Diamond Times

    Because of its wine-like color, early Greek legends associated amethyst with Bacchus, the god of wine. Other legends reflected beliefs that amethyst kept its wearer clear-headed and quick-witted in battle and in business affairs. Because amethyst was associated with wine, it was believed that wearing amethyst prevented drunkeness. Fine amethysts have been set in religious jewelry and royal crown jewels for ages. It was once considered equal in value to ruby, emerald, and sapphire. It’s no wonder that fine amethyst adorns the fingers of bishops as well as the coronation regalia of British royalty. Amethyst is the birthstone...

Alexandrite, with its chameleon-like qualities, is a rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl. Its color can be a lovely green in daylight or fluorescent light, changing to brownish or purplish red in the incandescent light from a lamp or candle flame. This is a result of the complex way the mineral absorbs light. Alexandrite’s dramatic color change is sometimes described as “emerald by day, ruby by night.” Other gems also change color in response to a light-source change, but this gem’s transformation is so striking that the phenomenon itself is often called “the alexandrite effect.” Alexandrite is also a strongly...

From: http://www.gia.edu/pearl-description   Perhaps the best-loved gems of all time, pearls—natural and cultured—occur in a wide variety of colors. The most familiar are white and cream, but the palette of colors extends to every hue. Natural pearls form around a microscopic irritant in the bodies of certain mollusks. Cultured pearls are the result of the deliberate insertion of a bead or piece of tissue that the mollusk coats with nacre. Cultured pearls are popular for bead necklaces and bracelets, or mounted in solitaires, pairs, or clusters for use in earrings, rings, and pendants. Larger pearls with unusual shapes are popular...

Some facts about this gorgeous August Birthstone: 4.5 billion Some peridot is ancient: it's found in pallasite meteorites, remnants of our solar system's birth. Stardust In 2005, peridot was found in comet dust brought back from the Stardust robotic space probe. Olivine Gem variety of the mineral olivine: found in peridotite rock from the earth’s upper mantle. Facts Mineral: Olivine Chemistry: (MgFe)2SiO4 Color: Yellowish green Refractive index: 1.65 to 1.69 Birefringence: 0.035 to 0.038 Specific gravity: 3.34 Mohs Hardness: 6.5 to 7 SHOP NOW: http://www.kuhnsjewelers.com/search?q=peridot http://www.gia.edu/peridot  

110 Kilos The largest gem-quality aquamarine crystal mined to date is 19 inches long. Beryl Like emerald, aquamarine is a color variety of the mineral beryl. 15,000 feet Aquamarine is mined at high elevations in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains. Facts  Mineral: beryl Chemistry: Be3Al2Si6O18 Color: greenish blue, light in tone Refractive index: 1.577 to 1.583 Birefringence: 0.005 to 0.009 Specific gravity: 2.72 Mohs Hardness: 7.5 to 8.0 The name “aquamarine” is derived from two Latin words: aqua, meaning “water,” and marina, meaning “of the sea.” It has been said that the mineral beryl gives the wearer protection against foes in battle or...