Top Gemstones of 2014

Gemstones are being used more and more in jewelry and there’s no wonder why. Not only can they be used as birthstone gifts, but with their diverse range of colors offer more choice and an interesting twist for engagement and cocktail rings, tennis bracelets, earrings and more.

Blue Sapphire Superiority

Like the deepest, bluest ocean, Sapphire draws people in with it’s beauty. The third hardest of all minerals, Sapphire is part of the corundum gem variety family, along with ruby. It also matches many skin tones and is perfect for engagement rings. Both Princess Diana and Kate Middleton wore sapphire engagement rings. Sapphire is also the birthstone for September.

Red Ruby

What could be more romantic than the red ruby? The red coloring in ruby is caused by the presence of chromium. They should not be confused with garnet, which are darker than rubies. Rubies range from pink to red, but the pink rubies are called pink sapphires in the United States. Rubies have long played a prominent role in East Asian and Indian culture. Ruby is July’s birthstone, but also makes an excellent gift for Valentine’s Day.

Emerald

Elegant, exotic and regal, emeralds are a May birthstone. They are a variety of the mineral beryl, and trace amounts of chromium and vanadium are what makes them green. Ranging from yellow-green to blue-green, lighter toned emeralds are not considered emeralds but are instead labelled as green beryl. The Greek word for green translates in Emerald. Emeralds look terrific as stud earrings or in tennis bracelets.

Pink Sapphire

Girly and feminine, pink Sapphires are gaining popularity with engagement rings when used to accent diamonds. Pink Sapphires are actually the same thing as lighter colored rubies.

Amethyst

Majestic and spiritual, Amethyst is a purple variety of the quartz stone. The purple color comes from irradiation, iron impurities, and the presences of other trace elements. The ancient Greeks believed it protected against drunkenness and lined their drinking vessels with it. Amethysts make for great cocktail rings and look lovely mixed with other gemstones.