Stones
Abalone/Powis Shell
Abalone is a species of shellfish. They are characterised by a richly coloured inside shell made of nacre. Most Abalones are found mainly in cold waters, off the Southern Hemisphere coasts of New Zealand (Paua), South Africa and Australia. The shell of abalone is known for being extremely strong. It is made up of microscopic calcium carbonate tiles stacked like bricks. Between the layers of tiles is a sticky protein substance; when the abalone shell is struck, the tiles slide instead of shattering and the protein stretches to absorb the energy of the blow. The colour of Abalone varies from species to species. The inside of the shell consists of iridescent silvery white to green/red with predominant deep blues, greens and purples.
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Agate
According to the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus, the name agate comes from the word "achate" which is derived from the river Achates in Sicily where the stone was first found; the river is now known as the Drillo. Agate is a type of chalcedony that can be found with an amazing variety of banding and patterns, which distinguishes it from other types of chalcedony. Different forms of agate have different names; moss agate is usually translucent, white or grey with moss-like inclusions and fortification agate has more regular, uniformed banding that have a very layered effect, the colour of these bands are determined by various different impurities that occur and agate is often permanently dyed to enhance its natural colours. It can be found in Brazil, Uruguay and parts of India.
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Amber
Amber is made from the fossilized resin of trees. It is formed through the natural polymerisation of the original organic compounds. It starts as a resin which exudes from trees and slowly, its volatile oils evaporate. The resin then hardens to become amber. In ancient Germany, amber was burned as incense and was called "burnstein" or "burn stone". Two main sources of amber are the Baltic region and the Dominican Republic. Amber is also mined in South America, the U.S. and Africa. Amber can be found washed up on many shores, including Denmark, Norway and England. Amber has a hardness rating of 2.5 - it is very soft and can be easily scratched. It would need to be protected from knocks, scratches, heat and chemicals like nail polish remover and alcohol. It should not be used in ultrasonic or steam cleaners.
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Amethyst
Amethyst is the name given to a type of quartz which is purple in colour, with shades ranging from pale lilac to a dark mauve. The beautiful colour comes from the iron in its chemical composition. Although ancient legend has it that the colour comes from Dionysis the ancient Greek god of wine; Dionysis became drunk and confrontational and took out his wrath on a mortal woman called Amethyst, but when Amethyst cried out to the goddess Diana she decided to protect Amethyst from Dionysis by turning her into a quartz statue. When Dionysis realised how irrational and harsh he had been he wept and spilt his goblet of wine and tears onto Amethysts quartz statue which turned the quartz a beautiful deep purple. Because of this myth, Amethyst has always been traditionally worn to guard against drunkness, deriving from the Greek word "amethustos" which means "not drunk". This beautiful gemstone has a hardness of 7 and can be found in various parts of the world including Brazil, Australia and Sri Lanka. Amethyst is also the modern birthstone for February.
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Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a member of the Beryl family, which also includes Emerald and Morganite. It can be found in a range of shades, from a light pastel or sky blue to a sea-green. Aquamarine is traditionally associated with the sea, and has been used by sailors in amulets to placate Poseidon's anger during rough seas and storms. Because of its association with water and its beautiful calming colour, aquamarine is thought of as a stone of purification and aiding tranquillity and meditation. The best gem quality aquamarine is found in Brazil, but other origins include Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Madagascar. Aquamarine has a hardness of 7½ and is the birthstone for March.
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Aventurine
Aventurine is a form of quartz. The most common colour of aventurine is green but it can also be found in shades of orange, brown, yellow, blue and grey. It can be found in translucent to opaque varieties. Aventurine is a rock so its physical properties may vary but its hardness is slightly lower than quartz itself at 6½. The name aventurine is from the Italian word "a ventura" meaning "by chance". The majority of blue-green aventurine originates in India, particularly in the vicinity of Mysore and Madras. Creamy white, grey and orange material is also found in Chile, Spain, Brazil and Russia. Most of the material used for jewellery is cut into cabochons. This material can often be mistaken for amazonite or jade. Many people believe that aventurine has the capacity to calm a troubled spirit and bring about inner peace.
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Azurite
Azurite is a beautiful mineral due to its stunning bright blue colour, which has been named "azure". This name is derived from the Arabic word for blue. The colour is due to the presence of copper and the way the copper combines with the other compounds. Azurite is occasionally used in jewellery as well as to dye paint and fabrics. The stone is also closely associated with its colourful cousin malachite! Azurite and the green gemstone malachite are associated in many ways and they frequently occur together. It has a hardness of 3½ to 4 on the Mohs' scale. Although azurite can be used in jewellery, its softness and tendency to loose its deep blue colour as it weathers into malachite tend to limit this. Beautiful crystals of azurite are found in the United States of Arizona, New Mexico and in France at Chessy.
Beryl
The mineral Beryl has been considered a gemstone since prehistoric times. Green beryl is called Emerald, red beryl is Bixbite or red emerald or scarlet emerald, blue beryl is Aquamarine, pink beryl is Morganite, colorless beryl is Goshenite, and a clear bright yellow beryl is called Golden Beryl. Other shades such as yellow-green and honey yellow are common. Red beryl is extremely rare and is not used in jewelry as the crystals it forms are very small. So Beryl forms some of the most well known and prized gems.
Bloodstone
Bloodstone is a member of the chalcedony family and is a form of quartz. As bloodstone is a variety of green jasper and is dotted with tiny pieces of hemitate it is often mistaken for both fancy jasper and hematite. Interestingly, if Bloodstone is heated its green base turns to grey and its red spots change to black. It is sometimes cut into cabochons or beads for jewellery but is mainly used for decorative carvings. The main source of Bloodstone is the Kathiawar Peninsula, Gujarat, India. It is also found in Russia, Germany, Austria, Australia, China, Brazil, Italy, Czech Republic and U.S.A. Finely powdered Bloodstone was and continues to be used as a medicine and aphrodisiac in India!
Blue Lace Agate
Blue lace agate is a form of agate that comes in shades of blue, usually a lovely pale blue colour, with white banding. Agate itself is a type of chalcedony that can be found with an amazing variety of banding and patterns, which distinguishes it from other types of chalcedony. Different forms of agate have different names which usually depend on their colourings and patterns, these are caused by various different impurities that occur. Agate is often permanently dyed to enhance its natural colours. It can be found in Brazil, Africa, Uruguay and parts of India.
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Botswana Agate
Botswana agate is a variety of agate found in Botswana. It is often banded with lovely delicate, fine lines and ranges from a purple and grey to a pink or peach colour, usually with white banding. Agate itself is a type of chalcedony that can be found with an amazing variety of banding and patterns, which distinguishes it from other types of chalcedony. Different forms of agate have different names and the colour of the banding is caused by various different impurities that occur. Agate can be successfully and permanently dyed to enhance its natural colours. It can mostly be found in Brazil, Africa, Uruguay and parts of India.
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Carnelian
Carnelian is the orange to red variety of chalcedony. Its name comes from the Latin word "carne" meaning "flesh" due to its often vivid red colour. The various shades of orange to red that carnelian can be found in are due to the presence of iron oxide in its composition. The best quality carnelian comes from India but it can also be found in Brazil, Uruguay and Sri Lanka. It has a hardness of 7 and is one of the Zodiac birthstones for the star sign Virgo.
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Chalcedony
Many well known gemstones are part of the chalcedony family such as jasper, carnelian, onyx and agate. Chalcedony is a variety of quartz and the general term given to the cryptocrystalline group of quartz. The name chalcedony comes from "Chalcedon" or "Calchedon" which is the ancient port of Bithynia, near Istanbul in Turkey. The various names given to individual types of chalcedony depend on the colour and other distinguishing features such as banding or inclusions in the gemstone.
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Charolite
Charolite is a gemstone that has only really been known since the mid 1970s. To date it is found only in one location, along the Chary River at Aldan in Russia. The colour of charolite is described as a stunning lavender, lilac, violet or purple. This stone has a hardness of 5-6. The look of charolite is unlike any other mineral and can't be mistaken. The white chrystalline "needles" give charolite a very distinctive appearance and depth often forming a swirling pattern of interlocking crystals. It has the appearance of purple marble, but really defies description.
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Chrysoprase
The most valuable variety of Chalcedony, Chrysoprase is prized for its colour and rarity. Chrysophase is an opalescent apple green coloured variety of Chalcedony quartz. Chrysoprase was very popular in the 14th Century when the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV used it to decorate chapels including the Chapel of Saint Wencelsas in Prague. The best and largest source is found in Malborough in Central Queensland, Australia.
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Citrine
This lovely yellow stone is a type of quartz, its name comes from the word "citrus" which suits its lemon yellow and fiery orange colourings well. Its yellow colouration is due to the iron in its composition, much like its relative amethyst. In fact amethyst and citrine are often found in close proximity to each other, natural citrine is very rare so amethyst can often be heat treated to permanently change its colour to yellow. The majority of citrine comes from Brazil, Spain and Madagascar and can also be found in parts of Russia. It has a hardness of 7 and is the modern birthstone for November.
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Coloured Quartz
Coloured quartz is natural quartz that has been treated to achieve coloured quartz. The treatment varies depending on the colour but quartz is usually chemically treated at high temperatures and pressures to achieve this permanent colour change. We love coloured quartz because it allows us to design using colours like pillar-box red or hot pink which are simply not achievable with natural stones, and we like the fact that it is still the "real" thing even though it has been helped along a bit! Coloured quartz can sometimes fade when left under bright light like sunlight so should be kept in its box - but actually this is true of naturally coloured quartz and many other gemstones too; it is always best to store jewellery in the dark. Clear quartz was first discovered by the ancient Greeks who gave it the name "krystallos" meaning "ice" as they believed it was water which had been permanently frozen by the gods. The name krystallos eventually became the term applied to all forms of crystals and quartz became "querklufterz", the Saxon word meaning "cross-vein-ore". Quartz is very versatile and available as it is one of the most common minerals found in the Earth's crust. Coloured quartz has a hardness of 7 so is used often in jewellery, either in polished form as beads and pendants.
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Cubic Zircon
Cubic Zirconia is a synthetic gemstone formed through a complicated process from zirconium oxide and yttrium oxide. These two chemicals are melted together at almost 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, and then carefully cooled to create flawless crystals. Cubic Zircon is a completely man made material that is used to simulate a diamond although it is often used in jewellery as a lovely stone in its own right. Unlike any natural stones a CZ is virtually flawless so gives tremendous sparkle and can be treated in a rainbow of different colours.
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Diamond
Diamonds throughout history have always been admired and feared, so it is not surprising that they have found their way into the centre piece of traditional engagement rings representing prosperity, love and spirituality. Mentioned in the bible and thought by the Romans to be a talisman or love enhancer, Cupid's arrow was believed to be tipped with diamonds.
Medieval Italians thought that the diamond was created in the flames of love and it is certainly true that they come into being at great temperatures and pressures in the earth's crust! This heat results in the unique arrangement of closely bonded 4-sided crystals that give them their unrivalled hardness.
India was the principle source in ancient times until around 1850 when this was rivalled by Brazil and then, in 1867, South Africa when diamonds started to be found in blue clay "pipes". The South African discovery was huge and so it wasn't until after 1867 that diamonds became affordable for the engagement rings of all but the super rich. Nowadays it is more than likely that the diamond in your engagement ring has come from South Africa, the largest exporter in the world.
Diamonds have a very high reflective index (2.42), far greater than, for example, glass (around 1.6). This accounts for their brilliant fiery appearance. Perhaps the most famous diamond is the Koh-i-nur (Mountain of Light) that was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 and is now in the British crown jewels.
Purple Label at Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design has built up a network of diamond dealers that guarantee that any stone sourced for your engagement ring will be of the finest possible quality and value for money. We are particularly keen to ensure that all the stones that we use are "conflict free" (have not been sold to fund terrorism). Together with the British Jeweller's Association and the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices, we are working to eliminate these stones from the market completely.
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Emerald
Emerald is radiant green to dark green.The earliest known source of emerald was near the Red Sea in Egypt, the so-called Cleopatra's emerald mines. They were probably worked from about 2000 B.C., apparently the location of them was lost in the middle ages, and not rediscovered until 1818. Columbia is generally recognised as the source of the world's finest quality emeralds. They can be very high maintenance stones because of emeralds sensitivity to high temperatures and rapid temperature change it makes them difficult to work with and as they are very brittle stones they can be chipped easily.
Fluorite
Fluorite is naturally colourless but is often found in a range of colours such as blue, purple, green and yellow, the colours are due to various impurities in the stone. Fluorite can also be found with more than one shade of colour in a single specimen, such as a mixture of purple and green, which makes it a really sought after stone despite being quite fragile and having a hardness of just 4.
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Garnet
Common to popular belief, garnets are not always red! The name garnet is given to a group of minerals which all have the same crystal structure but vary in colour, physical properties and chemical composition. Almandine, pyrope, spessartine, grossular, andradite and uvarovite are all types of garnet and come in varying shades of red, pink, green and yellow. Some of these garnets are made up of a composition of two types; rhodolite garnet for instance is a combination of almandine and pyrope. There are many popular gemstones that are part of the garnet family, such as tsavorite which is usually a beautifully intense green colour similar to emeralds. Most common types of garnet can be found in parts of Russia, South Africa, North and South America, and also parts of Europe including Italy and Scotland. Garnet commonly has a hardness of around 6 to 7½.
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Goldstone
Goldstone is man-made. It consists of brown glass with copper oxide added. It is heated to a high temperature and when it cools the oxide changes into beautiful crystals that sparkle through the brown glass. It is said to have been discovered by accident in the early 1800s when a monk in an Italian monastery was making glass in a hot furnace, and spilled a vial of copper filings into the molten glass. The most common form of goldstone gives the illusion of being reddish-brown, although that colour comes from the copper crystals and the glass itself is colourless. Some goldstone variants have an intensely coloured glass matrix, usually blue or violet, and more rarely green. Goldstone can take a smooth polish and is usually carved into beads.
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Hematite
The name hematite is derived from the Greek work for blood (haima), since sometimes hematite can be red, as in Rouge - a powderised form of hematite. Hematite is a very common mineral coloured black to steel or silver-gray, brown to reddish brown, or red. It is mined as the main ore of iron. Hematite is harder than pure iron, but much more brittle. Huge deposits of hematite are found in banded iron formations. Grey hematite is typically found in places where there has been standing water or mineral hot springs. The mineral can precipitate out of water and collect in layers at the bottom of a lake, spring, or other standing water, but hematite can also occur without water, as the result of volcanic activity. Clay-sized hematite crystals can also occur as a secondary mineral formed by weathering processes in soil. Especially good specimens of hematite come from England, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and the Lake Superior region of the United States and Canada. Since polished hematite is considered by many to be a gemstone, it has been used in jewellery over the course of the last 50 years in North America, especially in the western United States. Hematite can be found used in jewellery and art created by the Native Americans.
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Howlite
Howlite is one of those minerals that is more famous for imitating another mineral. In this case the other mineral is turquoise, a phosphate gemstone. Although howlite is always white or grey, it can accept dyes fairly easily and be dyed a turquoise blue. Dyed howlite is an affordable substitute for turquoise carvings, Lapis Lazuli, beads, polished stones and cabochons. It has a hardness of 3.5 and is found in Latonville Quarry, Brookville, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Canada, Tick Canyon, Los Angeles County and California. Howlite is found in continental evaporite deposits with other borate and evaporite minerals. It forms in nodules that appear like the heads of cauliflowers; crystals faces on the nodules are rare. Veins of black web-like streaks are often interlaced throughout the nodules, adding to their character.
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Iolite
Iolite is a violet blue colour and in the past it has been called water sapphire due to its similarity to a blue sapphire once it has been cut. Iolite is also known as dichroite. Iolite is found in alluvial deposits as small transparent pebbles in Sri Lanka, Burma, Madagascar and India. The colour associated with iolite is blue and its name comes from the Greek "ios" word meaning violet. Iolite gemstones are quite durable with a hardness of 7 to 7½ making them suitable for use in a variety of Jewellery designs. Iolite is believed to be a gemstone of happiness and joy!
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Jade
Jade's name comes from the Spanish "piedra de ijada" which means "loin stone". The Spanish adopted the use of jade when they invaded Central America and often wore amulets and jewellery made from it. There are two types of jade - jadeite and nephrite. Nephrite jade is the most commonly used and it can vary from a lovely deep green to a light cream or mint colour, the darker the colour the more iron it has in it's composition and the lighter the colour the more magnesium it has. The term "nephrite" comes from the Greek word for kidney "nephros" as jade has been thought to help heal kidney problems. Nephrite has a hardness of around 6½ making it fairly strong and durable. It has been traditionally used in Chinese carvings for over 2,000 years, and was even thought to have been used in prehistoric times to make weapons. Jadeite jade is slightly rare than nephrite, it's most sought after variety is known as imperial jade and is a rich emerald green colour due to the chromium in it's composition. Jadeite jade can also be found in a variety of colours such as lilac, pink, white, brown, red, orange and yellow. The most common sources for nephrite and jadeite are Burma, Siberia, Russia, China, California and Guatemala. Both nephrite and jadeite can be successfully and permanently dyed various colours. Jade is also one of the birthstones for August.
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Jasper
Jasper is a massive, fine grained, opaque variety of chalcedony. It is from the quartz group and is a microcrystalline variety that can contain up to 20% foreign material. It is these foreign materials that determine the colour and appearance of the stone. It occurs in shades of brown, grayish blue, red, yellow, and green and in fact mixtures of all these colours. Jasper is rarely uniform in colour and is more commonly found striped, mottles or spotted. Jasper is said to protect against sight defects and drought. Red jasper occurs in India and Venezuala, various colours occur in the USA, France and Germany. Jasper has a hardness of 7.
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Lapis Lazuli
When Lapis Lazuli was first introduced to Europe, it was called Ultramarine due to it's intense blue colour. It later found the word "Lapis" which is the Latin word for stone and "lazuli" a Latin word that means blue or heaven. Unlike other gem stones it is a composition of several different minerals including lazurite, sodalite, hauyne and calcite. It has flecks of pyrite (otherwise known as fools gold) which gives it the little sparkly effect. It is found within boulders or within limestone in Afghanistan, Angola, Canada, Italy, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and U.S.A. Lapis lazuli is probably most famous for being found in Tutankhamen's mask!
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Lava
Volcanic Lava Jewellery traditionally came from the lava of Vesuvius, which erupted in 79AD and destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in its wake. Jewellery made with lava became popular during the "Grand Tour" days of the English Aristocracy in the 19th century. However these pieces were often soft and crumbly because of the sponge-like texture of the natural rock. To make the stones that we use in our lava jewellery, the natural volcanic rock is impregnated or melted and remoulded with a very small amount of hypoallergenic resin to stabilise and hold the compound together properly. Despite the resin, lava is still a relatively brittle material - but is perfect for dress jewellery. We think it is just beautiful - it is usually black or sometimes grey and is soft to the touch - and very tactile. When you look at it, you can see show the "bubbles" within the texture and give this a fascinating third dimension and it is amazing to think of this rock running down the side of a volcano! We love to combine lava with deep bright fiery reds or strong cold blues to contrast in colour and texture. When you wear a piece of lava jewellery, be ready for all of the attention that you will receive when people compliment it.
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Malachite
The name Malachite is derived from the Greek word "Malakhe" which refers to a marshmallow plant because of the startling green colour. Malachite's banded light and dark green designs are one-of-a-kind, and give it a unique ornamental quality unlike that of any other stone. The light and dark green bands are very distinctive and come from its high copper content. It has a hardness of 4 making it a relatively fragile stone, but it has still been used in jewellery and decorative items for thousands of years. It was popular for ornamental use as far back as the ancient Egyptians who used it in both statues and adornments. They also ground it to a powder and, having mixed it with water, painted it on their eye lids. It was used as a pigment for paint in Egyptian tomb paintings and for the same purpose much later in European art during the 15th century.
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Moonstone
Moonstone is considered to be a birthstone for June, along with Pearl. It belongs to the mineral family of Feldspar, which provides almost two thirds of the stones on the earth. However, only a small percentage of feldspars fall into the "gem quality" range. Moonstone is made up of many layers. Light enters the stone and refracts among the layers before leaving the stone. The sheen effect, which is called "schiller" or "adularescence", is caused by the intergrowth of two different types of feldspar - orthoclase and albite - with different refractive indexes. These intergrowths result from compatible chemistries at high temperatures becoming incompatible at lower temperatures creating a separating and layering of the two phases when the stone cools down. The finest blue moonstones can be found in Mogok, Burma (Myanmar). Most of the traditional mines in Sri Lanka are now closed. Moonstone can also be found in Madagasgar, India and Brazil. Moonstone has a hardness rating of 6. Although reasonably tough, it can be fragile so should be handled with care. Moonstone comes in a variety of colours including white, grey, brown, yellow, green, pink, blue. Some moonstones will have an eye as well as a sheen and the clarity of a moonstone can range from transparent to translucent.
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Mother of Pearl
Mother of pearl is the substance that is secreted by both freshwater and saltwater oysters to form the inside of their shells; this is the same substance which forms pearls. This is the secretion of the mantle, which builds layers of carbonate and conchiolin. The major source of mother of pearl is the oyster, which is found in warm and tropical seas, mainly in Asia. Freshwater pearl muscles are found in the rivers of the United States, Europe and Asia. Mother of pearl is formed from 95% of calcium carbonate layers. It is secrete by the epithelial cell of the mantle tissue, which is deposited onto the inner surface of the shell, this layer of shell is used to protect itself and acts as a defence against any damage to the detritus. Mother of pearl is also known as "Nacre" which is made up of hexagonal platelets which are separated by protein. The mixture of such brittle platelets and thin layers of elastic biopolymers makes the material strong and resilient. The structure of this material adds to the strength also.
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Obsidian
Obsidian is a natural glass which is formed from volcanic lava that has cooled too quickly for significant crystallisation to occur. Obsidian is usually black but you can also find brown, grey and occasionally red, green and blue material occurs. It can be a uniform colour, or with stripes or spots (all of which looks beautiful in jewellery). Internal bubbles can occur and this makes a "snowflake" effect and material with this particular marking is now known as snowflake obsidian. Obsidian is found in areas of volcanic activity, including the locations of Hawaii, Japan, Iceland, Mexico and Hungary. Today the majority of obsidian comes from North and Central America. The stone has been used throughout history for making tools, weapons, masks and jewellery and has a hardness of 5.
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Onyx
Onyx is a semi-precious stone composed of chalcedony (a variety of quartz) found naturally in white or grey. The white variety is generally dyed black for onyx. Onyx was very popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans. The name comes from the Greek word "onyx", which means nail or claw. You can find onyx in many locations around the world, however the main localities are India and South America. It is a very striking stone and looks fantastic in both elegant and dramatic jewellery. It is also the mystical birthstone for December and traditionally used to symbolise a 7th year anniversary. Many people believe in onyx's mystical powers which are said to bring you spiritual inspiration and eliminate negative thinking.
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Opal
There are three general groups of gem opals. Precious opal displays opalescent colour which appears as flashes or speckles and can also be found as black opal which is dark and fiery but very costly indeed. Fire opal which is named after its colour is transparent with an orange or red colour that comes from iron. Common opal is very opaque and comes in many varieties which are usually referred to as honey opal, milk opal and moss opal. Most opals are mined in Australia and although it is a very delicate jewel it is still very costly and more suited to jewellery that is only occasionally worn. Opal is the anniversary stone for the 14th and 18th years of marriage and anyone with a birthday in October is lucky to have it as their birthstone.
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Pearl
Pearl is a concretion formed by a mollusc and consisting of the same material as the mollusc’s shell, which is principally the mineral aragonite. In addition to aragonite the shell contains small amounts of conchiolin, a horn like organic substance. Together these are called nacre or "mother of pearl". The finest pearls are those produced by molluscs whose shells are lined with mother-of-pearl, such molluscs are limited to species of salt water oysters and freshwater clams. Pearls occur naturally in shellfish in particular oysters and mussels, as a natural defence against an irritant such as a piece of grit or sand or even a small insect. Layers of aragonite, known as nacre, are secreted around the irritant and gradually build up to form the solid pearl. Light reflecting off these overlapping layers produces the characteristic lustre. Natural pearls can be divided into saltwater and freshwater categories. Natural pearls are very rare these days and very expensive. In cultured pearls an irritant is introduced to initiate the formation of the pearl. The pearl farmer then cares for the pearl until it is ready to be harvested or removed from the shell - this can take up to two years! They can also be divided into freshwater and saltwater varieties and both are popular. Cultured pearls were developed in 1908. It is important to remember that cultured pearls - although helped in their existence - are completely independent and no-one can really control whether or not they will survive or what colour they will be.
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Peridot
Peridot is the Birthstone for August and the anniversary stone for the 16th year of marriage. It is created deep within the earth under extreme heat and pressure. Peridot is the best known gem variety of the mineral Olivine. Peridot has a bright yellow-green to green colour. The yellow type of peridot is also known as chrysolite. The intensity of the colour depends on the amount of iron present. Peridot is available in many cuts (including brilliant, oval, marquise, emerald, square, trillion, baguette, princess and cabochon) and in sizes as small as 1mm. Peridot with more inclusions are often cut into cabochons as the domed cut shows the fine silky shine of the inclusions at their best. Peridot cat's eyes and star peridots are particularly rare and precious. Some of the most beautiful and fine quality peridots are from Pakistan. These stones are known as "Kashmir peridots".
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Prehnite
Prehnite is named after its discoverer, Colonel Hendrik von Prehn and it was the first mineral to be named after a person! It has a beautiful pale milky green colour which at times can be especially unique to the stone. In fact in China it is known as Grape Jade (Putao Yu) because its nodule formations often have the appearance of a bunch of green grapes. Its crystals are transparent to mostly translucent and it has a hardness of 6½. Prehnite can mainly be found in Africa, Germany, France, Scotland, USA and Australia.
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Pyrite
Pyrite is the classic "Fool's Gold". It is the mineral's common yellow colour that has led to many cases of people mistaking it for gold, hence it's common nickname. Pyrite is quite easily distinguishable from gold, it is much lighter, but harder and cannot be scratched with a fingernail or pocket knife! The name pyrite comes from the Greek term "pyrites lithos" which means "stone which strikes fire". Pyrite is above average in hardness but it is easy to break. If it breaks the pieces will be smooth. Due to its brittleness it is mainly used in necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Pyrite can be any shade of yellow and there is a greenish black streak to it. Its ability to reflect light and shine makes it perfect to use in our jewellery.
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Rock Crystal
Rock crystal is the name often given to clear or colourless quartz. It was first discovered by the ancient greeks who gave it the name "krystallos" meaning "ice", they believed it was water which had been permanently frozen by the gods. The name krystallos eventually became the term applied to all forms of crystals and quartz became "querklufterz", the Saxon word meaning "cross-vein-ore". Quartz is very versatile and available as it is one of the most common minerals found in the Earth's crust. Rock crystal has a hardness of 7 so is used often in jewellery, either in polished form as beads and pendants.
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Rose Quartz
Rose quartz tends to have a pink/peach tone and this is due to the presence of small amounts of the impurity titanium. This is the same way in which many forms of quartz are coloured as they are - the particular colour being due to the type and concentration of the "impurity" present, in addition to the silicon and oxygen atoms that form the main quartz structure. Transparent material is uncommon and it is usually found cloudy/cracked as it is very brittle. On occasion rose quartz can include rutile inclusions, which creates a star effect in cabochon cuts. Natural crystals of rose quartz are rarer but also available, and very beautiful. When they do occur naturally, crystals of rose quartz tend to be small and in the form of clusters.
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Ruby
Ruby's chemical composition is aluminium oxide - which is also called corundum - and this is the same as that of sapphire. In fact rubies are really sapphires, but with the presence of impurities such as chromium oxide and iron oxide giving rubies their colour. Varying amounts and types of impurities will cause different shades and depths of colour, ranging from a deep blood red to a light pink. The most celebrated source of these wonderful and dramatic gemstones is the northern region of Burma. However, other areas in South East Asia, Tanzania and Kenya also mine rubies. In the 19th century they were considered more valuable than diamonds, although this has now changed. The birthstone of July is the ruby and over the years they have come to be associated with the qualities of love, enthusiasm and strength - probably because of their intense colour. Rubies are given a hardness of 9 out of 10, where 10 is the hardest stone, diamond. As rubies and sapphires are chemically the same stone, there is no distinct division between rubies and pink sapphires but historically a ruby that has a particularly pink hue is known as a pink sapphire.
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Sapphire
Sapphire has long symbolised truth, sincerity, and faithfulness. Since sapphire symbolises sincerity and faithfulness, it is an excellent choice for an engagement ring. Sapphire is also the birthstone for September. Sapphire belongs to the corundum group which is set apart from other gemstones by their considerable hardness (Grade 9 on the Mohs' scale). They are second in hardness to diamonds only, and diamonds represent the hardest mineral on Earth! Because of their harness, sapphires are easy to care for as gemstones, and demand from their wearers only the usual and normal care. Blue is sapphire's main colour but it does come in many other shades including yellow, pink, orange and purple and a variety of spectral colours including blue, yellow, purple and white. A rarity are the star Sapphires. These are stones cut in a half-dome shape displaying a star-shaped light phenomenon, which seems to dance magically across the stone's surface when the Sapphire is moved.
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Sardonyx
Sardonyx, a variety of Agate, is a semi-precious gemstone formed by two layers, a red-brown layer of Sard and a gray, white, black or brown layer of Onyx, which forms the name Sardonyx. The stripes on the stone occur in many varied patterns and in different colours so no two pieces of sardonyx are the same! Sardonyx was once used as a protection against plague and the bites and stings of poisonous reptiles and insects. Today, crystal healers use Sardonyx as a stimulant for self-control and protection. This stone been mined in India for thousands of years and remains a major source of this ancient gemstone. Other locations include Russia, Pakistan, U.S.A., Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Czechoslovakia and Africa.
Serpentine
Serpentine is found in France, Norway and on the California Coast Ranges. It is a major rock forming mineral and it often colours many rocks a green shade. In fact most rocks that have some green colouring usually have some amount of serpentine in them. Although mostly available in tones of green, serpentine can occur in red, brown, yellow-brown and white. Most commonly it is cut into cabochon shapes, particularly oval, and the stone has a hardness of 5. Legend has it that anyone who carries serpentine is thought to have protection from snake bites!
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Shell
Shell has been used to make jewellery making since ancient times - the ancient Egyptians used fossilised shells in their jewellery by threading it onto strings. Some types of shell used in jewellery making that you may have heard of are abalone (also known as Powis shell), mother of pearl and muscle shell. Shell is also known as "mother of pearl" because of the fact that shell is from a shellfish - and shellfish can produce pearls. We use all of these different types of shell in our jewellery. All types of shell are made of nacre so have a pearly lustre which catches the light beautifully. It is made up of microscopic calcium carbonate tiles stacked like brick - between the layers is a sticky protein substance. This means that shell is not as brittle as you might expect although it can flake and crack especially if dropped or left in direct sunlight which is very bad for shell as it dries out the protein. We sometimes use shell that has been dyed to almost any colour which looks really pretty and a permanent colour change although this colour can fade in bright light - another good reason not to leave your shell jewellery in direct light.
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Shell Pearls
Shell pearls are man-made using the shell of an oyster. The shell is ground and melted down and then sprayed onto a small piece of mother of pearl to build up layers until a full shell pearl is produced. These are regular in shape and can easily be coloured a variety of shades. For further information on pearl please see the Pearl information section.
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Smoky Quartz
This colour of this stone can vary from light brown to dark with grey tinges. When irradiated colourless quartz may go grey/brown suggesting that brown quartz is formed by natural radiation in the ground. There are no clear boundaries between colourless and smoky quartz and it is often made by irradiating natural rock crystal to turn it dark brown. The very dark, natural smoky quartz is usually heat treated to give it a lighter hue (perhaps yellow) so it can be sold as Citrine. It is from the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland. The crystals are usually found in Brazil, Madagascar, The Swiss Alps, Colorado, Australia and Spain. Again the large crystals are found in pegmatites.
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Sodalite
Sodalite is a rare, rich royal blue opaque mineral that occurs in igneous rocks. It is a silicate of alumina and soda with some chlorine. It looks similar to lapis and is a component of lapis itself. It has varying degrees of white veins of calcite and an occasional speck of pyrite. Rich blue masses are found near Bancroft, Ontario with thinner veins located in rocks on the ice River, British Columbia and today Brazil seems to be the main producer. Sodalite was discovered in 1806 in Greenland but did not become important until 1891 when vast deposits were found in Canada. It is named after its sodium content and is a relatively hard, yet fragile mineral. Due to its brittleness we tend to use sodalite in pendants and earrings rather than in an everyday ring.
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Swarovski Crystal
We use Swarovski crystals regularly in our jewellery because they often add that little bit of extra sparkle and colour to our designs. Swarovski crystals are very good quality synthetic crystals, the crystal is man-made and cut using basic formulae perfected by Daniel Swarovski and his three sons in the late 19th century. There is high lead content in the crystals which improves their refractive properties; an iridescent coating is also often applied to even further improve the sparkle of the crystals. Swarovski crystals are available in a wide spectrum of colours.
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Tiger's Eye
This is a type of chafoyant quartz, meaning it has inclusions of crocidolite (blue asbestos) causing the "cat's eye" effect. This effect is best seen when the stone is cabochon cut. Tiger's eye has a fibrous structure. It is black with iron oxide staining that gives it the golden brown stripes. Heat treating this stone can produce a red colour. It has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs' scale. Tiger's eye is found in thick slabs in South Africa, together with the less common hawk's eye. It can also be found in Australia and the USA.
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Topaz
Topaz can occur in a range of different colours; sherry topaz and pink topaz are the most valuable but probably the most popular and commonly seen colours are blue and green. Topaz occurs in igneous rocks such as pegmatites, granites and volcanic lava. It may also be found in alluvial deposits as waterworn pebbles. Localities include Brazil, Sri Lanka, Burma, Tasmania, Australia and Africa. For those of you born in the month of December then Topaz is the traditional birthstone. Some of the properties with which the Topaz is associated are constancy, loyalty, faithfulness and friendship. Topaz is also used to enhance spiritual rejuvenation and feelings of happiness.
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Tourmaline
Tourmaline occurs in the widest array of colours of any gemstone and this vast array of colours makes tourmaline one of the most versatile gems. Just a few of tourmalines colours include: Rubelite which occurs in both pink and red shades, Elbaite which occurs in green shades, Paraiba which occurs in blue shades and Watermelon which is a combination of green and pink colours. The main source of Tourmaline is Brazil as every colour can be found there but is also mined worldwide including Namibia, Sri Lanka and California U.S.A. Tourmaline is said to have some strong holistic properties, and is apparently a powerful healer to mental disorders and helps us cope with challenges and change. Another belief is that Tourmaline inspires artistic expression and enhances your intuition.
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Turquoise
Turquoise has historically been mined as far back as 6000 BC in Egypt. The French mistakenly gave it the name "Pierre Turquois" meaning "Turkish Stone" because Western Europeans thought it had come from Turkey; it was actually imported from Persia (now Iran) where the Persians had been mining it since 5000 BC. Turquoise is usually a rich green or blue colour, and often has spider's web-like veins running through it which are actually deposits of brown limonite or black mangalese oxide. This stone has always been much treasured and highly sought after; one of the oldest piece of jewellery in the world is a turquoise and gold bracelet found on the wrist of the ancient Egyptian Queen Zer when her tomb was unearthed in 1900. Turquoise is still used commonly today, and can be found in China, India, Iran, Afghanistan, and in parts of South America and the USA. Turquoise is one of the modern birthstones for December.
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Zircon
Zircon is not to be confused with cubic zirconia, a synthetic substance with a completely different chemical composition. Zircon is a remarkable mineral that is found in igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and in sedementary rocks. Zircon can come in red, brown, yellow, green, black, or colourless. The colour of zircons below gem quality can be changed by heat treatment. Depending on the amount of heat applied, colourless, blue, and golden-yellow zircons can be made. Colourless specimens that show gem quality are a popular substitute for diamond. Zircons can be found worldwide including Italy, Norway, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Canada and India.
