Rarity, a common trait amongst gemstones which carries the highest value while sourcing for them. In principle, a gemstone is a piece of crystal which is cut and polished and used as jewellery. Some gemstones are believed to have played a role in myths and legends of human culture. Each gemstone has a story attached to it. Gemstones in all the shades of the rainbow colour exist and can be collected from the world. isn’t that so beautiful?
Let’s understand some of the popular gemstones:
Diamonds – Formed underneath Earth’s surface for over one hundred years, diamond is the hardest stone as well the one with highest desire. Diamonds are adorned by women and men across the globe for years and are considered the eternal gift of love. It was once considered to possess healing powers, today the desire and advancement in the industry by pioneer GIA has taken over. Most diamonds today are certified as per GIA criteria. Diamond is the perfect stone for those born in the month of April.
Rubies – The king of all gemstones, Ruby is considered the eternal sign of love, passion, courage & emotion. It’s believed wearing ruby bestowed the wearer with good fortune. Till date, Ruby is considered the most valuable gemstone given it was adorned by kings and emperors through time. Ruby is the birthstone for those born in the month of July. The most important feature about Rubies is the colour of the gemstone, it is available in colours of red hues from purplish and bluish red to orange-red. The brightest and most valuable colour of Ruby is often “A Burmese Ruby” – an indication that it is a rich, passionate, hot, full red colour with a slight blue hue. This colour is often referred to as “pigeon blood” red, a Ruby colour only associated with the Mogok Valley mines in Myanmar. The colour Pigeon Blood Ruby red is not associated with the colour of a pigeon’s blood but rather the colour of a white pigeon’s eye.
Emeralds – The birthstone for those born in May, Green is often considered the colour of Spring, renewal & rebirth. It is also believed to aid fertility. History believed Cleopatra – Egypt’s monarch popularised emeralds, while ancient Egyptian mummies were believed to be buried with an emerald carved as a symbol of a Ventura to signify eternal youth. Emeralds are one of the rarest stones around. The deeper & vivid colour , the more value the stone. Most times emeralds are always found with birthmarks, known as inclusions. Some inclusions are expected and do not detract from the value of the stone as much as with other gemstones.
Sapphire – Given the generic perception of sapphire being a violet-green gemstone, for centuries sapphire has been the ultimate blue gemstone. Blue Sapphire represented a promise of honesty, loyalty, purity and trust. To keep with this tradition Sapphires are one of the most popular engagement gemstones today.
Birthstones for the month of September, Sapphires are found in various parts of the World but the most prized Sapphires are from Myanmar (Burma), Kashmir and Sri Lanka. Sapphires with highly saturated violet-blue colour and “velvety” or “sleepy” transparency are rarer. The purer the blue of the Sapphire, the greater the price.
While we love and use & buy most of these often, It’s great to know a little piece of history behind them. I will be back with some more gemstones in the next part. Stay tuned for more!