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Precious Peridot: The Birthstone of August

With a zesty lime-green glow and gorgeous olive undertones, Peridot is the striking birthstone for all those celebrating their birthdays in adventurous August! The gorgeous green vibrancy of Peridot is what sets it apart from all the gemstones aside from the fact that it is only one of a handful of gemstones that occurs in only one colour. Whilst peridot is famous for its Pantone 'greenery' hues, the plethora of green tones can vary quite dramatically. From pale mint greens, woody olive tones to sparkling bright lime highlights, the signature colour of peridot resides entirely from its internal chemical composition

The Birthstone of March: Aquamarine

Aquamarine, the birthstone for those born in March, embodies all things connected to the sea, from its crystalline ocean tones to its Latin aqua marinus, translating to "water of the sea". Aquamarine is the translucent blue variety of crystal belonging to the beryl family. Ranging in colour from transparent, pale-blue hues to slightly greenish-blue tones, the variety seen in aquamarine is caused by the presence of iron oxides within its chemical composition.  All about Aquamarine Heat treated aquamarine tends to result in crystals with a strong, deep blue-like appearance whilst natural aquamarine is usually of a lighter hue and more

Aquamarine: The Birthstone of March

Whilst traditionally there are two birthstones for those born in the month of March, it is Aquamarine that is most commonly hailed for its close embodiment to the ocean. Aquamarine's aquatic associations derive from its mesmerising crystalline blue hues which is only further reinforced through its Latin 'aqua marinus', translating to 'water of the sea'.  The story behind Aquamarine Aquamarine is a blue-stone variety within the Beryl family and  the colour variety seen in aquamarine  from light, transparent shades to deep and rich earthy tones of the emerald family  is caused by the presence of iron oxides within its chemical

Diamonds Are Forever: The Birthstone of April

It's true that diamonds are a girl's (and guys) best friend, especially as those fortunate enough to be born in April have one of the most treasured birthstones in the gem world: Diamonds. Diamond Overview Diamonds attain the reputation of being most of the most prized and rare gemstones due to their level of toughness. In fact, diamonds are 58 times harder than any other mineral on Earth and can only be cut by another diamond. Diamonds are made from only one element: a pure carbon lattice which can occur in several colours including pink, yellow, red, green and blue.

Emerald: May's Beautiful Birthstone

Vivid, vibrant and the vivacious colour of May, Emerald in all its zesty rich hue celebrates the promise of sunny summer days but the arrival of all those May babies out there. As the gemstone of Venus and fertility, Emerald is a stone of inspiration and aspiration by encouraging its wearer to live and act authentically from the heart. A catalyst for the abundance of human emotions, Emerald channels the energy patterns that surface straight from the heart chakra. Encouraging us to strengthen our interactions with the external world by opening up our hearts, emerald is seen to be a

August Birthstone: Pretty Peridot

Often called the evening emerald because of its light green colour, peridot is known as a symbol of strength. The mellow lime green stone of August is associated with peace, good fortune, prosperity and happiness as well as the famous poem,  " Wear a Peridot or for thee,  No conjugal fidelity,  The August born without this stone, `Tis said, must live unloved alone”. A rare-gem quality of variety of olivine, peridot is lustrous yellowish-green stone, also known as Chrysolite. Igneous in origin, peridot is formed deep inside the earth's mantle and surfaced through volcanic activity,  measuring a hardness of 6.5-7

Amethyst In The Violet Spotlight

For those birthday babies of February, purple Amethyst marks the precious birthstone of highly esteemed legendary powers and symbolic mythology. February delivers an unpredictable month of gloomy rain showers, shivering temperatures amongst the short, dark days of monotony for many. The semi-precious violet birthstone of Amethyst therefore provides a soothing antidote of strength to fight the February fatigue and inject a little warmth through its calming properties of of peace, stability and courage. As one of the most widely used naturally hard gems, Amethyst is generally sourced in the form of six-sided crystals and contains the second most abundant minerals

Reigning Royal Ruby for July

Arguably the most famous od red-coloured gems and often referred to as the king of precious stones, Ruby is the birthstone of those lucky enough to be born in July.   This precious stone is one of four 'precious' gemstones accredited to its rarity, carat value, hardness and vitality; the others being diamond, sapphire and emerald. Ruby is derived from the Latin word 'Rubeus' meaning 'red' and throughout history, these fiery coloured gems have been treasured for their vitality and rich colour. Ruby is the red variety of the corundum family, coloured by the presence of chromium. The presence of

Shine bright like a diamond this April

Those born in the month of April are fortunate enough to have one of the most prized and regal gems as their birthstone. For all those April babies, diamonds really are a girl's (and boy's) best friend. From the Greek word " ad ámas " meaning "unbreakable", diamonds have been the desired gem for centuries; arguably as early as 4 BC due to its unique characteristics and qualities. Historically diamonds first became popular in India where the Imperial Colony and moguls mined diamonds from deposits along three major rivers. Diamond is made of pure carbon and it is the way that

Sapphire for those born in September

September can only mean one thing - it's officially Virgo season! Sapphire - the September birthstone - has been treasured as one of the most precious gemstones for thousands of years, long associated with royalty, romance and heavenly blessings.  This ‘royal’ gem is often described as one of the ‘big three’ – sapphire, ruby and emerald – or perhaps ‘big four’ – sapphire, ruby, emerald and tanzanite’ – in the world of coloured gemstones. The word sapphire originates from the Greek word sappheiros, meaning ‘blue stone’. Sapphires are traditionally associated with the blue variety of the mineral corundum but they

Enchanting Opal

It's no secret that Opal is a stone boasting many admirers worldwide, a beauty that's easy on the eye and can look delightfully demure and delicious even in the simplest of outfits. Displaying all the colours of the rainbow, opal is coveted and celebrated for its beautiful iridescence and striking display of patterns. The official birthstone of October, Opal metaphysically symbolises hope and purity and is thought to a protective stone by keeping its wearer safe from danger. Opallios is the Greek word for Opals meaning 'To see a change of colour". The flashing play of colour you see in opal

The November Sisters: Citrine & Topaz

The penultimate month of the year and an exciting one at that, those born in November will not only have various parties and cocktail events to choose from but they'll also have two beautiful birthstones to choose between: topaz and citrine. With these two gorgeous gems giving you countless options of chic and classic styles to opulent and dramatic style, the challenge lies in picking which one to plump for! With Citrine known for its charming warmth of yellow and orange hues and Topaz occurring in a wide spectrum of  far beyond yellow, here's an overview of each birthstone to help guide

Garnet for Those January Birth Babies

With the start of a new year and a new month puts one of the most beautiful birthstones in the gemstone limelight. For those of you who are lucky enough to be born in the month of January, you are gifted with the kaleidoscopic birthstone of garnet.  Garnet is a term used to describe a group of closely related silicate minerals which together produce a painter's palette variety of colour. Even today, garnet remains to be the one mineral that displays the largest variety of colour, making it a popular choice across the jewellery industry. 'Garnet' comes from the Middle

Salon with Peridot Expert: Constance Lauvinerie -

We had a salon with Constance Lauvinerie, Head of the Jewellery Department at Collector Square First discovered almost three thousand years ago close to St John's Island near Egypt, the Peridot was one of the favourite stones of Cleopatra and was celebrated by the Ancient Egyptians as the "Gemstone of the Sun" under its ancient name, Chrysolite. The legends around this stone are numerous: lt is supposed to aid friendship, to free the spirit of the sin of envy, to make its carrier more eloquent and to cure the diseases of the liver. Nowadays, this semi-precious gemstone - the birthstone

Dinny Hall Embraces The Return of The Pendant

The pendant is set to be the jewllery trend of 2017, so layer with chokers or simply solo on the decolletage for the ultimate statement. Iconic British jeweller Dinny Hall embraces this delicate and charming springtime trend with her collection of lockets and accompanying ready-to-personalise birthstone and initial charms. Inspiration for the designs stems from the designer’s deeprooted love of gemology and desire to create a truly expressive collection and spread happiness to those wearing the necklaces. Available in silver, 22ct gold vermeil and rose gold and solid 18ct gold, on a beautiful rolo chain, with options for varying lengths,