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.

Emerald is the traditional birthstone of May. Presenting the most intense and radiant green, emerald derives its name from the Greek smaragdos and the French esmeralde and means simply green gemstone. One of the oldest gemstones, it was treated as holy by the Incas and Aztecs being mined by the pharaohs of Egypt as far back as 3000 B.C.

Emerald was the color of beauty and love in ancients times and was the color of Venus. Prized by Cleopatra and the builder of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan, they were kept and inscribed with talismans and treated as sacred stones.

Another acceptable birthstone for may is Green Onyx.

Are opals bad luck? There’s plenty of superstition surrounding the opal and their supposed bad luck status. There are some who belive that in the late 19th and early 20th century, that diamond traders started the rumour of opals being bad luck. It is said, that seeing their beauty these diamond merchants feared the opal would threaten their livelyhood so they started the bad luck rumour to protect their trade while giving the opal a bad name.

Louis XI is also responsible for the bad luck cloud surrounding the opal. When the King of France heard of a royal opal being broken by the jeweler setting it, he ordered the jewelers hands cut off. Needless to say, other jewelers didn’t have many good things to say about the opal after that.

Opal is a softer stone that’s easier to break while setting, or wearing one in a piece of jewelry than many other stones, but I’ve never heard of anyone going on a streak of bad luck just for wearing an opal.

A carat is a unit of weight that is equal to 200 milligrams or 100 points. Diamonds or gemstones weighing less than 1 carat are expressed as a fraction of a carat, 1/2 carat, or in points, 50 points. Carats is often abbreviated ct. or cts. Jewelry with multiple diamonds or gemstones are often given a single weight abbreviated as ctw. meaning carat total weight.

A karat is a unit of fineness or purity in gold. Pure gold, at least .999 percent pure gold, is 24 karat. Karat is most commonly abbreviated K. An 18K gold ring would contain 18 parts pure gold with the other 6 parts being alloy. A 14K gold ring would contain 14 parts pure gold and 10 parts other metals.

Mothers Day is fast approaching. The typical mothers ring containing the birthstones of all the children doesn’t suit everyones taste. For those mothers, birthstone charms can be an adorable alternative.

You can find birthstone charms shaped as boys and girls, even angels featuring a birthstone each month. They can be attached to a charm bracelet or even worn simply on a chain or charm holder. When wearing multiple birthstone charms on chain, placing one or two small gold beads between the charms will keep them nicely separated.

Certain gemstones are believed to have healing properties. Aquamarine, the birthstone for March, is one of those “healing stones”. The aquamarine symbolizes beauty, courage, and loyalty. Wearing aquamarine jewelry is believed to ease the symptoms of depression as well as the symptoms of fluid retention and hot flashes.

Read more about the Aquamarine and other healing gemstones.

Aquamarine is the birthstone of March. Aquamarine gets its name from the Latin words meaning “Sea of Water” because of its range of blue colors from a light sky blue to a dark blue or blue-green. Originally considered to be the treasure of mermaids it was said to have the power to keep sailors safe at sea and is also referred to as the Stone of Courage.

Aquamarine not your color? Bloodstone and Rock Crystal are also March birthstones.

Not happy with the color of your birthstone? Many gemstones like garnet, the birthstone for January, come in a variety of colors. Check with your jeweler to see what colors are available for your birthstone.