TURQUOISE BIRTHSTONE

December birthstones, take your pick! Traditional Turquoise, Tanzanite, the "modern" gemstone Blue Topaz, and Zircon, many blues to choose from!!

Photo courtesy of  yourbirthstones.com

Turquoise, you say? The traditional birthstone for December!

A poem for all you December babies!!!~

"If cold December gave you birth
The month of snow and ice and mirth
Place on your hand a turquoise blue
Success will bless whate'er you do."

- Anonymous

Take a look at Ippolita's cascade teardrop earrings at Neiman Marcus,

Ippolita at NeimanMarcus.com

I have met the designer Ippolita, she is gracious, beautiful and artistic. She works with a clean line.

Tanzanite has risen in popularity due to its vibrant color and cut, previously in years past a substitute for the more pricey sapphire. Now a force unto itself!!

Take a peak at a gorgeous Tanzanite and micro-pave in 18K white gold, 6.17 carat center, from Blue Nile, very art deco~

cushion tanzanite at Blue Nile

Here is a really pretty London Blue Topaz with a white diamond halo in 14K, cushion cut pendant,

London Blue Topaz At BlueNile.com

And, Zircon, Planet Earth's oldest known mineral,

Photo courtesy of webmineral.com

Enjoy the beauty of December, it can be such a peaceful month with mild and quiet skies.

Take a break from the hustle and bustle, and lose yourself in the mysterious wonders that  nature offers to us all, the fabulous turquoise!

THE PERIDOT

Peridot, the August birthstone! 

Don't you just love the summer? It is like being in a soft rain, enveloping truth and what is most important in our lives, setting priorities, being ourselves.

This summer, have some fun and try the Tiffany diamond, peridot, amethyst and pink sapphire Jean Schlumberger clip pin, a seahorse!

At Tiffany

AND, be beautiful in peridot!

Here is wonderful craftsmanship.  And artistry.

For earrings, f you would like one simple statement piece in your jewelry wardrobe, choose this one! At B2C jewels!!

Wear them anywhere!!

All in 14K white gold~

August is a month of promise and love. The air is soft with summer breeze and simply suggests all the mysterious allure Peridot can offer.  Birthstone for August lovelies, here in all its glory, to be revered in all its powerful esteem!

"Wear a Peridot or for thee,

                                                            No conjugal fidelity,

            The August born without this stone,

         Tis said, must live unloved alone."

-Anonymous

The Peridot speaks of love and fidelity, of truth and faithfulness. 

It is considered to be the birthstone for the Zodiac Leo (the Lion), and metaphysical properties relate to fame, dignity and protection. Click here for birthdaygems.org colorful research on this gem!

Be fully aware of the peridot powers, and wear this stone if it is yours borne of the month of August and you will have a) companionship and b) love.

And, more history on the Peridot, the national gemstone of Egypt!

The August Peridot, truly "august" as it holds its own in fascination and stalwart truth.

THE PEARL

Traditional birthstone for June is the Pearl. June brides adore the pearl, and so will you once you learn about the pearl's special attributes! Contemplate and cherish this Old Poem on the pearl~

"Who comes with summer to this earth 

And owes to June her hour of birth

 A pearl should wear against her skin

 Who's innocence many a heart shall win."

I simply love pearls. 

They can make any day brighter, and pearl earrings will certainly brighten the eyes, try it and see! The pearl represents purity and beauty, every bride should at least wear this jewel from the sea on her special day.

South Sea cultured pearl earrings in diamonds and 18K white gold at Blue Nile 4,500 USD

Pearls as we know do come in different shades, this exotic South Sea pearl shown above has an opalescence to its overall sheen.

Pearls are the only form of fine jewelry that come from the sea, they are slowly cultured over time in the mollusk shell.  You can also find them in shallow streams and creeks in certain areas of the United States as the Chesapeake Bay.

'The world is your oyster!'

The Japanese Akoya cultured pearl
photo courtesy of DawnRose Pearls 

 Click and read more at this great website for the birth of a pearl.

The Akoya culturalization process has been assumed by patent and extended further by Kokichi Mikimoto, known famously for the most beautiful cultured pearls in the world. 

Click here for the Mikimoto grading system for pearls.  

Tiffany Aria

And of course, Tiffany pearls, so gorgeous!

This is the Tiffany Aria Bracelet, round cultured pearls with triad diamonds set in platinum. Something new for the June bride. 7" long. 15,000 USD.





And also remember the Moonstone, June's other traditional birthstone (besides alexandrite too!), actually found on 60% of the entire planet Earth's crust.  Be mysterious in moonstone~

Gray Moonstone and White Topaz Ring in Sterling Silver at Blue Nile 145 USD

Recommended summer reading:

John Steinbeck's THE PEARL~

at Amazon, a Classic

I read this story as a young girl, and it has stayed with me. 'Watch out what you wish for,' and see what happens to pearl diver Kino; all is not as it seems....

 Enjoy dear Readers, keep perspective, and the pearl, such magnificence in all its glory, a wondrous jewel of the sea!

Happy birthday, June Babies! 

THE EMERALD

emerald tennis bracelet at B2C Jewels starting at $2599

Emeralds!

Birthstone for the month of May ~ the gorgeous emerald,

May Birthstone poem - the Emerald

"Who first beholds the light of day
In spring's sweet, flower month of May
And wears an Emerald all her life
Shall be a loved and a loving wife."

- Anonymous

What an absolutely lovely poem! And such is the month of May, truly one of my top favorite months.  So much goes on in May! Although emerald is the color for this month, pink abounds in flowering blooms, summer dresses, and Kentucky Derby hats!  

What can we learn about the emerald?  Plenty!

Here it is in raw form, of the mineral beryl colored green because of its chromium content and sometimes of vanadium~

courtesy of emeralds.com

The emerald represents youth and rebirth, as in those tiny green buds you see everywhere outside.  

Emeralds will grant their owner good fortune, originally mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C. and today can be mined in Columbia, Brazil, Afghanistan and Zambia. 

The emerald has a hardness of 7.5-8.0 on a scale of 10, and can be characterized with the 4 C's: color as most important, then cut, clarity and carat.

So, May children, enjoy your forever youth, be well, and HAPPY SPRING!!!

DIAMOND

at Blue Nile

April's traditional birthstone, finally the diamond in all its splendorous glory!

"She who from April dates her years,
Diamonds shall wear, lest bitter tears
For vain repentance flow."

- a poem 

Diamonds are said to have healing properties for the brain and pituitary gland, and enhance balance through better understanding relationships and building inner strength. 

The diamond is so

tough, the only other property that can crack or chip a diamond is another diamond!

Tiffany's diamond fringe necklace $7, 000, 000

(Unfortunately no longer for purchase, but had to include this gorgeous piece here)

We all know Tiffany's, where would the world be without that little blue box?

Here is a quite informative two minute Youtube on THE 4 C's of Diamonds, cut, clarity, color + carat~

Pair up your jewels with a pretty pair of 14K stud earrings~

at B2C $1,800

The natural diamond crystal, in a ll its glory~

photo courtesy Crystal Classics

Regard the fabulous Princie Diamond, a rare cushion cut fancy pink Golconda at 34 carats~

the Princie Diamond at Christie's

Here is a jeweler's blog on more of the Princie Diamond, expected value up to $40 Million.

The diamond comes in natural tones, and besides the fabulous Princie Diamond, there are also very pretty champagne diamonds!

Here below is the largest known diamond in the world, in the rough it weighed 3106.75 carats, the Great Star of Africa, cut yielding 530.20 carats, and safely kept in the Tower of London~

The Great Star of Africa, aka the Cullinan I

The beauty of the Cullinan I

The Cullinan II, or the 'Lesser' Star of Africa, 317.40 carats, a belonging of the Crown Jewels, is also housed in the United Kingdom.

Click here for another informative link giving you more history, physical properties, chemistry and origins of this precious gem.
 
AND of course, the Hope Diamond, you can only find it at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C, United States of America.  I have seen it, it is large! It weighs 45.52 carats, almost appears as a gray blue with tints of violet~

AND, for your eyes only, is a six minute YouTube video, telling you all about the diamond~

Remember, diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Be gorgeous, be YOU.

AQUAMARINE

                           courtesy ICA

The aquamarine is the traditional March birthstone. What mysteries lie within this precious gem? It comes in light hues of pale blue, not to be confused with the blue topaz of course!

Here, this soothing gem evokes loyalty, friendship, courage. This soft sense of blue is subtle yet strong.  It does not blurt out its message, instead it is simply there.

A poem for YOU~

"A March born shall always be

Soothed by Aqua, gem of sea

This mermaid's treasured stone you wear

Will bring happiness, love, affection and care."

              -courtesy of birthdaygems.org

This lovely gem assists the metaphysical aspect of our lives through awareness of surroundings and improvement of communications. It has healing properties through the throat areas, speech and stress related illnesses. 

If you are prone to stage fright, wear aquamarine or carry one in your pocket! 

Mariners carry this gem for good luck. Aqua as in water, marine as in the sea.

For March lovelies, here are GORGEOUS aquamarine drop earrings from John Hardy~

at John Hardy $5,500 US

And from favorite Blue Nile, which never disappoints~

at Blue Nile, $1,460 US

This fabulous cocktail ring is set in 18K white gold, with a halo of 44 pave diamonds! Be extravagant!

The aquamarine is primarily mined in Brazil, but also is found in Nigeria, Madagascar,  Zambia, Pakistan and Mozambique (source: American Gem Society).

A 6 minute YOUtube for YOU~

Wear your birthstone with a smile, and appreciate the wonders of the loyal aquamarine.

Super obsessed with aquamarine? 

Try the Byblos Aquamarine Perfume!

AMETHYST

at B2C Jewelers 

February traditional birthstone is the purple amethyst. I have always loved this stone, in certain conditions you see the glimmering shafts of blues, reds and pinks, shards of light that evoke strength, beauty and clarity of mind~

"The February born shall find
Sincerity and peace of mind,
Freedom from passion and from care,
If they, the amethyst will wear."

- a Poem 

The amethyst comes in tones of bright green also, who knew?  Which do you prefer, purple or apple green?

courtesy of dreamstime

The amethyst is widely known to have healing properties to promote peace, sobriety and along with that deep understanding and compassion. With these attributes, focus is facilitated, which in turn supports flow, the ultimate aspiration in doing.

Nota Bene~ I wear a pale green amethyst as a charm when I play tennis, along with my St. Michael medal for power and strength in my tennis singles game, together with my silver medallion of St. Christopher, for safety in the journey. 

                                       St. Valentine especially adored the amethyst~

The color purple through the ages evokes royalty, notice the kings and queens of yesterday in their garb and jewels of purple tones.  The purple dye was simply quite complex and expensive to create, thus held in highest esteem to royalty and high nobility.

courtesy Tim Graham Getty Image
The Anglophile

Happy birthday, February children! May you walk with love and carry your jewels with majesty, pride, and a bit of royal magic!!!

GARNET

Garnets

The January birthstone, garnet, traditional gemstone it is. The garnet actually comes in every color of the spectrum, including the color change blue garnet, which is very rare. The garnet is widely known as the deep red/purple/brown shade of pomegranate, even the word root of garnet is derived from the Latin granatum malum which means pomegranate:

"By her who is this month was born
No gem save garnets shall be worn
They will ensure her constancy
   True friendship and fidelity."
     -a very old poem

The garnet has also been known to have healing properties to stave off inflammation of the skin, plus provide heart protection and the regulation of blood flow. Who really knows if this connection between the geology and the human is truly apparent, but for these connective traits to continue through the ages does have merit as they are lasting representations of what is possible, and that congruity has meaning in and of itself.

I just love rings!  This wine colored oval cut ring looks great with Ted Baker golds, blues and reds!!

                                                               At Blue Nile~

Garnet and diamond ring in 18K white gold $1,450 US

This so pretty garnet from Blue Nile can easily be worn with shades of red, brown, purple, or neutral shades of gray, black, gold and cream. Even with silver to accent the white gold band!

And, the red garnet mineral counterpart, love this pyrope~

AND,  a personal favorite is the Tsavorite GREEN, too!

Green garnets look great with any neutral nail color.  And, to appreciate its brightness and make a full beauty statement, I'd pair it with a cream or very black fashion ensemble.
  Is it not just so wonderful these gemstones come in such different shades? Who knew?

Enjoy, and Happy Birthday, January babies!

OPAL

October's traditional birthstone is... the opal! Such mystery abounds in a swirl of luminescent pastels.  The eye demands more, as the opal beckons its unaware yet captivated observer to become lost in its soft cosmos of wonder.

At Blue Nile, surrounded by diamonds in 18K white gold

And here is our poem of the month, becoming all there is regarding the opal~

October Birth stone poem - the Opal 
"October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those woes to rest."

-Anonymous

What does this poem mean?  Our take here is that the October born have a certain burden to carry, but if one adorns thyself with an opal, all will be well. Such is the gift of this precious gem.

Here is a Youtube 6 minute special on the opal, not to be missed!

What more can we learn of the mysterious opal?  It can be found in Mexico, Australia and the United States. The opal represents hope and purity and innocence, it can assist with efficacy of the eyes, and promotes visualization, imagination, dreams and healing.

The wondrous opal has been dubbed the "Queen of Gems," by William Shakespeare in his Twelfth Night. 

These precious gems are not in crystalline form as diamonds and emeralds, but are found in their natural state in the ground, so keep looking, you may find an opal beneath those autumn leaves or in the earth while gardening.  What a find that would be! Others are found in rock, those sparkles could be refracted light coming from the prodigious opal, beware while rock climbing, you could find a gem!

I was pleasantly surprised to discover opal details on eBay! Click here to learn more on the opal, the eight different types, how to distinguish, where to find!

And of course, you can find a fabulous Tiffany opal at the Smithsonian Institute~

Tiffany Black Opal Necklace

Happy birthday, October beauties!