This month, as do all months, has its own birthstone. Tourmaline is the accepted gem for the month of October, though Opal is also another choice.
I'm going to stick with tourmaline for one reason alone.
It is my favourite crystal!
Most people associate tourmaline with the colours green and pink, or 'watermelon', which is a mixture of varying shades, but the colour range is quite fantastic.The rarest and most coveted is the beautiful neon blue Paraiba, named after the state in Brazil where it is found. Its colour will mesmerise the viewer. My own stock of ethically sourced Tourmaline comes in a mixture of colours and shades, but I can source any of the rarer shades on request.
A lesser known tourmaline variety is found in Madagascar, USA, and Brazil is the Rubellite, which is chosen for its similarity to Ruby. These stones are ideal as a substitute to Ruby but for me are a thing of beauty in their own right.
California produced some of the best varieties of Rubelite in the 19th and 20th century, but the mineral rich continent of Africa has come up with some beauties.
The best way I have found to set these, and all my gemstones in a way which let's in the light, is the tension ring setting style, which I have been hand crafting for over 20 years. I hand make these rings in all precious metals, and in several variations with all precious and semi precious gemstones.
The sterling silver I use in my craft is all 100% recycled, which means that my suppliers refine new wires and sheet metal from the scrap silver market. Most of the gold alloys I use are ethically sourced from sustainable Fairtrade and Fair Mined certified sources and my gold suppliers experience in auditing small batch segregated refining also makes them the only UK refinery offering Single Mine Origin gold.
I do use refined gold when it is available, and I can also use my customers' own gold and silver to make some of my designs.
To find out more about my designs have a look at my online store
]]>The Latin word aquamarine simply means sea water, and has many superstitious associations ranging from defence during wars, and the protection of sailors at sea. It’s also long been associated with health, youth and vitality, and has traditionally been worn and carried as an anti-ageing protection, as well as something to help prevent and cure illnesses. It’s this association that has kept Aquamarine a favourite stone for just about all of recorded history, because who among us doesn’t want to stay young and healthy for as long as we can?
In more recent times Beryl became a symbol of good luck, because it was noticed that Beryl was often found near veins of Tin and Copper. Miners were overjoyed to find concentrations of Beryl in their pits, because it means that a rich lode was surely nearby.
Aquamarine is a member of the Beryl group of gemstones and pure Beryl is white, while other famous Beryls include Emerald and Heliodor Depending on the different amounts of iron in its chemical composition, differing colours and colour intensities are created, with some stones appearing only slightly tinged while others are deeply blue, green or yellow.
Spreading from pale blue to dark, the most prized Aquamarine stones are a deep sea blue, and are therefore more expensive, so most of the gems on the market are in the middle of these ranges.
This delightful gemstone is a perfect addition to any summer outfit, and is a hard enough stone to be worn all year round.
]]>The darker varieties are the most prized, and I'm able to obtain cut gemstones of this quality for my designs.
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If so, then your birthstone is Amethyst.
This variety of quartz has colours ranging from a lilac shade to a deep purple, the latter being the colour chosen by world religions, the Roman and Greek rulers, and the Royal families of Europe.
It has historically been used as a charm or remedy to ward off drunkenness, and the name has its origins in the Greek language.
Although quartz itself is one of the most abundant minerals on earth, and makes up a good proportion of the sand on the beaches, the colour of amethyst is given by the addition of manganese and iron.
The darker varieties are the most prized, and I'm able to obtain cut gemstones of this quality for my designs.
The sources used today are obtained from South America, in particular, Brazil, and the top- quality specimens are generally cut in Antwerp.
I have several designs which can accommodate the February Birthstone, and my classic tension ring is an ever-popular choice within my range.
]]>The contrast between the chosen metals and jewels mounted in them is quite important to me. For instance, blue mixed with polished silver, and white diamonds set into satin finish silver are appealing to the eye in different ways. In high carat golds, the richness of a Ruby set against bright yellow 18 carat gold, or an emerald mounted in deep, rich 22 carat coloured gold will always be a pleasing combination.
When people mention 'this season's colour', or 'last seasons shades', it really is a standard which the fashion industry abides by, but it's not necessarily one which the jewellery industry can keep up to, mainly for the reason that most jewellery pieces purchased are to be a longer lasting item.
I'm sure we have all seen the trending colours from last year, the main ones being those of the bright yellow of handbags and raincoats.
It's no coincidence that these colours become the chosen default for the next season, as the catwalk artists and designers appear to be almost collaborating. Fashion houses then pick up on the zeitgeist, and there we have it.
The colour trends for 2022 have emerged in the same way to be a bluish purple/ violet known in the 'rag trade' as 'Very Peri'.These trends are noticed, monitored and named by the company PANTENE, the fashion colour gurus.
Lucky for me, then, that variations of this colour are already in my gemstone pallette, in the form of the violet/blue Tanzanite! and contrasts beautifully with sterling silver. I'm able to make all my designs with this stone, and already mount my tension rings with this little treasure.
I predict these stones will become more popular this year.
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I have often wondered why reds, greens and golds should be the seasonal colours that we all associate with Christmas. I came up with several memories of my own from childhood, because I believe that most of us think of our early years when reminiscing about the Season of Goodwill.
I have inherited several glass baubles which were always hung on the tree by my mother,at the appropriate time!), six days before Christmas (none of that November nonsense for me!). I can remember staring at the reflections in wonderment once the lights were switched on, which incidentally would have been a miracle in itself had they worked first time from one year to the next! It was a magical time for me, just like it is for every child.
The green Holly wreath with its red berries hung from the front door and, of course, there was always snow. At least that's how we like to remember the Christmases of our childhood.
The colour gold is extensively used throughout the season, from gift wrap to precious jewellery items, chocolate coins and baubles which hang from the tree, perfume bottle lids and labels on presents. Could gold possibly be linked to the celebration of Christmas with the Three Wise Men bringing gifts of Gold, as well as Frankincense and Myrrh for the baby Jesus?
The other colours which stand out as being relevant to the Christmases which I remember are the evergreen colours, the most evocative hues being those of Green Tourmaline, and the green garnet known as 'Tsavorite'.
The berry red colours are similar to the various shades of Ruby and red Garnet, which I use in some of my designs.
The colour purple will always remind me of those wrappers which were carefully unwound from chocolate Brazil nuts, always saved for the crafting box and kept tidily for use later. This rich deep purple colour reminds me of Amethyst and the purple Sapphire.
The accepted birthstone for December is the Topaz. Most are familiar with the Blue Topaz, but the Imperial Topaz is a favourite of mine. The colours range from a light brown through to golden orange. A high quality, large gemstone of this variety is very sought after and can fetch a high price.
These are just a handful of seasonal colours of the gemstones I use, but perhaps everyone has a different recall for the colours of Christmas. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Whichever colours and stones remind you of happy Christmases past, or fill you with hope for Christmases yet to come, I hope your Christmas present is a merry one this year!
]]>I was surprised to find that there have been scientific studies which have attempted to define the reasons why. Without referring too much to study though, you only have to think about that bright turquoise sky in Autumn, contrasting with the yellow- brown leaves before they fall off, the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, the eyes of a loved one, or even your first pair of jeans!
I am often reminded of my childhood when I see a certain colour or shade,and can often related to certain items from my childhood. It’s a game I love to play!
The vast array of blue shades may be found across a wide variety of both precious and semi-precious gemstones, the most obvious example being sapphire. I use all shades of blue sapphire, from a nearly white with a hint of blue in the Ceylon range, right through to a dark Australian 'black' specimen. Topaz is available commercially in colours that vary from a very pale baby blue to a mid-colour Swiss Blue Topaz, to a darker variety known as London Blue. The London Blue shade is perhaps the most popular of the three.
In all the studies of colour popularity I've looked at, the shade of blue which comes out with a high ranking is the greenish-blue, or what I would call 'petrol'. This particular shade can be seen in the variety of Tourmaline known to gemologists as Indicolite. I've tried to relate something in my memories to this shade of blue, but other than oil floating on water, I can't think of a reference! I still enjoy the challenge, though.
The choice of blues, both opaque (Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Moonstone) and translucent, is very wide in both colour and materials, and one precious stone I haven't mentioned so far is Aquamarine. Again, although it is obtained in various intensities of pale blue, the darker colour is the most sought after. Maybe it is because of the connection, again, with clear alpine water, or a cloudless winter sky?
Who really knows?
The month of November is usually represented by the birthstone Topaz, and I keep the three main shades of blue for my handmade tension rings. The tension technique of setting is a method which uses compression to hold a gemstone or a diamond. It is necessary to use a band which is of solid metal for the stone to be secure. The design makes the stone appear to be floating between the ends of the ring, and within the band itself.
Aaron had 12 gemstones set into his breastplate ( a protective ancient 'stab jacket' ) with each different jewel representing each of the lunar months.
There are many substitutes available for the most precious gemstones.
September's birthstone happens to be Sapphire, which is classed as a precious stone. However, in Victorian times the semi precious Iolite gemstone was referred to as a 'Water Sapphire', though it has no physical connection to the real one, and was used as a substitute.
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