Gem Gallery
Amethyst
Amethyst
Amethyst is more than just a pretty purple stone-it is a variety of Quartz. Amethyst comes from iron and natural radiation inside the crystal. Amethyst was considered as valuable as diamonds in places like Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome.
Most amethysts are found in places like Brazil, Uruguay and Zambia which is home to the deepest of purple stones.
Citrine
Citrine
Just like Amethyst, Citrines are part of the quartz family. Its yellow to orange colour comes from traces of iron. Heating it changes its colour to a golden hue. Natural citrine is actually quite rare. You can find natural citrine in places like Brazil, Madagascar and Russia.
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia often called "CZ" or "Cubics" might look like a diamond but has an interesting story.
Unlike natural stones Cubics are created in labs. It was first developed in the 1970's by scientists in Russia.
Cubics are famous for their diamond like sparkle which is why its often used as a more afordable alternative. They have a higher dispersion than diamonds, meaning it can sometimes be a bit more "sparkly"
Champagne Quartz
Champagne Quartz
Champagne Quartz, another member of the quartz family, can vary from a light champagne colour to a darkish brown. The brown hue is due to natural radiation in the crystal - similar to how Smokey Quartz forms. The two are closely related with Champagne Quartz being lighter, warmer and more golden than Smokey Quartz
Garnet
Garnet
While most people picture Garnet only being a deep red colour, garnets come in almost every colour- green, orange, yellow, purple and even rare blues.
Garnets have been used in the jewellery industry since Ancient Egypt. Some rare garnets tend to change colour under different lighting. They might look green in the daylight and reddish under indoor light.
Green Onyx
Green Onyx
Green Onyx, with its rich and glossy look belongs to the Chalcedony family. Natural Green Onyx is quite rare.
Its deep green shade makes it a statement stone often paired with gold or bronze for a luxurious look.
Deposits of Green Onyx are usually found in places like India and Brazil
London Blue Topaz
London Blue Topaz
Amongst the Topaz varieties London Blue Topaz is the deepest and most dramatic blue. It often has slight greenish undertones, giving it that sophisticated ocean-like colour.
Topaz can be mined in places like Brazil, Sri Lanka and Nigeria
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis Lazuli is a rock made up of multiple minerals, mainly Lazurite along with calcite and specks of Pyrite. The deep blue is not dyed - its completely natural and has been prized for thousands of years.
It was highly valued in Ancient Egypt - even used in jewellery and burial masks for Egyptian royalty.
Lapis Lazuli was used to create ultramarine pigment - a very expensive pigment used by renaissance artists . This rock can be found in Afghanistan and they are still a major source of it today !
Peridot
Peridot
Peridot only comes in green - but the shade can range from yellow to deep olive depending on the iron content.
Peridots are formed deep inside the Earth's mantle and is brought to the surface by volcanic activity.
Rarely, peridotshave been discovered in meteorites (called pallasites) meaning that some of them are extraterrestrial.
Peridots are mined in the Red Sea since ancient times.
Pink Chalcedony
Pink Chalcedony
Pink Chalcedony derived from the Chalcedony family is also microcrystalline form of Quartz. This means that it is made up of tiny, tightly packed crystals.
Its pink tones are usually pastel and slightly translucent, giving it a glowy look. Some Pink Chalcedony stones can look similar to Rose Quartzor even Pink Opal.
Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz
Rose Quartz is the Pink variety of Quartz. It is one of the most loved gemstones - soft, romantic and full of meaning. Its pink colour comes from microscopic mineral inclusions, not just trace elements like in other Quartz.
Unlike many crystals, Rose Quartz is typically milky rather than crystal clear. Prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause it to lose its pink colour.
Sky Blue Topaz
Sky Blue Topaz
Sky Blue Topaz, the variety of Topaz known for its light and airy colour that mimics a blue sky.
Sky Blue Topaz is the official gem of Texas and is also a state gem of Utah.
For centuries Sky Blue Topaz was mistaken for Aquamarine due to the similar pastel tone. Before modern gemology, many yellow or golden stones were thought to be Topaz, including Peridot's
Smoky Quartz
Smoky Quartz
Unlike many other gemstones that get their colour from chemical impurities the "smoke" in this Quartz is the result of millions of years of exposure to natural radiation. Smoky Quartz ranges from a light translucent grey/brown to a deep brown/black.
Romans and Greeks believed that Smoky Quartz could absorb negative energy and provide mental clarity. They often made jewellery and talismans with it.
Turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise, an opaque, blue-green mineral that has been cherished for over 7000 years. It is one of the oldest gemstones and has deep significance in many cultures.
Its vibrant shades are the result of different metal concentrations. Copper creates the infamous sky-blue tones, while iron or aluminium shifts the colour towards green
Turquoise stones are porous and can change colour over time due to absorption of oils, perfumes and chemicals.
Blue Chalcedony
Blue Chalcedony
Blue Chalcedony is a variety of Quartz prized for its ethereal blue translucence. The stones dreamy blue colour is caused by the scattering of light by microscopic particles within the stone, similar to why the sky is blue.
It is named after the Greek maritime town of Chalcedon, where it was first discovered.