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TYPES OF BERYL The beryl species has a great mix of gemstones which are all viewed as precious gems. They include the following: EMERALD - The colour of emerald varies  according to its source and location in the world.The most prized colour is a strong slightly blueish - green.Colombian emeralds are pure green with a slight hint of blue.They are dichroic which means that the colour will vary depending on the position from which you look at it. Brazilian emeralds are slightly lighter in colour and contain more yellow than Columbian stones. They sometimes..

TYPES OF CHALCEDONY BLUE CHALCEDONY - This is a very attractive  stone with different hues ranging from lilac to periwinkle blue to lavender. The great increase in the popularity of blue chalcedony over  recent years has pushed its price up and good quality strong blue material can be  moderately expensive. CARNELIAN - Carnelian has been a popular stone for many years. The colours range from a pure and strong intense orange-red, to softer orange-browns and reds. Top quality material is semi - transparent with a strong colour that appears to glow. The col..

WHAT IS TOURMALINE? Tourmaline was first introduced to the Western world when the Dutch beganto import tourmalines from Sri Lanka.It appeals to jewellery designers due to it's versatility and different colours which include pastels, intense neons,and unique bi - and tri-colours.The demand for the most sought after coloursmeans that the price for these colours has almost tripled in recent years. STRUCTURE OF TOURMALINE Members of the tourmaline family have the same crystal structure, however, depending on what impurities they contain, different colours ..

TYPES OF TOURMALINE INDICOLITE - Indicolite covers all shades of blue tourmaline from blue- green turquoise colours to the strong blue of a sapphire. A lot of blue tourmaline is dark and inky. This is not popular with buyers so as a result much of blue tourmaine is heated to lighten it. RUBELITE - Rubelite is one of the most valuable and desired in the toumaline family. The translation of rubelite is "red" and real rubelite shoud be a hot pink to red colour with a blue to violet tone. There should be no yellow or brown tones. The value of rubelite has increased ..

  About Beryl Gemstones One of the most glamorous gems in the beryl species is emerald. In addition to emerald the species also includes aquamarine, morganite and helidor.They are all precious gems and are very popular with jewellery designers.The main feature that determines value of these gems is the intensity of the colour Sources of Beryl Emerald - Best sources are found in Columbia, Zambia and Brazil. It is also found in Australia, India, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, and United States. Aquamarine - Brazil, Afghanistan, and Mozambique produce the best sky..

  What is Labradorite? Labradorite is part of the feldspar  mineral group. The feldspar group has two different varieties, the orthoclase (alkali) ​feldspars, which include amazonite, orthoclase and moonstone, and the plagioclase feldspars. The plagioclase feldspars include labradorite and aventurine feldspar. Labradorite is a colourful and interesting stone which has a range of colours and optical effects. It is popular with jewellery designers and buyers. It is named after  the source of the material - Labrador&nbs..

  Moonstone has been highly prized for many years  especially by royalty. Currently, its popularity is probably highest in Scandinavia and the Germany, where it is preferred over alexandrite and pearl as the birthstone for  June. It's typical phenomenal effect called adularescence, is named after a mining site at Mount. Adular in Switzerland. (Moonstone is also sometimes termed  “adularia”). Adularescence is created by the diffraction of light as it hits thin, alternating layers of albite and orthoclase inside  the gem. Oftenmoonstones are cabbed with qui..

OPAL - QUALITIES OF OPALS AND SOURCES The different colours that can be seen on an opal stem from the diffraction of light from very small silica spheres within the gemstone. This is the reason the colours change when opal is looked at from different directions.Larger and more ordered silica spheres within the stone  result in a greater range and intensity of colour. This colour play and interference of light is called iridescence. This is diferent from the opalescence seen within moonstones. Most gemstones are facted or cut to calibrated shapes and sizes., however o..

PRECIOUS WHITE OPAL White opal has a light base and can have strong colour play. Many white opals can appear rather pale and they need a closed back bezel setting to maximise their iridescence. PRECIOUS BLACK OPAL Black opal has a dark background which can be dark blue, dark grey, dark green or grey-black . The darker the background the greater the value of the stone. Black opals                                                   &nb..

RAINBOW MOONSTONE PROPERTIES The scientific name for rainbow moonstone is labradorite, and depsite the name it is different from true moonstone, which is called orthoclase. They are related however, and look similar. Both types appear to give off an internal glow, and their benefits are very similar. Left : Rainbow moonstone cabochon showing colours  Top - Rainbow moonstone necklaces from Modern Vintage Style Moonstone Collection How is Rainbow Moonstone Formed? The particular colour an..