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Zircon is another gem that serves as a birthstone for the month of December. It is a bright gem with high luster, and many specimens produce a colorful fire that is similar to diamond. Because of these properties, zircon was once used as an alternative stone for diamond. Zircon gives the shopper an opportunity to select…

Turquoise is a birthstone for the month of December. It is a blue to blue green to yellowish green mineral that has been used as a gemstone for thousands of years. Bright blue turquoise is the most preferred color. It is most often set into sterling silver jewelry. Because it is opaque, it is usually cut…

Citrine is the world’s best-selling gem with a yellow to orange color. It is a favorite gem because of its affordability and durability. It is durable because of its Mohs hardness of 7 and affordable because of its abundance. Citrine is not as easy to find in jewelry stores as blue topaz, but with a little…

Topaz is a birthstone for the month of November. It occurs in a wide range of natural and treated colors that include blue, pink, purple, yellow, brown, orange, and colorless. Topaz is a very durable stone with a Mohs hardness of 8. Diamond, ruby and sapphire are the only commonly used gemstones with a greater hardness.…

Tourmaline occurs in a wide variety of colors. The accompanying photo shows a collection of faceted tourmalines of various colors. Some of these stones exhibit multiple colors because they were cut from color-zoned crystals. Two are pink and green bicolor stones known as “watermelon tourmaline.” Bicolor and pleochroic tourmalines are favorite stones of many jewelry designers…

Opal is an original modern birthstone for the month of October. Some people call it the world’s most colorful gem because one stone can display a full spectrum of colors. Opal occurs many different varieties. The accompanying image is a black opal from Australia, but there are also fire opals from Mexico, honeycomb opals from Ethiopia, and colorful common opals from Peru. Lab-grown opals are available in a…

Sapphire is the birthstone for September. Most people immediately think of a blue gem when they hear the name “sapphire”. That is because gem-quality specimens of the mineral corundum with a blue color are called “sapphire” by definition. However, corundum occurs in many colors. When it is pink, orange, green, purple, yellow, or any of these other colors,…

Some (but not all) birthstone lists include sardonyx as a birthstone for August. Sardonyx is a banded variety of chalcedony that exhibits straight, parallel bands of white, black, orange, red, or brown chalcedony. Some of the most spectacular cabochons and beads are cut from sardonyx. Sardonyx has also been used as a material for cutting…

Spinel is a newcomer to birthstone jewelry. In July 2016, the American Gem Trade Association and the Jewelers of America named spinel a birthstone for the month of August. Being named a birthstone will do more for the popularity of spinel than millions of dollars spent on advertising. Spinel is the perfect birthstone. First, spinel occurs…