Mydtrade: Gemstone Education

Ruby

Ruby derives its name from Latin “rubber” meaning red. Considered as one of the most precious gemstones available, Ruby was also known as "glowing stone" or "lamp stone” in the ancient times as it exuded immense luminosity.

A form of the mineral corundum, usually gray in color, Red gemstone corundum is called ruby.
Some of the best and rare rubies are said to be found in The Mogok valley of Upper Burma. It is also known as the national stone of Thailand and Burma.

Sapphire

The stone for the month of September “Sapphire” gets its name from Arabic “Safir” and Latin “Sapphirus” meaning blue.

Referred to as the Celestial stone by Ancient Persians, Sapphire is usually found in blue color, ranging from very pale blue to deep indigo.

Fancy sapphires occur naturally in colors like colorless, gray, yellow, pale pink, orange, green, violet and brown whereas a yellow sapphire acquires its color from ferric iron.

Like Ruby, a Sapphire belongs to the corundum group which consists of pure aluminum oxide. Due to the presence of impurities and quantities of iron and other elements like chrome etc. we get various colors in Sapphire such as blue, red, yellow, pink or greenish sapphire.

Amethyst

Amethyst is a vibrant purple colored gem of the quartz family. It is fabled to have been created by Bacchus the god of wine. Available in shades of mauve, lilac and violet, the finest are absolutely transparent. The hardness measures 7 and can become paler when kept in the sun for too long. Madagascar, Brazil, India and Canada are the home of this gem. In U.S. it is found in Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and New Jersey.

Amethyst is the birthstone of February and the anniversary stone of the first marriage anniversary. It is believed to cure alcoholism, protect soldiers and hunters from dangers, curb negative thoughts and is a lucky charm for businessmen.

Citrine

Citrine, the stone for the month of November is considered as an alternative to Topaz.
This shimmering yellowish gem derives its name from the color yellow of lemon and is a member of the large quartz family.
One of the most desirable gemstones, Citrine is considered to be a coveted stone for jewellery making.

A durable, easily available and affordable gemstone, Citrine is found in various shades ranging from yellow gold, orange brown of transparent quartz. In olden days, Citrine was used as a protection against evil thoughts and snake poison.

Garnet

The stone for the month of January is the Garnet. The name is derived from Latin "granatum" which means "pomegranate" as the crystals resemble the red color and seed-like structure of this fruit.

Considered as the gemstone of truth and good faith, a Garnet is commonly found in countries like North and South America, Australia, India and Spain.

Recently, a deposit of a radiant orange to red spessartities was discovered at the Kunene River, on the border between Namibia and Angola. Popularly known as the Mandarin Garnet, this stone gets its name from a site of a finding made in Germany.

Another type of Garnet is the green garnet or the “tsavorite”. The shades of this stone range from vivid and light to deep and velvety.

Peridot

One of the two gemstones for the month of August, Peridot is known as the symbol of the sun since ancient times. The stone derives its name from Greek 'peridona', meaning 'to give richness'.

Peridot is one of the oldest gemstones and some of the most shimmering and brilliant Peridots are known as Evening Emeralds.

Peridot is a gem-quality transparent variant of olivine, and is a combination of magnesium-iron silicates. Shades of olivine range from olive to lime green, often with a brownish tinge.

Tanzanite

Found in the East African state of Tanzania, this gemstone gets its name for its place of origin. A rare gemstone, Tanzanite is only found in Tanzania and is one of the most desirable gemstones in the world today.
A radiant and astonishingly beautiful gemstone, Tanzanite is a blue variety of the zoisite and is enveloped by a tinge of purple. Incidentally, Tanzanite was known as “The “gemstone of the 20th century” by experts when it was found in the year 1967.

Topaz

The birthstone for the month of November, Topaz gets its name from the Sanskrit word which means “fire” and also from the Greek ‘topazos’ means 'green gemstone'.

Topaz is found in a variety of colors including blue, pale green, varying shades of yellow, pink, red, brown and even black, however, pure topaz is a colorless stone.

Red and pink topazes acquire their colors from chromium that is a replacement for aluminum in the crystals. Pure topaz is often mistaken as a diamond when it's finely cut.

Mystic Topaz

Mystic topaz is essentially a more enhanced gemstone and is not naturally found this way.

A natural topaz is converted into a mystic topaz by coating a thin layer of titanium or similar metal. This coating modifies the stone’s natural refraction and what you get is a marvelous array of rainbow colors, mostly blues, greens, yellows, and small burst of red shades.

It is because of this sparkling effect that mystic topaz is one of the coveted stones to create beautiful and unique rings.

Tourmaline

Another vibrant gemstone, Tourmalines is known to have received its colors from the rainbow and thus it is also known as “gemstone of the rainbow”.

Tourmaline derives its name from Singhalese 'turamali' meaning 'stone with mixed colors'. Shades of tourmalines range from red to green and blue to yellow.

A famous variant of Tourmaline is the “verdelite” or the “Green Tourmaline” whereas a Tourmaline featuring a passionate red is known as a “reubellite”.

Iolite

Iolite derives its name from Greek 'ion', meaning violet. Generally found in a purplish blue shade, when cut properly, Iolite is a readily available and affordable gemstone.

It can be found in Srilanka, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Mozambique and India. It is said that Iolite appears beautiful and displays the most attractive colors if it is cut in the right manner.

Ametrine

Ametrine, a durable gemstone is a combination of two other gemstones, namely, Amethyst and Citrine. When Amethyst and Citrine colors are found in the same crystal of quartz, this dual colored, yellow and purple quartz gemstone is known as an Ametrine.

One of the largest producers of Ametrine is the Anahi Mine in Bolivia. Usually found in a rectangular shape with an equal percentage of Amethyst and Citrine, Ametrine can be cut into two parts to blend its two shades and result in a combination of colors like peach, yellow and purple colors all over the stone.

Aquamarine

The gemstone for the month of March, Aquamarine derives its name from Roman, "aqua" meaning water and "mare" meaning sea.

The colors in this gemstone range from pale blue to a strong sea-blue and it gets its color with the presence of iron. Commonly, a radiant blue is associated with an Aqua marine gem stone and the more intense and strong the shade of blue, the more valuable the gemstone.

One of the most popular gemstones, Aquamarine exudes luster, is free of all inclusions and is as admired as other gemstones like ruby, sapphire and emerald.

Emerald

Belonging to the beryl family of minerals, Emerald is the gemstone for the month of May and features shades ranging from light to deep green. One of the most captivating and dazzling gemstones, some of the emeralds are considered more precious than diamonds.

Emeralds derive their name from the Greek 'smaragdos' (Old French 'esmeralde') meaning “green gemstone'”.
Commonly found inside a form of shale -- a fine grained sedimentary rock, the highest quality Emeralds are produced in Columbia.

Opal

The birthstone for October, Opal derives its name from Sanskrit "upala," and Latin "opalus, which mean a "precious stone."
According to Pliny, a roman author, Opal exhibits the finest qualities of some of the best gemstones; Amethyst, Sapphire, Topaz and Almandine.
Nearly 95percent of Opals supplied today come from Australia, one of the largest suppliers of the gemstone.

Kunzite

Discovered in 1902 in California by a New York jeweler and gemstone specialist George Frederick Kunz (1856 – 1932), Kunzite is the youngest member of the spodumen family.
Kunzite is known for its clarity and its fine delicate pink nuances that appear like a hint of violet. A Kunzite with an intense color is a rare occurrence and therefore considered more valuable whereas the lighter ones are commonly available.

Morganite

Previously known as “pink beryl”, Morganite acquired its name in 1911 when its was named after the mineral collector John Pierpont Morgan.
Beryls are essentially beryllium aluminum silicates with high component of minerals.
Ordinarily a pure beryl is colorless but when it absorbs elements like iron, manganese, chrome, it transforms into a fascinating pink colored stone, namely Morganite.