Ametit

This week's stone is the page's namesake: AMETHYST

Amethyst is one of the most precious and valuable stones belonging to the quartz group of minerals, with exception to rare blue-green gem silica.

It is recognized as the official birthstone for the month of February. Amethyst owe its violet/purple color to iron and aluminum impurities. Without such coloring agents, amethyst would simply be transparent, ordinary colorless quartz. Like other varieties of macrocrystalline quartz, amethyst has transparent to translucent clarity and a vitreous luster.

Since purple is considered to be one of the royal colors, amethyst has a historical importance as an insignia of power. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and they were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Amethyst also holds a high place in the ranks of the Christian church and was referred to as "the stone of bishops".

The Greek word "amethystos" translates into "not drunken" and it was often worn as an amulet to protect against intoxication. Since amethyst was considered an antidote against drunkenness, many wine goblets were carved from amethyst stone. Still to this day, violet-purple amethyst is a symbol of sobriety.

A new year calls for something truly special - the PARAIBA TOURMALINE!

The unusual blue-green paraiba tourmaline was first discovered in the Brazililan state of Paraiba in 1989 by a dedicated miner named Heitor Barbosa. Barbosa worked the Mina da Bathalha for over 5 years before he found the first samples of this extremely rare tourmaline. These gems had an unusual vivid blue-green that had never been seen before in any gemstone. They appeared to glow with a neon or electric-like quality, even in the rough stone. Analysis showed that this unique effect was due to the presence of copper and manganese.

The market demand for Paraiba tourmaline was so strong, and the supply so limited, that it became almost impossible for gem dealers to buy stock. However, in 2001 some similar copper-bearing blue-green tourmaline was discovered in Nigeria, though the color saturation was not as good as the Brazilian material. Then in 2005, a third find was made, this time in Mozambique. The Mozambican material was found in a range of colors, from green to blue-green or violet, with a color similar to the Brazilian Paraiba. In fact the Mozambican paraiba is often cleaner than the Brazilian (which tends to be heavily included) and is found in larger sizes.

What's your birthstone? Does it match your coloring :) ?

This week's stone is CHRYSOBERYL:

Chrysoberyl is a rare gem with some outstanding characteristics, but it is so little known that even many gem dealers don't stock it.

Despite its name, chrysoberyl is not a member of the beryl species! The beryls (emerald, aquamarine, golden beryl and morganite) are aluminum beryllium silicates, whereas chrysoberyl is beryllium aluminum oxide. However, the chrysoberyl species does have some very distinguished members. The chrysoberyl family includes two even rarer gemstones; alexandrite, which is famous for its color change, and chrysoberyl cat's eye, the original cat's eye gemstone.

So what makes chrysoberyl so special? For one thing, it is an extremely hard gem, with a rating of 8.5 on the Mohs scale. Only ruby, sapphire and diamond are harder. Chrysoberyl also has a high refractive index, just slightly lower than ruby and sapphire, so it has excellent brilliance. It has a vitreous luster and very clean and transparent specimens can be found. It is always untreated. Yet it sells at very affordable prices, primarily due to its low profile in the gemstone world.

In gemstone lore, chrysoberyl is associated with discipline and self-control. It is said to promote concentration and the ability to learn. Additionally, it is thought to help the wearer strive for excellence. Chrysoberyl is also said to bring peace of mind, clearer thinking and increased self-confidence.

Chrysoberyl deposits are found in Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Russia, United States and Zimbabwe.

For more information and availability of chrysoberyl gemstones, contact us!