect the wearer from being seduced. As well as to protect crops against tempests and locusts, bring good fortune in war and in the hunt, drive out evil spirits and inspire the intellect . It is the birthstone for February and Pisces as well as the 6th Wedding Anniversary. It is found in Brazil, Uruguay, Namibia as well as Iran, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Russia and the USA.

Aquamarine (Beryl) : Transparent to translucent very light, medium blue to greenish blue. Aquamarine is the Latin word for "Sea Water". It is found in Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia, Nigeria, Russia, China and the USA. It is the Birthstone for March, and Pisces.

Beryl Family: Includes Emerald, Aquamarine, Morganite, Heliodor/Golden Beryl, Green Beryl. The name Beryl originally comes from India, deriving from the Sanskrit word "veruliyam", which was a name for Chrysoberyl, from where the Greek word "beryllos" was later derived.

Citrine (Quartz) : Transparent yellow to orange to brownish orange. The name is derived from the color or yellow of the lemon. It is found in Brazil as well as Bolivia and Spain. It is the birthstone for November as well as the 13th Wedding Anniversary.

Chalcedony : Semi-Transparent to opaque in virtually any color. Including Chrysoprase (light to medium yellowish green), Carnelian (yellow orange to orangy red, brownish red or brownish orange), Chrysocolla (intense light blue of blue green), Lavender Chalcedony and Bloodstone (dark green with red to brownish red spots). Carnelian is the birthstone for Virgo and Bloodstone is the birthstone for March and Aries. Chalcedony also includes Agate (Birthstone for Gemini), Landscape Agate, Moss Agate, Onyx (stone for Leo and 7th Wedding Anniversary), Sard, Sardonyx (Birthstone for August), Carnelian Onyx, Jasper, Iris Agate, Petrified Wood and Fire Agate. Chalcedony's are found in Iceland, India, Russia, the USA, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Uruguay, Scotland, Germany, China, Madagascar, Italy and Mexico.

Chrysoberyl : Transparent to opaque, light to medium yellow, to yellowish green, grayish green, brown to yellowish brown. Also as Alexandrite (color-change) and Cat's Eye. The name comes from the Greek meaning Gold-colored Beryl. Since Ancient times it has been thought to protect its wearer and keep disasters at bay. It is found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Russia and India.

Color-Change Garnet: Transparent with a wide variability of colors which change from incandescent to daylight. Found in East Africa. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Coral : A semi-translucent to opaque organic material left behind by small marine animals. Light pink to dark red, orange, white and cream colors also occasionally in purple and blues. It is found in Australia, Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, and the Mediterranean coasts of Algeria, France, Italy, Morocco and Tunisia, Taiwan, Ireland and the USA.

Corundum Family : Includes Sapphire, Ruby and Fancy Colored Sapphire.

Cultured South Sea Pearl :

Demantoid (Andradite) Garnet : A highly dispersive transparent light to dark green to yellow green. Rare over 3 cts., very rare over 6 cts. The name comes from the Dutch and means "diamond like". It was discovered in 1868 in the Ural Mountains of Russia. It was a favorite of Carl Faberge, and because of it's rarity is highly sought after. In the 1990's a new deposit was found in Namibia, which has increased it's availability. They have a unique inclusion called a "horse tail". They are found in Italy, Korea, Russia, Zaire, Sri Lanka, Mexico and the USA. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Diamond : Transparent to opaque, colorless, yellow, brown, grey, black, blue, green, orange, pink, red and purple. It is found in Russia, Botswana, South Africa, Australia as well as Namibia, Sierra Leone, Zaire, Brazil, China and India. It is the birthstone for April as well as the 10th and 60th Wedding Anniversaries.

Fancy Sapphire : This applies to all colors of corundum that are not red (ruby) or blue (sapphire). These most commonly range from pink, to all shades of orange, yellow, green, purple, white and grey.

Green Beryl : Transparent to translucent light green or yellowish green stone which is too light to be classified as Emerald. It is found in Brazil, Afghanistan, Madagascar and the US. It is the stone for Scorpio.

Green Quartz: Transparent green to yellowish green.

Hackmanite : A pink to purple to bluish purple sodalite which changes color when exposed to sunlight. The color can range from colorless to pinkish purple or bluish purple. It can be found in Afghanistan, Russia, Canada, Greenland and Guinea.

Heliodor (Golden Beryl): Transparent to translucent greenish yellow to orangy to yellowish brown. The name comes from the Greek helios and doron, meaning "gift from the sun".

Hessionite (Grossularite) Garnet : Transparent to semi-transparent yellow orange to reddish orange. It has a unique inclusion called a "heat-wave". It is found in Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, as well as Brazil, Canada, India and the USA. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Iolite : Is also known as the Gem of the Vikings. This is because they used thin slices of it as the first polarizing filter to determine the exact position of the sun. This way they could navigate themselves successfully in the ocean. The name comes from the Greek word Ion, meaning violet, because of it's color. The pleochroism, which helped the Vikings, means that the stone can be a purplish blue color when looked at in one direction, and a colorless to yellow color in another. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Brazil. There are also deposits in Norway and Greenland. It is the stone for the 21st Wedding Anniversary.

Kunzite : Is in the family Spodumene, which comes from the Greek word spodumenos meaning "Burnt to Ashes". Transparent pink to purplish pink and bluish purple. It was discovered in the Pala District of San Diego County CA., and was first given a comprehensive description by the gemologist George Frederick Kunz and named after him in 1902. It was popularized by Tiffany, where he worked. The stone can fade with prolonged exposure to bright light. It is found in Brazil, Afghanistan, Madagascar and the USA.

Lemon Quartz : Transparent yellow to slightly greenish yellow.

Mali Garnet: A mixture of Grossular (Tsavorite) and Andradite (Demantoid) Garnet. It is a dispersive yellow, green and brown garnet, found in West Africa. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Malaia Garnet: A mixture of primarily Pyrope and Spessartite Garnet. Transparent light to dark slightly pinkish orange, reddish orange and yellowish orange. Found in East Africa in the 1970's. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Mexican Fire Opal : Transparent to semi-transparent in yellow, red or orange to brown body color, with or without play-of-color. In ancient times in India, the Persian kingdom and the Americas the fire opal was a symbol of the most fervent love. It was believed to have been created in the waters of Paradise, in fact the Mayans and Aztecs called it quetzalitzlipyollitli, the 'stone of the bird of paradise'. It is considered the national stone of Mexico where it is found in its volcanic deposits. The only other large concentration of fire opals has been found recently in Brazil. These are yellow to orange, can be cloudy and have no play-of-color. Can contain water anywhere from 3-10% of it's weight, yet it is a very light stone, 46% lighter than Sapphire. It is the birthstone for October and 14th Wedding Anniversary.

Morganite (Beryl): Is transparent to translucent pink, light reddish Orange to light purplish red. It is named after the financier J. Pierpont Morgan in 1911 by George Frederick Kunz, who compiled Morgan's collections while working at Tiffany. He was an avid collector of gemstones and the collections were donated to the Museum of Natural History in NYC. It is found in Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia, Nigeria, Russia, China and the USA.

Opal: Green, Blue, Yellow or White : Semi-translucent to opaque with no play of color. Opal is the birthstone for October as well as the stone for the 14th Wedding Anniversary. They are found in Australia, Brazil, Mexico as well as Czechoslovakia, Honduras, Indonesia, Poland and the USA.

Peridot : Transparent to translucent yellow green to greenish yellow and brownish green. They have a unique inclusion called a lily-pad. Peridot is one of the older gemstones, being found in Egyptian jewelry as far back as the 2 nd millennium BC. The name Peridot comes from the Greek word Peridona, which means something close to "to give richness". It is found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, the USA, Africa and Australia. It is the birthstone for August and Leo, as well as the 16th Wedding Anniversary

Peruvian Opal : Birthstone for October as well as the stone for the 14th Wedding Anniversary. It is found only in the Andes Mountains of Peru.

Prehnite : Transparent to translucent yellowish green to bluish green. Prehnite was named after its discoverer Colonel Hendrik von Prehn (1733-1785) , an early Dutch governor of the Cape of Good Hope colony. Prehnite was the first mineral to be named after a person. It is found in m any locations, including the U.S.A., China, Canada, Australia, Scotland, and France.

Pyrope Garnet: Transparent to semi-translucent medium to dark reddish orange and red to slightly purplish red. They are normally found in smaller sizes under 2 cts. They are found in Australia, Czechoslovakia, South Africa and the USA. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Quartz : Includes Amethyst, Citrine, Rock Crystal, Rose, Green, and Smokey. It is found in Brazil as well as Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, Russia and the USA.

Rhodolite Garnet : Transparent light to dark purplish red to reddish purple. They are found in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, as well as Madagascar and the USA. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Rose Quartz : Transparent to translucent pale pink.

Sapphire (Corundum) : Sapphire is transparent to opaque violet blue, blue and greenish blue. The name comes from the Latin Sapphirus, which means "dear to Saturn". It is found in India (Kashmir), Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Thailand, China, Australia, Burma (Myanmar), Africa, Northern Vietnam, Cambodia, and Montana, USA. Trade Grades, such as Ceylon and Kashmir, refer to quality ranges associated with certain regions, not necessarily the location where the stone came from. It is the birthstone for September, and Taurus as well as the 5th and 45th Wedding Anniversaries.

Sea of Cortez Cultured Pearl : These cultured pearls are known for their orient or play of colors. They are grown in the Pinctada maxima and Pteria sterna mollusks. The Mexican pearl dates back to Pre-Columbian time. Later they were the first black pearls to be taken to Spain and became the largest export from the New World, until the gold and silver mines were established. The most famous pearl to come from the Americas is "La Peregrina" which originally belonged to Kings and Queens of Spain, England and France is now in the collection of Elizabeth Taylor. The first commercial Pearl farm started in 1893, but was destroyed in 1914. These pearls were not cultured again until 1994. These pearls are very rare, only approximately 5000 pearls and 5000 mabe pearls are produced a year. For more information www.perlas.com.mx

Sea of Cortez Cultured Keshi Pearl : The Keshi pearl is a non-nucleated pearl that sometimes occurs during the culturing process. Though it is technically a natural pearl, because it does not occur without the culturing process it is also considered cultured. In an oyster which has gone through the culturing process one or more Keshi's may also be found. These Keshi's are normally small in size, this is because of the size of the oyster and the time in which they have to grow. Because of the size of the pearl harvest these Keshi pearls are rare. They are normally silver or grey, but can also be blue, bronze, purple and green as well as other colors. For more information www.perlas.com.mx The pearl represents June on the birthstone chart.

Sea of Cortez Mabe Pearl : The mabe pearl, or blister pearl, is formed on the inside surface of the shell. This contributes to the high lustre and the rainbow colors that appear on these mabe pearls. The blister is cut from the the shell and then backed with a flat piece of mother of pearl usually. The shapes can vary from almost round to pear-shape or even triangular. If the mabe is cultured it can be almost any shape that the nucleus is. For more information www.perlas.com.mx

Spessartite (Spessartine) Garnet: Transparent yellowish Orange to reddish orange. It became widely available when a discovery was made in Namibia recently and then again in Nigeria. These stones became known in the trade as Mandarin Garnets because of their color. It is found in Brazil, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka as well as Australia, Burma, India, Isreal, Madagascar, the USA, and Pakistan. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Spinel : Spinel is available in red, pink, orange, blue, violet and purple, from transparent to opaque and can also have a star or color-change (from grayish blue in daylight to amethyst purple in fluorescent) to them. It is found in Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Russia. It is the stone for the 22nd Wedding Anniversary.

Tahitian Cultured Keshi Pearl : The Keshi pearl is a non-nucleated pearl that sometimes occurs during the culturing process. Though it is technically a natural pearl, because it does not occur without the culturing process it is also considered cultured. In an oyster which has gone through the culturing process one or more Keshi's may also be found. The Tahitian Keshi pearl is found in the Black Lipped oyster (Pinctada Margaritafera). They are not limited to black, but may be silver, bronze, green or peacock as well as with play of color. The pearl represents June on the birthstone chart.

Topaz : Transparent colorless, yellow, orange, brown, pink to red to purple red, light to dark blue and light green. It is originally from the Island Topazios, in the Red Sea of Egypt. Known for more than 2000 years, it is on of the stones in the foundations of the 12 gates of Jerusalem. The Romans dedicated it to Jupiter. It is found in Brazil, Nigseria as well as Australia, Burma, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Russia and the USA. It is the Birthstone for November and Sagittarius as well as blue topaz for the 4 th Wedding Anniversary and Imperial Topaz for the 23rd Wedding Anniversary.

Tourmaline : Transparent to opaque in the widest range of colors of any stone. The Egyptians explained this in an old legend, supposedly on the stones journey up to the earth is passed over a rainbow, taking on all of its colors. The name comes from "tura mali" which roughly translates to "stone with mixed colors". In fact many of the stones show two or more colors, pink to green or green to blue. There are many trade names for Tourmaline colors. Some of which are Rubellite for intense pink or red (only if it stays the same color in both daylight and incandescent light), Indicolite for certain blues, Verdilite for intense green and Paraiba for the intense blue or blue green stone which was discovered in 1987. The stone is found all over the world from Brazil, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Burma, India and the USA. It is the birthstone for October and the 8th Wedding Anniversary.

Tsavorite (Grossularite) Garnet: Transparent to semi-transparent intense medium light to dark green and slightly yellow green. It was discovered in 1967 by a British gemologist named Campbell R. Bridges and was named by Tiffany's. It was originally discovered near the Tsavo National Park in Tanzania and then again in 1971 in Kenya (where it could be exported from unlike Tanzania). In 1974 Tiffany's began to promote it. It is found in Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, as well as Brazil, Canada, India and the USA. They are the birthstone for January and Aquarius as well as the 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Turquoise : Semi-translucent to opaque, light to medium blue, greenish blue to bluish green, to yellowish green. It is an Ancient stone which has been revered as a Holy stone, bringer of good fortune or a talisman. It can It is found in the USA, Australia, Chile, China, Iran and Mexico. It is the birthstone for December as well as the 11th Wedding Anniversary.

Zircon : Transparent colorless, blue, yellow, green, brown, orange, red, and purple stone. It is a natural stone, not to be confused with cubic zirconia. Found in Cambodia, Myanmar, Kampuchea, Sri Lanka, Burma as well as Australia and Thailand. It is the birthstone for December.

Zultanite: Transparent or Cat's Eye with natural color change ability from champagne tones (indoors with regular household lighting) to kiwi tones (outdoors or indoors with LED or fluorescent lights) to raspberry tones (in candlelight or other low lighting). It is a relatively new stone and come from only one source in the Anatolian mountains of Turkey. It is named after the 36 Sultans who ruled the Ottoman Empire in the 13th Century.