Today,
emeralds are so expensive that synthetics dominate the retail market. Be sure
to ask if the emerald that you are purchasing is genuine.If you were born in May, then Emerald is your birthstone. Emerald also commemorates the 20th, 35th and 55th wedding anniversaries. The emerald was well known in antiquity; mines in Egypt have been discovered that date back to about 2000 BC. These mines produced most of the world's emerald supply until just a few hundred years ago.
Today,
emeralds are so expensive that synthetics dominate the retail market. Be sure
to ask if the emerald that you are purchasing is genuine.
Emerald is a member of the beryl mineral group. Emerald has a hardness of 7.5 - 8 and a specific gravity of 2.72. Emeralds are found in Columbia, Zambia, Brazil, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
If you were born in January, then garnets of every color are your birthstone. Garnet is particularly well suited for use as a masculine birthstone in the cabochon cut. Garnets come in a wide variety of colors and have been a favorite gem since antiquity. Most garnets are red, green or orange.
The
red garnet comes in a variety of different shades ranging from a deep red to
violet. Mozambique garnets are a deep red, and are among the most commonly found
for sale. Rhodolite garnets are a deep red-purple, or a rasberry color. In antiquity,
some people believed that the red garnet prevented blood loss, and so was carried
by warriors into battle. Red garnets were especially popular during the Hellenistic
period; they may have been brought back from India by the soldiers in Alexander
the Great's army. The red color of the garnet was also associated with wine
and may have been sacred to Dionysis, the Greek god of wine.
Garnets
are also naturally occuring in orange and green. The orange garnet is known
as both spessarite and mandarin garnet. Spessarite garnet is a vibrant orange
color and fairly rare. To date, it has only been found in a very few deposits,
and its continuing availability is in doubt, making spessarite jewelry a rare
find. Green garnets are called Tsavorite, having been first discovered in the
Tsavo region of Africa, an area made famous for its maneless man-eating lions.
Even today, tsavorite is commonly found in alluviul deposits along the Tsavo
River in Tsavo National park, Kenya. Tsavorite garnets are a bright, brilliant
green, and technically part of the grossular garnet group. Tsavorite, like spessarite,
is a rare gemstone with a limited supply, but its beauty is unquestionable making
it a spectacular and uncommon jewel.
Garnet is a member of the pyrope mineral group. Garnet has a hardness of 7. - 7.5 and a specific gravity of 3.78. Garnets are found in Africa, Sri Lanka and India.
Iolite
commemorates the 21st wedding anniversary. Ancient sailors believed that iolite
had the power to return them to land when lost and navigate at sea. Iolite is
a very unusual stone, its primary color is a purplish blue, and the name iolite
is derived from the Greek word for violet.
Iolite is a member of the iolite mineral group. Iolite has a hardness of 7 - 7.5 and a specific gravity of 2.61. Iolite is found in Sri Lanka, India, Tanzania, Brazil, Madagascar, Namibia and Mynomar.
Jade
commemorates the 12th wedding anniversary. Jade has a long history in Asia and
South America. Some jade weapons and tools can be dated as far back as the Neolithic,
making one of the oldest known gemstones. Jade is said to bring wisdom and prosperity
to those who posses it, and this belief remains strong in many cultures to this
day.
Jade is a member of the nephrite mineral group. Jade has a hardness of 6-6.5 and a specific gravity of 2.95. Jade is found in Taiwan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, the USA and the former USSR.