Tag Archives: colors

Citrine – November Birthstone

It’s quite true that an overwhelming majority of commercial grade citrine is heated to either weak, watery, or garish, obviously unnatural colors. Darker colors of citrine are produced by heat treatment of amethyst and smoky quartz, and red undertones are usually – but not always – evidence of this treatment. Fine, natural citrine, however, is…

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Topaz – November Birthstone

Pink champagne. Summer apricots. Salmon orange. Baby blue. Purely colorless. And all of them internally flawless. Topaz is one of a very few gemstones that grow to extravagant sizes without sacrificing internal clarity. Most are at least loupe-clean. And there are topaz crystals that have been cut down to faceted gems of better than 20,000…

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Paraiba and Cuprian Tourmaline

Of all the varieties of tourmaline – and there are A LOT – one stands out amongst them all for its beauty, its rarity, and the enormous debate raging over which ones are which. It all started in the 1980s when some tourmaline crystals were unearthed in Paraiba State, Brazil. Tyrian purples, mint greens, even…

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Tourmaline – October Birthstone

If garnets and sapphires naturally come in every color of the rainbow, it may be said that tourmaline naturally comes in almost every shade of every color of the rainbow. Outside of possibly fluorite, which is not the best choice for setting in jewelry, tourmaline is the single most colorful mineral on the planet when…

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What Kind of Opal are You?

Opals are a pretty big deal in my store. They are one of my favorites; in fact, they are my favorite. Boulder opal especially appeals to me because of its inherent variety. They’re unique and different, like the things I design. No two can ever be just alike, and each one marches to the beat…

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Opal – October Birthstone

“It displays at once the piercing fire of carbunculas, the purple brilliance of amethystos, and the sea-green of smaragdus, and all these glittering colors mixed together in an incredible way. Some opali carry such a play within them that they equal the deepest and richest colors of painters. Others again simulate the flaming fire of…

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Roma Collection

Jewelry is not a new trend. People have been adorning themselves with bits of nature they picked up off the ground for thousands and thousands of years. But just because their processes were not as refined as our methods of today doesn’t mean their jewelry wasn’t beautiful. I love the textures and the uniqueness of…

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Carnelian

Carnelian is the trade name for chalcedony with warm primary colors. While carnelian is traditionally a solid shade of red or orange, “carnelian” has become an encompassing term in the trade that can include sardonyx, which is banded red, orange, yellow, and white chalcedony, and sard: a loose term from Antiquity usually denoting a darker,…

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Alternative Pearls

I’m always looking for ways to expand my clientele’s understanding of and appreciation for fine jewelry. I enjoy helping a customer realize the value of the truly rare and spectacular things of the world. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes with educating consumers on how to properly care for their fine jewelry investments so…

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Alexandrite – June Birthstone

Have you ever seen a gemstone change from one color to another right before your eyes? If not, you’re in for a treat when you see your first fine alexandrite. Raspberry red in tungsten light or firelight, teal green in direct sunlight or fluorescent light – fine alexandrite is the color-change gemstone against which all…

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