Gemstone Jewelry

The ultimate adornment - rare and beautiful gemstones in luscious colors ranging from the deep red and blue of rubies and sapphires to the delicate tints of beryl and aquamarine. Gemstones are usually divided into precious stones (ruby, sapphire, and emerald) and semiprecious stones (the more common stones such as amethyst, topaz, tourmaline, aquamarine, tanzanite, peridot, and opal). The precious stones are hard and rare: corundum (ruby and sapphire) is second only to diamond on the hardness scale, and emerald is the hardest of the green gems.

Most gemstones are minerals, but a few materials from living sources have the qualities of beauty and durability to be counted among the ranks of gems. These include pearls, amber, coral, jet, and ivory. Although the precious stones, particularly ruby, are expensive, many semiprecious stones are very affordable, and some have colors that are quite similar to the precious stones. The range of colors and prices means that there is scope for gemstone jewelry to suit every budget and every occasion.

Many gemstones can be produced in the lab (synthetic) or imitated with colored glass or cheap minerals, sometimes treated to look like the real thing (simulant). Simulants can often be detected because they are made from less hard stones than the real thing, but only an expert can distinguish some of the synthetic gems from natural ones. It is important to buy gemstones and gemstone jewelry from reputable dealers.

Gemstones can be used in every type of jewelry, from earrings and necklaces to brooches, pendants, bracelets, rings, and anklets. Colored gemstones are popular in engagement rings in Europe, although the American tradition of the solitaire diamond engagement ring is still the most popular in this country.

Birthstone jewelry is popular and makes a thoughtful gift. The tradition of having different gemstones associated with different months of the year goes back to biblical times, but modern birthstones are not the same as the ones mentioned in the ancient texts. In fact, there are several different sets of birthstones, some modern, some traditional, some mystical, and some designed to ensure that even people with limited budgets have affordable birthstones.

Pearls are either natural or cultured. Natural pearls are formed when grit gets into an oyster or other mollusk and the animal coats it with nacre (mother of pearl) to avoid irritation. Cultured pearls are produced in the same way but the oysters are deliberately seeded with an object to act as an irritant. Pearls come in different colors (white, pink, and black being the most common) and shapes, with round and pear-shaped being the most desirable while asymmetric (baroque) are used more for costume jewelry.

Traditionally, pearls have been worn during the day while sparkling gems were worn in the evening. Nowadays, discreet settings of diamonds and colored gemstones are acceptable for day wear, while pearl jewelry, especially when set together with diamonds or other sparkling jewels, is a common sight at formal occasions. Princess Diana popularized the multi-strand gem-set pearl choker as evening wear, and it has never gone out of fashion.

These days there are not as many rules about when it is appropriate to wear gemstone jewelry, so you can afford to experiment and be bold!