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Gemstone
jewelry come in such a wide variety it can be difficult to
choose the right gemstones. Below, we
have listed popular gemstones and information on each of them
to help you with your jewelry purchases. If you have any questions,
you can send us an e-mail
or call Forever Jewelers
online jewelry store toll free at 1-866-986-2248.
Alexandrite
- Green in daylight and red in artificial light.
- (Color change is best in thicker stones).
- Moh’s scale of hardness 8.5
This gemstone jewelry is often sold artificially to reduce high semi-precious
gem costs. There are good reproductions of alexandrite that
are light sensitive, so be careful when buying the natural stone.
This stone can be cleaned with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance.
Learn
more>>>
Amber
- Light yellow to reddish brown in color range.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 2-2.5
Amber is hardened fossilized sap of pine trees. Often it is
found with organic objects suspended in its form. Amber can
be polished and tumbled to create high polished gemstones used
in affordable, unusual jewelry. Do not clean this stone in abrasive
gem cleaner use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
 Amethyst
– February’s birthstone
- Violet ranges in color.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 7
The most valuable gemstone in the quartz group is amethyst.
Its hardness ensures good everyday wear ability. When faceted,
like in most designs, amethyst creates a beautiful brilliant
violet shine. This stone can be cleaned with gem cleaner to
maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
 Aquamarine
– March’s birthstone
- Pale blue, light blue, blue-green, and nearly colorless.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 7.5-8
Aquamarine is a member of the beryl family and gets it’s name
from two Latin words meaning “water and sea”. When faceted,
Aquamarine shows a clear and bright effect. When held under
water aquamarine seems to disappear. This stone can be cleaned
with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
 Blue
Topaz- December’s birthstone
- Ranges from dark turquoise blue to an intense aqua.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 8
This clear and bright gemstone gets its name from Sanskrit
meaning “fire”. Topaz ranges in color from white or clear,
to pink, red, yellow and blue. Its popularity is due to its
beautiful color, affordability, and it’s strength. This stone
can be cleaned with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance.
Learn
more>>>
Cameo
Cameos are created by a process of carving through layers of
soft, but durable materials such as agate and conch shell. Lifting
off layers of these type of stones create color differences
that in turn create three dimensions. Cameos are usually portraits
of women, often wearing jewelry in soft tones of ivory, white
and pink. Do not clean this stone in abrasive gem cleaner use
a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Cat’s Eye
An effect that resembles the slit eye of a cat is called cat’s
eye. This is caused by the reflection of light by parallel fibers.
Cat’s eye is usually found in cabochon-cut gemstones that when
rotated, the cat’s eye glides over the surface. This is usually
created in quartz that is generally found in white, gray, or
yellow in color. Do not clean this stone in abrasive gem cleaner,
use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Chalcedony
- Bluish-white to gray in color
- Moh’s scale of hardness 6.5-7
In ancient times chalcedony was used in cameo making because
of its beautiful color and it’s engravable surface. Now, this
quartz gem is becoming popular in white gold settings because
of its clean unusual color. Do not clean this stone with abrasive
gem cleaner, use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Citrine - November’s
birthstone
- Light yellow to golden brown in color.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 7
Citrine belongs to the quartz family and is often mistaken
as topaz. The French word citron, meaning "lemon",
is how this delightful gemstone got its name. Most citrine is
clear and bright, but there are instances of some small inclusions.
This stone can be cleaned with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance.
Learn
more>>>
Coral
- Red, pink and white in color ranges.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 3-4
The most valuable type of coral is red coral, because of its
rarity. Coral like some pearls must be harvested from large
bodies of water. Coral is found at depths of 10-1020 feet in
the sea. Coral can be carved into beautiful pieces of jewelry,
or tumbled into beads for stringing. Do not clean this stone
in abrasive gem cleaner, use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Cubic Zircon – April’s alternative
birthstone
- Colorless through black. (Can be created in any color)
- Moh’s scale of hardness 6.5-7.5
Cubic zircon (called CZs or Cubic Zirconia) is used to create
affordable diamond simulated jewelry. Because they are laboratory
created, CZs can come in any color. Keeping your Cubic Zircon
clean maintains the brilliant shine that resembles the fire
of a diamond or any gem it is trying to replicate. This lab
created stone can be cleaned in any type of gem cleaner. Learn
more>>>
 Diamond
- April’s birthstone
- Colorless, yellow, brown, green, red, pink, blue, and black.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 10
 The
Greek word Adamas is how diamond got its name, meaning
"unconquerable". Nothing compares to the diamond in
hardness it is therefore imperishable. Although it is the hardest
of the gemstones, it does not mean it is unbreakable. Diamonds
of all sizes can be broken if hit hard enough. There are many
factors in choosing the right diamond for your purchase. We
invite you to visit our Diamond Buying
Guide to further educate you. This stone can be cleaned
with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
Emerald – May’s birthstone
- Light green to hunter green ranges in color.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 7.5-8
Larger emeralds have a deeper body color, and when faceted,
they come alive with a beautiful spectrum of fire. Although
most emeralds are heavily included, these characteristics help
customers verify the stone’s authenticity. Emeralds are a beautiful
addition to anyone’s jewelry collection, but they should be
worn with care. Emeralds are not to be cleaned in ultrasonic
cleaners because of their porosity. This stone can be cleaned
with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
 Garnet
– January’s birthstone
- Ranges from deep red to rose to lavender in color.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 7-7.5
Garnets are often used in jewelry to replace a ruby’s red color,
but if compared, side-by-side, the garnet will have a deeper,
richer color. Its name is derived from the Latin word granatum
meaning "pomegranate". Garnet is said to have calming
effects on its wearer. This gemstone can be cleaned with gem
cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
Iolite
- Violet blue to dark purple range in color.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 7-7.5
This lovely stone gets its name from its color. Also called
"water sapphire", iolite has a dichroite effect, meaning,
when it is looked at from different directions, it shows different
colors according to the light passed through it. These gemstones
can be cleaned with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
Jade
- Black, brown, yellow, green, violet, white and reddish yellow
- Moh’s scale of hardness 6.5 – 7
The Chinese used jade once as a form of currency. Thought of
as a form of good luck throughout history, jade is made into
many forms of jewelry and great works of art. Because of its
durability jade can be worn everyday and is said to protect
those who wear it from injury. Do not clean this stone in abrasive
gem cleaner use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Lapis Lazui – September alternate birthstone
- Blue in various shades
- Moh’s scale of hardness 5 – 6
Lapis has been used in jewelry for centuries. The veins found
inside the stone add to its uniqueness. Lapis was used by the
ancient Egyptians as pigment, medicine and cosmetics. This gemstone
is found in many handmade jewelry pieces, especially for men.
Do not clean this stone in abrasive gem cleaner use a polishing
cloth. Learn
more>>>
Malachite
- Light green, emerald green, black green
- Moh’s scale of hardness 3.5 – 4
Malachite is usually found featuring bands of black through
its beautiful green background. Malachite is often cabochon
cut because of its opaque body. Malachite gets its name from
the Greek word Malake meaning "mallow", in
reference to its low hardness. Do not clean this stone in abrasive
gem cleaner, use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Moonstone – June alternate birthstone
- Colorless, pale sheen, yellow
- Moh’s scale of hardness 6 – 6.5
Named after its resemblance in color of the moon. In East India,
tradition holds that moonstone is a symbol of the third eye
relating to spiritual understanding. Because of its soft nature
moonstone should be worn carefully. Do not clean this stone
in abrasive gem cleaner, use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Opal – October birthstone
- White, gray, blue, green, orange
- Moh’s scale of hardness 5.5 – 6.5
 Opal
was named after the Indian word for “stone”. Opals are known
for its majestic fire displayed, almost floating, inside of
its body. Boulder Opals are recognized by their dark blue and
green color with spots of red. White Opal, being most popular
in birthstone jewelry, displays orange-red and greenish-yellow
fire. Mexican Fire Opals are recognized for its pumpkin orange
color. All opals are beautiful specimens of the world of gemstones,
but should be worn on occasion only. Do not clean this stone
in abrasive gem cleaner, use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
 Pearl
– June birthstone
- Pink, silver, cream, golden blue, black, white
- Moh’s scale of hardness 3 – 4
Pearls are created by mollusks and consist mainly of calcium
carbonate. They vary in size from seed pearls to pigeons egg.
Pearls are graded in different categories – luster, color, size
and pore size. A high white pearl with high luster and small
or no pores is what is most desirable. Pearls are very sensitive
to hairspray, perspiration, cosmetics, perfume or other acids.
These may harm the finish of the pearl. Learn
more>>>
 Peridot
– August birthstone
- Yellow-green, olive green, brownish, grass green
- Moh’s scale of hardness 6.5 – 7
Once dreaded as August’s birthstone by babies born that month,
peridot has turned a new leaf. The shades of kiwi green have
become so fashionable, everyone must have a piece of peridot
to add to their collection. These gemstones should be carefully
worn because their scratch resistance is low, however, they
are still very wearable. This stone can be cleaned with gem
cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
Ruby – July birthstone
- Medium-pink, fuchsia, blood red
- Moh’s scale of hardness 9
Ruby is considered the most valuable gemstone. The word “ruby”
comes from the Latin word rubeus, meaning "red".
Because of the hardness of the stone the ruby is an excellent
choice for all types of jewelry. This stone can be cleaned with
gem cleaner to maintain its
brilliance. Learn
more>>>
 Sapphire
– September birthstone
- Blue in various hues, colorless, pink, orange, yellow, green, purple and black
- Moh’s scale of hardness 9
Sapphire gets its name from the Latin word saphirus
and the Greek word sappheiros, meaning "blue".
Considered the “gem of the heavens”, sapphire's popularity has
increased rapidly. A darker blue sapphire set in white metal
always brings out this gemstone’s life. When faceted, sapphires
are considered very lively and full of fire. This stone can
be cleaned with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
Tanzanite
- Sapphire blue, amethyst violet, lavender and periwinkle
- Moh’s scale of hardness 6 – 7
Tanzanite was named after the East – African state of Tanzania.
Although, it’s scientific name is blue zoisite. This
stone has a watery edge effect called trichroic. It exhibits
different colors when viewed from different directions. Because
of its low resistance to ultrasound, it should not be cleaned
in ultrasonic cleaners. This stone can be cleaned with gem cleaner
to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
Tiger’s eye
Usually this gem is found in gold, yellow or brown. The effect
is created by the reflection of light by parallel fibers in
a gemstone. This attractive stone is frequently used in men’s
jewelry design. Do not clean this stone in abrasive gem cleaner,
use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
Tourmaline – October’s alternate
birthstone
- Colorless, Pink, Red, Yellow, brown, green, blue, violet, black, and multi-colored.
- Moh’s scale of hardness 7 – 7.5
Tourmaline that is seen in most jewelry is usually pink or
green. Because of its unusually bright shade of pink, tourmaline
is a favorite gemstone among young girls. The name tourmaline
is said to have originated from the Sinhalese term turmali
meaning "multi-colored". This stone can be cleaned
with gem cleaner to maintain its brilliance. Learn
more>>>
Turquoise – December alternate birthstone
- Sky blue, bluish-green, apple green
- Moh’s scale of hardness 5 – 6
Turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever used for jewelry.
It was found buried with a 7500-year-old mummy. This stone’s
name was given to it because of its trade route that brought
it to Europe via Turkey. Do not clean this stone in abrasive
gem cleaner, use a polishing cloth. Learn
more>>>
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