Garnet

Red is the color most often encountered, but the garnet also exists in various shades of green, a light to intense yellow, a fiery orange and some earth-colored shades. Garnets have been known to Man for thousands of years. It is said that Noah used a garnet lantern to help him steer his ark through the dark night. Garnets are also found in jewelry from early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. Many an early explorers liked to carry a garnet with him, for the garnet was popular as a talisman and protective stone, as it was believed to light up the night and protect its bearer from evil and disaster. Today, science has taught us that the garnet's proverbial luminosity comes from its high refractive index.

Amethyst

Its color is as unique as it is seductive, though in fact this gemstone of all gemstones is said to protect its wearer against seduction. The amethyst is extravagance in violet. For many thousands of years, the most striking representative of the quartz family has been a jewel coveted by princes both ecclesiastical and secular. Moses described it as a symbol of the Spirit of God in the official robes of the High Priest of the Jews, and the Russian Empress Catherine the Great sent thousands of miners into the Urals to look for it. In popular belief, the amethyst offers protection against drunkenness - for the Greek words 'amethystos' mean 'not intoxicated' in translation.

Aquamarine

Its light blue color arouses feelings of sympathy, trust, harmony and friendship, feelings which are based on mutuality and which prove their worth in lasting relationships. The blue of aquamarine is a divine, eternal color, because it is the color of the sky. However, aquamarine blue is also the color of water with its life-giving force. And aquamarine really does seem to have captured the lucid blue of the oceans. No wonder, when you consider that according to the saga it originated in the treasure chest of fabulous mermaids, and has, since ancient times, been regarded as the sailors' lucky stone. Its name is derived from the Latin 'aqua' (water) and 'mare' (sea). It is said that its strengths are developed to their best advantage when it is placed in water which is bathed in sunlight. However, it is surely better still to wear aquamarine, since according to the old traditions this promises a happy marriage and is said to bring the woman who wears it joy and wealth into the bargain.

Diamond  

Diamond is a mineral, a natural crystalline substance, the transparent form of pure carbon. Diamond is something superb, the peerless "king of gems" that glitters, dazzles, and symbolizes purity and strength. Diamond is for engagement and the 75th wedding anniversary, for a commitment to never-ending love. Diamond is indomitable, the hardest surface known. Diamond is exotic, formed in Earth's interior and shot to the surface by extraordinary volcanoes. A diamond is likely the oldest thing you will ever own, probably 3 billion years in age, fully two thirds the age of the Earth. Diamonds have stood for wealth, power, spirit, love, and magical powers.

Emerald 

The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green gemstone'. The green of the emerald is the color of life and of the springtime, which comes round again and again. But it has also, for centuries, been the color of beauty and of constant love. In ancient Rome, green was the color of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. And today, this color still occupies a special position in many cultures and religions. Green, for example, is the holy color of Islam. Many of the states of the Arab League have green in their flags as a symbol of the unity of their faith. Yet this color has a high status in the Catholic Church too, where green is regarded as the most natural and the most elemental of the liturgical colors.

Alexandrite 

This rare gemstone is named after the Russian tsar Alexander II (1818-1881), the very first crystals having been discovered in April 1834 in the emerald mines near the Tokovaya River in the Urals. Since it shows both red and green, the principal colors of old Imperial Russia, it inevitably became the national stone of tsarist Russia. The most sensational feature about this stone, however, is its surprising ability to change its color. Green or bluish-green in daylight, alexandrite turns a soft shade of red, purplish-red or raspberry red in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristic makes it one of the most valuable gemstones of all, especially in fine qualities.
Alexandrite is very scarce: this is due to its chemical composition. It is considered a stone of very good omen. In critical situations it is supposed to strengthen the wearer’s intuition, and thus help him or her find new ways forward in situations where logic will not provide an answer. Alexandrite is also reputed to aid creativity and inspire the imagination.

Ruby  

Red is the color of love. It radiates warmth and a strong sense of vitality. And red is also the color of the ruby, the king of the gemstones. In the fascinating world of gemstones, the ruby is the undisputed ruler.  For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone should have: magnificent color, excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. In addition to that, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities. For a long time India was regarded as the ruby's classical country of origin. In the major works of Indian literature, a rich store of knowledge about gemstones has been handed down over a period of more than two thousand years. The term 'corundum', which we use today, is derived from the Sanskrit word 'kuruvinda'. The Sanskrit word for ruby is 'ratnaraj', which means something like 'king of the gemstones'. Whenever a particularly beautiful ruby crystal was found, the ruler sent high dignitaries out to meet the precious gemstone and welcome it in appropriate style. Today, rubies still decorate the insignia of many royal households

Peridot 

The ancient Romans too were fond of this gemstone and esteemed its radiant green shine, which does not change even in artificial light. For that reason they nicknamed it the 'emerald of the evening'. Peridot is also found in Europe in medieval churches, where it adorns many a treasure, for example one of the shrines in Cologne Cathedral. During the baroque period, the rich green gemstone once again enjoyed a brief heyday, and then it somehow faded into oblivion. The vivid green of the peridot, with just a slight hint of gold, is the ideal gemstone color to go with that light summer wardrobe. No wonder – since the peridot is the gemstone of the summer month of August. The peridot is a very old gemstone, and one which has become very popular again today. It is so ancient that it can be found in Egyptian jewelry from the early 2nd millennium B.C.. The stones used at that time came from a deposit on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, some 45 miles off the Egyptian coast at Aswan, which was not rediscovered until about 1900 and has, meanwhile, been exhausted for quite some time. The peridot is also a modern gemstone, but it was not until a few years ago that peridot deposits were located in the Kashmir region.

Sapphire

This magnificent gemstone also comes in many other colors: not only in the transparent grayish-blue of a distant horizon but also in the gloriously colorful play of light in a sunset – in yellow, pink, orange and purple. Sapphires really are gems of the sky, although they are found in the hard ground of our 'blue planet'. Blue is the main color of the sapphire. Blue is also the favorite color of some 50 per cent of all people, men and women alike. We associate this color, strongly linked to the sapphire as it is, with feelings of sympathy and harmony, friendship and loyalty: feelings which belong to qualities that prove their worth in the long term – feelings in which it is not so much effervescent passion that is to the fore, but rather composure, mutual understanding and indestructible trust. Thus the blue of the sapphire has become a color which fits in with everything that is constant and reliable. That is one of the reasons why women in many countries wish for a sapphire ring on their engagement. The sapphire symbolizes loyalty, but at the same time it gives expression to people's love and longing.

Opal or Tourmaline

The opal is often considered to be the most beautiful and desirable of all gems because it is highlighted with all the colors of the rainbow. According to legend, the wearer of an opal will be urbane and courteous and protected from the wrath of others. The stone was also reputed to make its owner invisible to foes and thereby exempt from misfortune. Opals were supposed to drive away despondency and evil thoughts, cure kidney diseases and cholera, soothe the eyes and nerves and protect against lightning. It was believed to make wishes come true and was particularly favorable to children, the theater, amusements, friendships and emotions. it is the gem of inspiration in the arts and in love. The word opal is derived from the Latin opulus and the sanskrit upala, meaning "precious stone" and was one of those in the breastplate of Aaron. It was the lucky stone of the Romans who called it cupid paederos, which meant "child beautiful as love," and who revered it as the symbol of hope and purity.

The word tourmaline is derived from the ancient Singhalese word tormall, meaning "mixed precious stones." The tourmaline is a complex silicate combined with various metallic elements; since each contributes a different color, the observer is often confused into believing the gem is a ruby, emerald or sapphire. The most valuable variety of tourmaline is red to purplish-red to violet-red. it comes in an infinite variety of hues and tones. Most common are green and light red tourmalines, but others are dual-colored stones in blue, yellow and pink, brown and black. Some stones show several colors; they may be one color at the base, another at the center and a third near the apex. In others, the interior portion will be one color and the peripheral zone another. When the central portion is pink and the periphery green, the resulting combination is called a "watermelon" tourmaline. Cat's-eye tourmalines also are found in a variety of colors.

Topaz

It is a fluorine aluminum silicate and comes in yellow, yellow-brown, honey-yellow, flax, brown, green, blue, light blue, red and pink ... and sometimes it has no color at all. The topaz. The topaz has been known for at least 2000 years and is one of the gemstones which form the foundations of the twelve gates to the Holy City of the New Jerusalem. These so-called apocalyptic stones are intended to serve in protection against enemies and as a symbol of beauty and splendor. It cannot be proved conclusively whether the name of the topaz comes from the Sanskrit or the Greek, though the Greek name 'topazos' means 'green gemstone'. The Romans dedicated the topaz to Jupiter.

Blue Zircon

Zircon has long played a supporting role to more well-known gemstones, often stepping in as an understudy when they were unavailable. In the middle ages, zircon was said to aid sleep, bring prosperity, and promote honor and wisdom in its owner. The name probably comes from the Persian word 'zargun', which means 'gold-colored', although zircon comes in a wide range of different colors. Natural zircon today suffers on account of the similarity of its name to cubic zirconia, the laboratory-grown diamond imitation. Many people are unaware that there is a beautiful natural gemstone called zircon. Zircon occurs in a wide range of colors, but for many years the most popular was the colorless variety, which looks more like diamond than any other natural stone because of its brilliance and dispersion. Today the most popular color is blue zircon, which is considered an alternative birthstone for December. Most blue zircon is of a pastel blue, but some exceptional gems have a bright blue color. Zircon is also available in green, dark red, yellow, brown, and orange.

 

 

 

                       Stone Photo                                                       Name of Stone                                                  Description                          

	Aventurine	Known as Aventurine or Chinese jade. Expensive Aventurine has pigments of a darker tent. It is used in china to carve Buddha’s due to their religious respect for the stone. Jade is known as the DREAM stone.
	Amber	Fossilized tree sap that is yellow in nature. The best is from the Baltic region of the former USSR.
	Amethyst	Purple in color, the darker the color the more value it retains. The richest mines in the world are in Africa. Over 6ct faceted without inclusions is very rare.
	Azurite Malachite	Has a natural combination of beautiful greens and blues. It is one of the more expensive semi precious stones.
	Black Onyx	Black in color. It has been used for thousands of years for making jewelry. One of the most popular stones.
	Bleached Mother of Pearl	It comes from the bleaching process of mother of pearl. It is bleached to clarify the white and to remove the yellowish tint.
	Bloodstone	Deep green with red veins. In the jasper family and good pieces of this stone are extremely rare.
	Blue Gold Stone	This is a man made stone. This is one of the few stones that we use that are man made. Dark Blue in color with specials of gold.
	Blue Lace Agate	It is classified as Palest blue in color. It takes 50,000 years for mother earth to make a ½ inch vein of this wonderful stone.
	Botswana Agate	It is a transparent brown and cream color of which no two stones look alike. It is considered a prize stone.
	Brown Gold Stone	This is a man made stone. This is one of the few stones that we use that are man made. Brown in color with specials of gold. Usually found without veins. This great example has two dark brown veins.
	Carnelian	This stone has red hues that are even throughout.
	Chrysocola	Its colors include greens, whites, aqua's, blacks, browns etc. this is one of the most beautiful stones.
	Fancy Jasper	Fancy Jasper comes in many colors and textures. It is formed under massive heat and pressure.
	Hematite	Hematite is a steel gray in color. It is a mineral. Found mainly in Russia.
	Dark Jade	Dark in pigment uniform throughout. It is found in quantity in the United States.
	Lapis	Lapis is deep blue in color with veins containing Iron Pyrite deposits.
	Lavender Quartz	Lavender in color with palest blue veins.
	Leopard Skin Jasper	Black with orange and tan spots. No two are alike.
	Malachite	Green with dark green bands. It is formed under extreme heat and pressure. It takes over 50000 years to form ½” of this stone.
	Mixed Agate Fancy Jasper	Fancy Jasper comes in many colors and textures. It is formed under massive heat and pressure
	Natural Mother of Pearl	This is Mother of Pearl in its natural state. It has a sandy color with striking shimmering veins.
	Pink Jasper	Translucent pink in color.
	Pink Rhyolite	Mauve in color with veins of lighter and darker shades.
	Red Jasper	Consistent red orange in color.
	Sodalite	Outstanding mixture of blues and veins of gray. Rare.
	Tiger’s Eye	One of the most popular stones in the jewelry industry. Goldish brown in color with shimmering veins of darker browns.
	Tree Agate	Green with white spots. No two are a like.
	Turquoise	Very popular in southwest U.S. jewelry industry. Comes in many colors from deep blues to bright blues and greens.
	Unakite	It is Mauve and green in color. No two are alike. It is a sedimentary rock.
	Yellow Jasper	Color ranges from soft to dark yellow.
	Zebra Agate	Olive green with black, white and tan veins. No two are alike.