Posts — Birthstones

Composition Amethyst is a violet type of quartz and before the 18th century it was the most precious gemstone (along with diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald). However, since the discovery of vast reserves in Brazil, it has lost much of its importance. Amethyst is a gem stone which ranges in color from a light lavender to a dark purple. Amethyst also occurs in association with other crystals often producing other amazing gems such as ametrine. History Amethyst has been lauded for its sparkling elegance and mythical properties of rejuvenation.  Amethyst has been synonymous with February since the time of the Romans,...

Our Pick for August: Peridot I will be honest with you. As an August baby myself, I long hated Peridot. The cheap glass birthstone rings at the drug store were a pukey hospital green, and I was consumed with jealousy towards those lucky February babies who got Amethyst purples for their colour. It wasn’t until I started working with Silver Street Jewellers and saw real, high-quality Peridot that I began to love my birthstone. Semi-Precious Peridot is a gorgeous, fresh, bright, green tone that catches everyone’s eye! Composition Peridot is a Silicate Mineral. The green colour is caused by the...

Our Pick for July: Ruby Ruby is a beautiful precious gemstone. The deep red hue of this gem has made it highly sought after since the moment it was discovered. Kings and Queens the world over have used this gorgeous gem to adorn their crowns and jewellery, and now, you can too! Such good company you keep. Ruby is the birthstone for those lucky enough to be born in July, so this month we are learning all about it! Composition Ruby is classed as an Corundum Mineral. These minerals contain Aluminum Oxide. Another well known Corundum Mineral is Sapphire. Ruby...

Our Pick for June: Moonstone Moonstone is one of the best known semi-precious gemstones in the world. The beautiful sheen and glow of moonstone has captivated civilization for centuries. Moonstone is one of the gemstones representing June birthdays, as well as Pearl and Alexandrite, so we wanted to focus on this gorgeous stone this month!   Composition Moonstone is classed in the Orthoclase Feldspar group and is composed of layers of potassium aluminum silicate. The main recognizable characteristic is the way light moves through the stone, causing it to look like it is glowing. This characteristic is called Adularescence. It...