Onyx
Onyx is a zodiac stone for Leo and one of the birthstones for July. It is also one of the gems for the 7th wedding anniversary.
Onyx has been used in jewellery as far back as Mesopotamia, one of the cradles of civilization.
Portfolio Category: Birthstones
Amethyst
Amethyst is the birthstone for February and the gem for zodiac sign Aquarius, the gemstone for the 6th and 9th wedding anniversaries.
Aquamarine
Aquamarine is the birthstone for March and the gem for zodiac sign Pisces and the gemstone for the 18th or 19th wedding anniversary.
Aquamarine, the Latin for seawater is the name given to this light greenish-blue gem from the beryl family. Other types of beryl are emerald, morganite, golden beryl and heliodor, and the rarest – red beryl. Beryls can range from colourless to black, and crystals can range in size from single carats to extremely large and flawless examples displayed in museums. Transparent crystals are referred to as ‘precious beryl’.
The 1,298.00ct Roosevelt Aquamarine is one of the most famous aquamarines.
Garnet
Garnet is the birthstone for January and the gem for the zodiac sign Capricorn. It is also associated with the 2nd, 15th and 19th wedding anniversaries.
When the term “Garnet” is used, it is usually the dark red type and other colour garnets are given more descriptive gemstone names. All garnets have essentially the same crystal structure, but they vary in chemical composition. Garnets have great brilliance due to their high refractive index and they have a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale
There are more than twenty garnet categories, called species, but only five are commercially important as gems. Almandine, Pyrope, Grossular, Spessartine, Andradite and Uvarovite. These species are further divided into varieties with different colours and characteristics. Here are some of the most popular.