Happy New Year everyone! It’s been a great year here at Bangles and Brides and we expect even more great things in the next year. And what better way to start the year than by talking about the birthstone for January, Garnet?

Garnet is traditionally thought of as red in color, but can be found in colors ranging from green to pale yellow to firey orange and earth tones. Certain garnets also have the ability to change color, much the same as Alexandrite, when going from natural light to artificial light. So don’t think that just because your birthstone is Garnet you are stuck with a red stone.

Garnet is another of the ancient gems having traditions going back as far as Noah’s Ark and being used as a lantern to guide Noah through the floods. It has come to symbolize truth, grace, faith, sincerity and loyalty. North American Indians used red garnets as bullets, believing they would seek blood and inflict a deadlier wound. Christians believed garnet symbolized Christ’s sacrifice; Islamics believed it illuminated the fourth heaven. Garnets were thought to stop bleeding, cure inflammatory diseases, and smooth discord.

The rich color of the garnet brings passion, productivity, and self-confidence to mind. Red garnet provides protection, gives the wearer’s self-esteem a boost, and provides a calming influence. Wear a garnet for protection from any threat to the body, mind, and spirit.

Who knew that such a simple stone could have so much history tied to it?

Blue Zircon, the stone of prosperity, is the more rare version of Zircon which can also be found in colorless, yellow, pink, red, green and more. Zircon is also said to aid in sleep and promote honor and wisdom in its owner. Zircon is also the heaviest of the gemstones. When compared with an equal carat weight of another gemstone it will appear smaller because of this.

Other gems that are acceptable for birthstones in December include Blue Topaz and Turquoise.

The gem of the setting sun. Topaz has been worn as a giver of strength and invisibility in times of great need. Associated with Ra by the Egyptians and Jupiter by the Romans, both gods of the sun, it is also powerful protection from harm.

One of the most famous topaz’ in the world is set in the Portuguese Crown and was originally thought to be a diamond.

Citrine is also accepted as the November Birthstone.

Citrine gets its name from the French name for lemon, citron. Citrine’s primary color is a rich lemony yellow, but its color ranges from yellow thru gold into orangish brown.

The stone of wealth, it also protected from evil thoughts and is believed to promote happiness while symbolizing youth, health, fidelity and hope.

Opal reflects nearly every color of the rainbow. In the ancient history of the Aborigines of Australia it is said that the creator came to Earth on a rainbow to bring the message of peace to humanity. When his foot touched the ground the stones became alive and sparkled with all the colors of the rainbow. The name opal probably comes from the Sanskrit upala, meaning valuable stone, it was known to the Greeks as opallios, and to the Romans as opalus.

Long believed to be a stone of healing, opal is also said to remove depression and help the wearer find true love. The Romans thought is represented hope and purity, while the Greeks believed it to symbolize foresight and prophesy. Prized throughout history, opal can be found in the crown jewels of France Napoleon gave Josephine an opal called “The Burning of Troy”.

Pink Tourmaline is also a birthstone for October.

After seeing a recent increase in consumer assurance, as well as prices, the emerald market is yet again faced with a new challenge. A new method allowing for the treatment of rough emeralds has begun to spark worry for many involved in the trade. This method uses hardener resins such as Permasafe to treat rough emeralds, making them more suitable for faceting. This treatment seems to be materializing in Columbia, which is a key source of emerald production. Rough Columbian emeralds are usually washed during separation, but are never treated.

These fillers, such as Permasafe, are accepted for finished stones as long as the treatment is revealed. However, treating emeralds in the rough could result in jeopardizing the stone, as well as the assurance of consumers. Such fillers, when used in the rough, can make the stone up to 65% stronger. If stones are treated in the rough, this information is usually disclosed by the producers. However, the problem is that many retailers, those higher up in the distribution of the stones, are dropping the disclosure of these treatments.

These treatment methods create a problem for consumers looking for genuine emeralds. There is a way you can assure that your emeralds have not been treated in the rough. When buying an emerald or emerald jewelry, it is always good to buy from a source you trust. Trust is a key factor when you are looking to buy precious stones. Trust is especially important when buying colored gemstones. Colored gemstones have no international consumer authenticity source. This can create a problem when you enter the market for colored stones. In order to ensure a quality, authentic precious gemstone, make sure you shop with a dependable, reliable and established retailer whom you feel comfortable dealing with.

The color blue holds and enless fascination. Sapphire’s mood swings from the coolest and quietest shades to the most vibrant and lusty blues imaginable. And sapphire doesn’t stop there. You’ll discover some sapphires – often referred to as fancy sapphires because they aren’t blue – in shades of pink, purple, orange, yellow, gold and green, ranging from soft pastels to vibrant hues that shout with excitement.

Sapphire, the celestial gemstone long associated with the sky and the heavens, has been revered by humanity for thousands of years. The ancients believed that sapphire had influence over the spirit world as well as make peace between warring parties.

Symbolizing truth, honesty and faithfulness, sapphire is an excellent choice for an engagement ring or any piece of jewelry given as a gift of love. As with most gemstones, the finest sapphires, no matter their color, are a vibrant hue with a medium tone. Extremely dark, almost black sapphires and extremely pale sapphires are among the most affordable. When shopping for a sapphire, let your own personal taste guide you.

Properties

-AGTA: H
-RI: 1.762-1.77
-Hardness: 9
-Specific Gravity: 4
-Species: Corundum
-Optic Character: DR
-Phenomena: Asterism, color change, chatoyancy(Very Rare)

Origins
An important historical source of fine quality sapphire is the Kashmir district of India in the Himalayas. Current sources include Australia, Cambodia, East Africa, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand and the United States; Montana, North Carolina.

Peridot: The Stone of Friendship

The Stone of Friendship is a vivid lime or olive green and symbolizes dignity, fame, and protection. Mined as early as 1500 B.C. by the Ancient Egyptians, Cleopatra had a Peridot collection and was common in Roman and Greek jewelry.

Said to bing the wearer success, peace and good luck, it was also prized by pirates for its ability to drive away night terrors and evil spirits. Peridot has recently made a come back as a popular gemstone after a large find was discovered in Pakistan in the mid 1990’s.

Another gemstone that is used for August is the Carnelian. Carnelian is a reddish brown or orange gemstone from the quartz family. Carnelian has been worn as far back as the Greeks and Romans and both Muhammad and Napoleon wore rings of engraved Carnelian.

Carnelian may also help in the flow of creative energies and can give courage to the timid.

Actually, yes, some gemstones can fade when exposed to long durations of direct sunlight. You should always store your jewelry in a jewelry box or similar safe place out of direct light.

Some of the gemstones that can fade over time include:

• Amethyst: becomes pale
• Ametrine: may change color
• Apatite: pink variety fades
• Aquamarine: becomes pale
• Aventurine: translucent types often lose color
• Beryl: brown or orange types may change to pale pink
• Celestite: fades in direct sunlight
• Chrysoprase: becomes pale
• Citrine: may change color
• Fluorite: green and purple types change color
• Kunzite: becomes pale or loses color
• Rose Quartz: becomes pale
• Smokey Quartz: becomes pale

The birthstone of June is Alexandrite.

Alexandrite is a color changing gemstones that varies from green to purple depending on the type of light hitting it. Discovered in 1834 in the Emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals of Russia. It was named for Alexander II since the crystals show the Imperial Russian colors of red and green. Alexandrite in its highest quality forms is very rare and displays the remarkable ability to change colors from green or blue-green in daylight to a purple-red in incandescent light. Synthetic Alexandrite has been available for almost 100 years now, but it is difficult to reproduce the stunning color change ability of natural Alexandrite.

A gift of Alexandrite can be considered a good omen and it has been referred to as the stone of longevity and health.

Additional acceptable birthstones for June include Pearl and Moonstone.

For many reasons natural diamonds may not be an option. But that doesn’t mean that you need to go without. Modern CZs such as the Signity line from Stuller or the Interlap line can be very lovely and incredibly inexpensive when compared to a natural diamond. Next up the scale is a diamond infused CZ such as the one offer by BetterTheDiamond.Com. Their Asha CZs are hand cut and then put through a process that bonds carbon to the outside of the CZ. It provides a more natural look than CZ and is slightly more durable.

There are also natural gemstone alternatives to the white diamonds. White Topaz is a great alternative that is readily available, has a higher refractive index than a diamond, and is a fraction of the cost. Or you can even go with a White Sapphire. White Sapphires can be a little more expensive than Topaz, but still less expensive than a diamond. White Sapphires are rarely pure white though. Many have a steel blue tint to them that many people find stunning.

You don’t have to buy a diamond to be happy. There are plenty of alternatives that can save you money and offer you something special to talk about when showing it off.