Alexandrite

June

Alexandrite displays a color change (called the alexandrite effect). Outside in daylight, it is a cool bluish mossy green. Inside in lamplight, it is a red gem, with a warm raspberry tone. Alexandrite was first found in Ural Mountains in Russia and was names in honor of then Tsar Alexander II. Alexandrite is the birthstone for the month of June.

Amethyst

February

The purple color of Amethyst has long been considered a royal color, so it is not surprising that Amethyst was so much in demand through out history. Fine Amethysts are featured in British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great. Traditional birthstone for the month of February.

Aquamarine

March

The very name aquamarine brings to mind the clear blue tint of the sea. Many aquamarines are greenish when mined and cut. For those who prefer a purer blue, these gemstones are heated to enhance their blue color permanently. This elegant colored gemstone is the birthstone of March and is the symbol of youth, hope, health and fidelity. Aquamarine was long thought to have a soothing influence on married couples, making it a good anniversary gift.

Citrine

November

Named from French word for lemon "citron" since Citrine has juicy lemon color. Sunny and affordable, citrine can brighten almost any jewelry style, blending especially well with the yellow gold. Alternative birthstone of November.

Coral

An organic gemstone from the sea, coral was believed to bestow wisdom, protect from evil, heal wounds and calm the soul. White is the most common color in coral, but a variety of other shades can be found, including pink, orange, red and black. The rarest color is a deep red.

Diamond

April

King of Gems, the ultimate symbol of desire. Dramatic, dazzling, never demure. Diamonds always have a story to tell, a secret to reveal and a mystery to solve. This eternal gem's ability to radiate power and inspire passion is unsurpassed.

Diamond, Natural Color

Natural color diamonds are true miracles of nature, formed deep within the Earth millions of years ago. Now, having found their way to the surface, they are visible for all of us to see. These gems are rare and known for their beauty, encompassing a wonderful palate of color including pinks, champagnes, cognacs, yellows, greens and blues, oranges and even reds. Each natural color diamond is a unique, one-of-a-kind gem.

Emerald

May

The amulet of good fortune, emeralds symbolize rebirth and an abundance of life. The rich green hue brings to mind regeneration of life and hope for new possibilities. The Emerald is the birthstone for May and talisman of Gemini.

Garnet

January

Garnet traces its roots to the Nile Delta in 3100 BC were Egyptian artisans would craft the gemstone in to beads or inlay them in to hand -wrought jewelry. The versatile garnet comes in a virtual rainbow of colors. Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January.

Jade

Since at least 2950 BC, jade has been treasured in China as the royal gemstone where it was once thought to be a bridge between the spiritual and the material world. Usually cut into smooth dome shapes called cabochons, jade is most treasured for its vivid greens and also comes in lavender, pink, yellow, and white.

Lapis Lazuli

The beautiful blues in paintings from the Renaissance are thanks to the blue of lapis lazuli, the opaque blue gem material that was the secret ingredient in ultramarine, the valuable pigment that all the old masters used to capture the rich blues of the sea and sky

Moonstone

June

The ancient Romans theorized that moonstone, with its unearthly shimmer, was formed from frozen moonlight. This appealing gem variety does shine with a cool lunar light but it is, in fact, the mineral feldspar and quite terrestrial in origin. Moonstones come in a variety of colors. The body color can range from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, green, or pink.

Morganite

Morganite was first discovered in California in the early twentieth century. An exciting new discovery, Morganite drew the attention of the world's most important gem buyer: George Kunz of Tiffany & Co. He decided to name it in honor of his biggest customer: millionaire bank tycoon J.P. Morgan, who was an avid gem collector. Although its color is pastel, it has a lushness rare in pink gemstones.

Opal

October

Revered as a symbol of hope, fidelity, and purity, opal was dubbed the Queen of Gems by the ancient Romans because it encompassed the colors of all other gems. Opal is prized for its unique play of color with the ability to diffract light into flashes of rainbow color.

Pearl

June

According to ancient Chinese legend, the moon holds the power to create pearls, instilling them with its celestial glow and mystery. Pearls have been treasured for their lustrous, creamy texture and subtle iridescent reflections since the dawn of humankind. Pearls are unique in the world of colored gemstones since they are the only gemstone formed within a living creature. Because natural pearls are so rare and difficult to recover from the ocean's depths, man invented the technique of culturing salt and freshwater pearls from mollusks .Cultured pearls come in many beautiful colors including: gold, yellow, champagne, pink, peach, lavender, gray and black.

Peridot

August

Peridot is treasured in Hawaii as the goddess Pele's tears. The fresh lime green of peridot is its distinctive signature.

Ruby

July

Celebrated in ancient manuscripts as the most precious of all gems, the ruby is the inspiration for innumerable legends and myths. To this day no red gemstone can compare to it's fiery rich red hues. It's brilliant, crimson colors are associated with passion and love. Celebrated in ancient manuscripts as the most precious of all gems, the ruby is the inspiration for innumerable legends and myths. To this day no red gemstone can compare to it's fiery rich red hues. It's brilliant, crimson colors are associated with passion and love.

Sapphire

September

Symbolizing a pledge of trust and loyalty these stones can be velvety blue, liquid blue, or even cornflower blue. Beloved for centuries as the ultimate blue gemstones. The rarest and most unique blue sapphires come from Kashmir.

Sapphire, Fancy Color

Like the endless colors that appear in the sky, Sapphires are also found in many other shades besides blue; the gold of sunrise, the reddish-orange of sunset and even the delicate violet of flowers. One of the rarest of the Fancy Color Sapphires is a pinkish orange to orange pink stone called Padparadsha.

Sapphire, Star

A star sapphire is a cabochon cut blue sapphire stone that exhibits a six-rayed (and more rarely a twelve-rayed) star effect caused by slight imperfections below its surface that follow the natural quartz pattern. The largest gem-quality star sapphire in the world, known as the Black Star of Queensland, weighs 733 carats. The smaller, golf ball sized Star of India, which has been around for several centuries, is famous in modern times for having been stolen with other valuable gems from the American Museum of Natural History in 1964 and recovered several months later.

Spinel (also Spinelle)

Centuries ago, in Sanskrit writings, spinel was called the daughter of ruby, adored, yet somehow different. Found in Myanmar (Burma) and Sri Lanka, spinel comes in a variety of colors including oranges, pinks, blues, lavenders, mauves and vivid reds. While common in sizes up to 2 carats, larger Spinel gemstones can also be acquired.

Tanzanite

December

Tanzanite is an exotic, vivid blue, kissed by purple hues. Discovered in 2002, the American Gem Trade Association chose Tanzanite as a December birthstone, the first change to their birthstone list since 1912. Scientifically called "blue zoisite", the gemstone was renamed as Tanzanite by Tiffany & Co.

Topaz

November

The Egyptians said that topaz was colored with the golden glow of the sun god. Legend has it that topaz dispels all enchantment and helps to improve eyesight. Blue, once the most rare color of topaz, is today the most common, thanks to a stable enhancement process that turns colorless topaz blue. After the raw topaz is extracted from the earth and cut, it is irradiated to brown and then heated to sky blue.

Tourmaline

October

Vivid reds, hot pinks, verdant greens and blues abound in this marvelous gem variety. Earth tones as varied as a prairie sunset are readily available. Not only does tourmaline occur in a spectacular range of colors, but it also combines those colors in a single gemstone called "bi-color" or "parti-color" tourmaline. One color combination with a pink center and a green outer rim is called "watermelon" tourmaline, and is cut in thin slices similar to its namesake.

Turquoise

December

Turquoise is among the oldest known gemstones and has been mined since 3,200 BC. Turquoise is an opaque, light to dark blue or blue-green gem. The finest color is an intense blue. This robin egg blue hued gemstone has been attributed with healing powers, promoting the wearer's status and wealth, protection from evil and brings good luck. Turquoise is the birthstone for the month of December.

Zircon

December

The fiery, brilliance of zircon can rival any gemstone. The affordability of its vibrant greens, sky blues, and pleasing earth tones contributes to its growing popularity today.