10 Fun Gem Facts

1- Aquamarine is used to stop toothaches by crystal healers.


2- Topaz is the Utah state gem.


3- Cinnabar, the genuine stone is extremely toxic (red mercury). The cinnabar beads we see on the market now are man made with resin.


4- Garnet is the beautiful deep red gemstone whose name comes from the Latin word granatum, which means pomegranate. Yummy!! I love them both.


5- Iolite was used by the Vikings for navigation at sea. Looking through an iolite lens enabled them to determine the position of the sun.


6- Jet is the only stone that is naturally pure black. It is composed of coal, carbonized wood. It is sometimes called Black Amber because it also comes from fossilized trees.


7- Kyanite is the mineral aluminum silicate which is also used to manufacture spark plugs, porcelain and other heat resistant ceramics.



8- Lapis Lazuli in powdered form was used as eye shadow by the Ancient Egyptians.


9- Moonstone in India is considered sacred and is a talisman of good fortune and success.


10- Rose Quartz is used by crystal healers to assist in weight loss, to clear the complexion and protect against wrinkles.


Seriously? Please excuse me while I make myself a rose quartz anything!

Is That Really A Sapphire?

It has always amused me how the gem industry comes up with the prettiest nicknames for some stones. Such as “Water Sapphires” (Iolite), “Green Onyx”, (Chalcedony) and my new favorite is “Evening Emerald” (see below).

As sweet and glamorous as they may sound though, if you’re not familiar with them they could end up being confusing, even misleading.

Here’s a picture example of the stone with the nickname and then the real McCoy shown in both gemstone and cabochon quality:

1- Sapphire quartz: Is it a Sapphire? No it’s Blue Chalcedony
2- Bohemian Ruby: Is it a Ruby? No it’s Red Garnet
3- Evening Emerald: Is it an Emerald? No it’s Peridot
4- Oregon Moonstone: Is it a Moonstone? No it’s White Chalcedony



It’s a little less amusing though when completely synthetic stones (resin, glass, plastic) are at times being referred to as “precious or semi precious”. Did you know that cherry quartz, pineapple quartz, tanzanite quartz, etc. are not mined stones at all? Don’t be swayed by the word quartz in the name, they are synthetic.
Don’t be shy to always ask your jeweler lots of questions before you buy a piece. Is this stone manmade or mined? Where is it mined? A well informed jeweler will always gladly share this info.

The not so innocent Moonstone

Gemstones beware! The ocean blues of Apatite and Peruvian Opals usually dominate summer time jewelry designs. This summer though they're going to have to make room for the new blue in town.

Bat your eyes once and you will quickly learn that this gemstone is a wild child. Not at all the innocent angelic white that drapes her outwardly appearance. Moonstone always finds a way to electrify her subjects. Her blue is not in the least bit subtle or soft. She will catch the eye of her suitor in a quick and potent flash.


Some facts:

Moonstone comes in many colors. grey, white, pink, green and brown, but the most coveted are deep blue. It's hardness scale is 6 - 6.5. Easy enough to work with so that it won't chip or break when wire wrapping but does requires some care while wearing. The color flash is produced by light reflections from the stones internal inclusions.

Go figure, inclusions in moonstone is a really good thing!