APRIL
- DIAMOND - INNOCENCE back
to top
Round Brilliant Cut Diamond
Diamond mineralogy - Diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth. Its name is in reference to its hardness (Greek - adamas - unconquerable). A Diamond boasts a cutting resistance 140 times greater than corundum, which is next on Moh’s Hardness Scale. Only another Diamond is capable of polishing a Diamond. Diamonds range in colour from clear to a sooty black. The majority of Diamonds display yellowish tinges. Diamonds also form in the rest of the colours of the rainbow, with the rarest being red then green, purple and blue. Diamonds began being 'cut' in the sixteenth century to improve their optical effects.
.
.
.
.
Diamonds - myths and lore - Diamond is often referred to as 'The King of Crystals'. A highly valued gemstone, Diamond is believed to represent peace, innocence, fidelity and serenity. According to ancient lore the magical powers of a Diamond are only activated when the gem has been freely given. Ancient civilizations believed Diamonds to be crystal lightening, splinters of stars or the tears of Gods. The 'Cullian Diamond' is the largest Diamond ever found. It originally weighed 3,106 carats. Another world renowned Diamond is the famed 'Koh-i-noor Diamond'. Originally belonging to the Indian Raj, it weighed 186 carats. Bought by the Shah of Persia and named the 'Mountain of Light' (Koh-I-Noor), it was then sold and recut .It now is in the collection of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and is believed to be 5000 years old. The 'Hope Diamond' is another stunningly beautiful blue Diamond that weighs 44.5 carats.
.
.
.
.
MAY
- EMERALD - LOVE back
to top
Emerald - mineralogy - Significantly sized Emeralds are one of the world's most bewitching jewels. Emeralds are a very fragile stone. The extreme and rare conditions under which an Emerald is created often leaves them full of cracks and fissures making their beauty especially vulnerable to damage. Fine quality Emeralds are more valuable than Diamonds. Inclusions in Emeralds are often referred to as 'jardin', French, meaning 'garden'. The inclusions in Emeralds tend to resemble foliage. The 'jardin' in an Emerald is not considered a fault, more often than not it is classified as evidence to support the genuineness of the gem. The majority of Emeralds on the market today have received 'enhancements' by being treated with colourless resins or oils. Columbia and Zambia are the worlds major Emerald sources. The Emeralds hailing from Columbia are especially fine compared to those specimens from other countries. Columbian Emeralds are a succulent, emerald green without any hint of blue.
Emerald - myths and lore - Eternal life, peace and love are all symbolized by Emerald. Emeralds are also considered to represent harmony, rebirth, romance and joie-de-vivre. The colour of Emeralds pulse with life and is the embodiment of spring. Emeralds were believed capable of soothing the soul and sharpening wits. Wearing or carrying an Emerald is purported to bring good luck, dispel negativity, or to strengthen love, intelligence, eloquence, and popularity. The name 'Emerald' can be attributed to the Old French, 'Esmeralde' and the the Greek, 'Smaragdos', both words meaning 'deep green'. Emeralds were believed to have the ability to change colour in the presence of infidelity. Another curious belief is that a mortal man would gain the ability to prophesy if an Emerald was placed beneath his tongue. The Pharaohs of Egypt collected Emeralds from mines as early as 150 B.C. Cleopatra was rumored to be truly passionate for them. In South America, the Incas and Aztecs worshipped the Emerald as a holy stone. 453 Emeralds weighing 1523 carats are said to be set into the Inca's 'Crown of Andes'. Multitudes of Emeralds were kept safely in the vaults of the Maharajahs and Marahinis of India, who firmly believed the jewels brought luck and restored health and were an antidote to poisons. The Indian city of Jaipur, both in the past and today is the world cutting center for Emeralds. Emeralds are usually fashioned into a rectangular shape with slanted corners, thus creating an elongated octagon (referred to as the 'Emerald Cut). This step sided shape is very suited to the Emerald crystals natural form.
JUNE
- PEARL, MOONSTONE & ALEXANDRITE - HEALTH back
to top
Pearl - mineralogy - A Pearl is an organic gem and the only gem that doesn't require cutting, facetting or polishing to reveal its intrinsic beauty to mankind. Pearls are created inside of mollusks. When an irritant enters a mollusk, such as a grain of sand or a parasite, it protects itself by coating the foreign invader with calcium carbonate. The larger the Pearl - the more layers of calcium carbonate (nacre) have been deposited to protect the 'creature'. 'Lustre' is the term used to describe beauty seen when light travels through the 'nacre' of a pearl. Pearls range in colour from pink to silver, cream, golden, blue, black and white. The largest Pearl ever found weighs 450 carats. Cultured Pearls (often referred to as 'Akoya Cultured Pearls') are 'farmed' in salt water mainly along the coast of China and throughout central and southern Japan. Virtually all Pearls on the market today are cultured. Tahitian Pearls are 'born' from the 'black lipped' oyster. A 'Wonder of the South Seas', Tahitian Pearls feature a sensual opalescent black hue.
..
..
..
Pearl - myths and lore - Pearls are a true 'treasure of the sea'. Legends tell the tale of oysters rising to the seas surface to accept dewdrop gifts from the Gods. Moonlight metamorphosed the dew into luminous Pearls. Exotic and lustrous, the Pearl's most universally believed ability is that it attracts love. Women in Italy once made it common practice to wear Pearls in their hair to ensure romantic success. Ancient Romans dissolved Pearls in 'love potions'. The Chinese have long considered the Pearl to be a symbol of wealth, power and longetivity. Hindus say that the wearing of yellow Pearls 'draws money'. Pearl-adorned swords were used by Indians to honour the tears of sorrow wrought by battle.
Moonstone - mineralogy - Moonstones vary from semi-transparent to opaque. Moonstones are colourless, or yellowish with a pale (most often blue-white) sheen. Important deposits of Moonstone are in Sri Lanka, but the gem is also mined in Australia, Burma, Brazil, and India among other places. Moonstones feature a 'milky translucence' that changes with every movement. Moonstone is cut 'en cabochon' (with a domed top).
Moonstone - myths and lore - The light of the moon itself seems to lurk in the sensuous and intriguing depths of this gem. Moonstones are believed to have the power to enhance one's femininity, draw love, dispel negativity and evil influences, and to enhance psychic abilities (when held in the mouth during a full moon). Once known as the 'traveler's stone', Moonstone is considered to be a lucky and protective gem for those who travel. Hindus thought shimmering Moonstones to be earthbound bits of moonbeams. The Indian culture believes this elegant and subtly beautiful gem will arouse tender passion, and holds them sacred.
Alexandrite - mineralogy - Alexandrite is one of the most desired and rarest gemstones. The first Alexandrite discovery occurred in Russia and was named in honour of the Czar Alexander II. Alexandrite is characterized by its mesmerizing ability to change colour in relation to different light sources. Alexandrite looks bluish-green in daylight and then the colour becomes raspberry to plum if moved to artificial light. The most distinct colour changes are seen in thicker stones. An included form of the jewel is even rarer, and known as Cat’s Eye Alexandrite. Alexandrite is now mainly mined in Sri Lanka and Brazil. The original deposits were discovered in the Ural Mountains in Russia in 1830, but have long since been worked out. The largest cut stone is in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and weighs an incredible 66 carats.
Alexandrite - myths and lore - Alexandrite enchants the eye and fuels the imagination. Certain legendary powers have now become associated with Alexandrite, stimulated by its dramatic colour-changing ability. Mysterious and endlessly fascinating, Alexandrite purportedly will bring 'balance' into the wearer's life, improve their self -esteem and help them to experience great joy.
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
