Our Gemstone Encyclopedia

1.  Amethyst: The many facets of purple
 The symbolism of amethyst has changed over the centuries more than any other stone.
The ancient Greeks believed the stone (the name taken from the Greek word
"amethystos," meaning "not drunk") offered protection from the effects of drunkeness.
Thus, the stone came to represent calm and sobriety. In Christian and Buddhist
mythology, amethysts were regarded as a powerful aid to prayer, leading to a strong
association with the divine. Leonardo da Vinci himself wrote that the amethyst protected
people from evil thoughts and sharpened concentration.

2.  Aquamarine: The gem from the ocean's depths.
 Aquamarine is associated in legend with mermaids of unearthly beauty and,
unlike any other piece, is intimately connected with the second of the earthly
elements, "Aqua marinus", or "ocean water." Its rich blue shades range from softly
transparent to clear true blue. The stone was used in ancient times as to
protect against danger and misfortune. Greek sailors used aquamarine amulets as
charms against the wrath of Poseidon in the hope of calm seas and a safe voyage.

3.  Black Onyx: as mysterious as the night
• Black Onyx signifies power and strength. Part of the agate group of stones, it has
been referred to as onyx since ancient times and was long regarded as the best of
all the agates due to its characteristic delicate, transparent lines. In the
18th century, the deep black variant of chalcedony also became referred to as
onyx.

4.  Blue Sapphire: The nobility of Kings.
• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have continued the millennium-old
association between royalty and the sapphire - King Solomon himself is said to
have courted the Queen of Sheba with sapphires brought from Sri Lanka.
Sapphires belong to the corundum family and are among the hardest gemstones,
surpassed only by diamond. They are therefore often used as solitaires by
jewellery manufactories.

5.  Blue Topaz: for sparkling, sophisticated beauty
• This versatile gemstone is renowned for its tansparency and a crystal-
clear gloss. But Blue Topaz is one of the most challenging gems to work with,
requiring great experience and expert skills. It is strongly associated with Jeunesse
Dorée, embodying the fresh sparke of youth. Blue topaz, also known as Sky Blue,
London Blue and Swiss Blue, is a natural form of truly rare beauty. Small deposits
were first discovered in 1969 in Texas (USA) and it was immediately designated as
the state gemstone.

6.  Topaz: for sparkling, sophisticated beauty
• Because of its radiant brilliance, white topaz soon became the "wonder kid" in the
world of designer gems. When cut by a master jeweller,white topaz looks no
different to a diamond. So similar can white topaz and diamonds appear that a
white Topaz stone, known as the Braganza Diamond, was incorporated into the
Portugese crown jewels - a mistake that was only reveals many years later.

7.  Citrine: as brilliant as the Sun
• The Greeks called it the "lemon stone", and the Romans wore the gem on
their chests as a protective symbol of the sun to ward off the "evil eye".
Through the Middle Ages, citrine played a special role as the "sun stone,"
believed to bestow upon its wearer eternal life and youth. The ancient
association with inner strength has continued to this day, and it is believed to
encourage determination and promote self-confidence at life's crossroads.

8. Diamond: The King of Stones
• Greek philosophers believed celestial spirits inhabited the diamond; Hinduism
postulated that diamonds were the result of a collision between a thunderbolt and
a rock. The diamond is the only gem composed of only one element:
crystalline carbon. Its unparalleled potential to refract light depends on the
famous four C's: clarity, colour, carat and cut. Ultimately, it's a professional, expert
touch that makes the diamond the most precious of all precious stones.

9.  Emerald: The Green Jewel of Cleopatra
• The emerald belongs to the beryl group, and the gem gets its colour from trace
amounts of chromium and vanadium. To Cleopatra, the emerald was much more
than a valuable, beautiful stone, and she named the emerald deposits in Egypt the
"mines of Cleopatra," despite the fact that they existed thousands of years before
her birth. The name is still known to this day, even though the mines dried up long
ago.

10.  Garnet: Renaissance in Red
• Garnet was the fashionable stone of the early Middle Ages. Until the 17th century,
it was as popular as the opal in the Art Nouveau style. However, it was during
the Victorian era when garnet reached its peak. The small, dark-red garnet
grains (from the Latin word "granum") adorned weapons, jewellery,
and clothes. As a symbol of knightly virtues, a large, flawless garnet was even
emblazoned on the legendary Golden Fleece. World famous at one time
were red Bohemian garnets discovered in the northeastern part of the land whose
stones decorated the heads of European emperors and kings.

11.  Pearly treasures from the ocean depths
• White freshwater pearls are mainly grown in China, where this skill has been a
tradition for thousands of years. Meanwhile there are top-quality characteristics
which are very close to those of the saltwater pearl. Thus, the demand is
continuous, with white freshwater pearls regarded as an affordable alternative to
the more expensive saltwater pearls. In brightness and colour, they do not always
reach the level of their salty relatives but are more robust and diverse in form.

12. Peridot: The Prima Donna
• One of the oldest gemstones in the world, it was a favourite of
the ancient Egyptians as early as 2,000 BC. At the time, the most
significant deposit of peridot was located 100 kilometres east of
Aswan on the volcanic island of Zebirget. The Bible mentions it
as one of the twelve apocalyptic stones that adorn the walls of
the new Jerusalem. It is believed that peridot arrived in Europe
during the Crusades, where it was quickly established as the
sought-after gem of churches and monarchies.

13.  Pink Tourmaline: The It-Girl of Gems
• The etymology of the name originates from the Sinhalese word "turmali" which
means "stone with mixed colours". According to ancient Egyptian lore, tourmaline
rode on a rainbow from deep within the Earth all the way to the sun, adopting
every rainbow hue along the way. Tourmaline arrived in Europe in 1703, and it
was 200 years until its complex chemical composition was deciphered. Today we
know that tourmaline derives its striking colour from manganese, the percentage
of which determines the stone's colour saturation. The widow of one of the last
emperors of China supposedly loved tourmaline so much that for the 20th-century
millennium celebration, she had nearly a ton of tourmaline delivered from
California.

14.  Rose Quartz: La vie en rose
• Known by the name "rose quartz" since the early 19th century, it is
the most sought-after stone within the rock crystal family. The stone
is evaluated on the intensity of its colour and not clarity. Rose quartz
has been used since ancient times as a healing stone and has also been
transformed into jewellery, ornaments, figurines, cups,
bowls and other graceful arts. The Romans created signet rings from
it, while they believed the stone had healing and fertility-giving
powers, and they often wore the stone near the chest to protect the
wearer from heartache and suffering.

15.  Ruby: The Vivacious Red Diva
• In contrast to other members of the
mineral corundum, ruby loves the daylight. Rubies were first used by
the Greeks and Romans around 480 BC. Today, the home of the ruby is
Burma, a country from which some of the world's finest
and purest stones come. In fact, "Lord of the Rubies" was once
the title of Burmese kings. Rubies can also be found in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, China, India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The ruby owes ​
the richness of its colour in part to the trace elements chromium and
iron.

16.  Smoky Quartz: Dark Shine with Strong Character
• Smoky quartz, also known as "smoky topaz", is one of a
few obscure gems that occur in nature. Its name, taken from the Greek
word "moroeis" (dark), is suggestive of its colour, which ranges from
smoky brown to grey. The rare stone is treasured by
connoisseurs and has been used since ancient times as a precious
stone in pyramids, statues and memorabilia. Smoky quartz is believed
to protect against evil.Quartz can be found in Russia, Brazil, Zimbabwe,
Switzerland and Spain.

17.  Tsavorite: A Vision in Green
• In 1967, Scottish geologist Campbell R. Bridges stumbled into
peculiar nodules of rock while travelling through
northeast Tanzania. The interior of these rocks were
glistening with green crystal fragments, and so it was that the
discovery of tsavorite (also called "green grossular") came to
be. The stone's brilliant green hues impressed the scientific
community and especially the prestigious Tiffany & Co, which
named the gem in 1975.

18.  White Sapphire: Fascinating Facets for the Connoisseur
• White sapphires are also known as Leukosaphire. The sapphire has a
hardness value of nine, exceeded only by the diamond (10). Hence, it
is particularly suited to jewellery manufacturing, through which its
cool, silvery light is released. White sapphire was first discovered in
ancient Greece on the island of Naxos. Its brilliant light has been
associated with Apollo, the god of light and the sun. In the
Middle Ages, it was popular among the bishops. (The wearer was
warned, however, that the stone would dull if he did not live a chaste
life.)