In last month’s blog post we began a four-part series of birthstones. We talked about the historical origins of birthstones and kicked off the series with the months January, February, March and their respective gems. This month we’re talking about the diamond, emerald, pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone. Enjoy!
April — Diamond
Diamonds are made of a single element – carbon. The structure of the gem makes it almost 60 times harder than anything else in nature, including other gemstones. The only way to cut a diamond is, in fact, with another diamond. Diamonds range in color, from yellow, red and pink, to blue and green. The intensity of color also ranges, and in general, the more saturated the color, the higher the value and price point. It’s physical properties are truly unlike any other gemstone, so if “sparkle” is your deal — he diamond is the stone for you!
May — Emerald
The emerald is a symbol of rebirth, foresight and good fortune. The deeper the shade of green, the more valuable the stone. The rarest of emeralds will appear to be a breathtaking deep green-blue. Emeralds are found in many placearound the world, including Brazil, Afghanistan, Zambia, and Columbia. An emerald of high-quality is hard to come by and therefore require regular clarity maintenance.
June — Pearl, Alexandrite, Moonstone
Pearls are organic gemstone and the only stone created by living creatures. And while the rarest and most expensive pearls are made in the wild, all pearls have a desirable iridescent sheen that will immediately charm you. In many cultures, pearls represent innocence and purity, thus leading us to the modern day tradition of wearing pearls on yourwedding day. Alexandrite, the second birthstone of June, is described as “emerald by day, ruby by night”. This ever-changing behavior is consequence of it’s rare and quite uncommon chemical composition. The scarcity of this composition makes alexandrite one of the most expensive gems, more than rubies and diamonds. Alexandrite is said to strengthen one’s intuition, creativity and learning while inspiring the imagination. The last birthstone of June, the moonstone, holds a milky, sultry glow and is rumored to shift appearances according to the phases of the moon. Moonstone has a calming and balancing energy and acts as a crystal of fertility, creating passion by finding new lovers and rekindling old ones.
There you have it — January through June in the birthstone books! If you like what you’re hearing, come back next month and join us for more gemstone fun. We absolutely love discussing gemstones and their history and would love to hear any comments or interesting facts about your birth-gem that we may have missed, let us know in the comments below. Make us your one stop shop for all things jewelry!