Aquamarine’s name comes from the Latin for seawater, and this cool-colored stone was said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea. The March birthstone, aquamarine was also thought to increase marital happiness. The best gems combine high clarity with transparency and blue to slightly greenish-blue coloration. Aquamarine forms large crystals, which can be [...]
Amethyst belongs to the quartz group of minerals, and it is one of the most precious and valuable members of that category of gems. Amethyst is part of the macrocrystalline branch of quartz and owes its coveted violet/purple color to iron and aluminum impurities. Without these color-adding substances, amethyst would simply be ordinary colorless quartz. [...]
When it comes to buying gold jewelry, the buyer should always beware. While gold is undoubtedly one of the world’s most precious metals, it’s also notoriously easy to fake. However, there are a few simple ways to tell if you’re looking at the real deal or just an imposter. The tips below should help. #1 [...]
Rock crystal, also known commonly as quartz, might not be the most precious of gemstones. But when cut cleanly and polished up nicely, it has a unique and versatile beauty all its own. It also affords some great looks for significantly less than what you’d pay for a finer gemstone such as a diamond, ruby [...]
Chances are good that a diamond will be involved in the most important jewelry purchase that you will make in your lifetime. And even if you’re in the market for a different form of diamond jewelry than an engagement ring, it’s still a major purchase that involves a substantial amount of money. Considering all this, [...]
There’s no question that buying a piece of jewelry with precious gemstones is a major investment. And the more precious the stone, the more serious the investment becomes. That requires a measure of caution and care on the part of the buyer. This is certainly true when it comes to buying ruby jewelry, and there [...]
Gemstones seem to have a lot of benefits for the skin, particularly when mixed with the right ingredients in popular skin care products. Some of these benefits are fairly well documented, while others are based on their traditional or ancient healing powers. But when it comes to gemstones, one benefit is pretty clear-cut, and the [...]
The world of gemstones is a vast and fascinating area, but it can be sometimes complex to determine their quality and, most importantly, their value. Not surprisingly, there are many purveyors who seek to fool buyers into overpaying for low-quality items or buying actual fakes. Given Kristals Cosmetics’ development of both a high-quality gemstone jewelry [...]
Amber is prized as a jewelry item because of its gorgeous dark yellow tones, along with its reputed holisitic properties as a bringer of good fortune. Althugh it’s found in many places, the two top areas for high-quality amber are the Baltic region (Estonia, Lativia and Lithuania) and the Dominican Republic. Baltic amber is generally [...]
