Amethyst- A member of the quartz family, distinguished by its shades of lilac, purple, or mauve. It is found in Brazil, the Urals, Sri Lanka, India, Uruguay, Madagascar, the USA, Germany, Australia, Namibia, and Zambia. It has the hardness of 7.

Aquamarine- Belonging to the Beryl family, aquamarines are sky blue, dark blue, and sea green in color. Most aquamarines are heated to enhance the blue color and burn off a yellowish base. The best gem quality aquamarines are found in Brazil. Other locations include the Urals, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and Madagascar. Aquamarines have the hardness of 7.5.

Citrine- A member of the quartz family, citrines are yellow or golden orange in color. Natural citrines are pale yellow and gem quality citrines are very rare. The best quality stones are found in Brazil, Spain, Madagascar, and the former USSR. This stone has a hardness of 7.

Diamond- Highly prized for its luster, fire, and durability; diamonds are the hardest mineral on Earth. They can be yellow, brown, green, blue, red, pink, gray, and black. Diamonds form at high temperatures and pressures and can be found in India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Zaire, Botswana, Namibia, the former USSR, and the USA. Diamonds have the hardness of 10.

Emerald- Belongs to the Beryl family and is known for its beautiful green color. The most desired emerald has a deep green color. Emeralds are often flawed, therefore they are oiled to disguise and fill cracks and enhance color. These are not necessarily classified as faults but are used as evidence of the genuineness of the stone. The finest emeralds come from Columbia. Other locations include Austria, India, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, the USA, Norway, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe. Emeralds have a hardness of 7.5.

Garnet (Rhodolite)- A newer strain of the red garnet family, rhodolites are a pink or purple red and can be light in color. Rhodolite dates back to 1898 when it was used to describe a newly discovered garnet in North Carolina. Rhodolite garnets are also found in Sri Lanka, East Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Garnet (Green Grossular/Tsavorite)- A transparent green grossular garnet has a fine "minty" color, while the green tsavorite garnet is a rich emerald green. The finer tsavorite stones can be nearly as expensive as a fine emerald, and considerably more durable. They are mainly mined in Kenya. Other locations for mining are in Canada, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the former USSR, Tanzania, South Africa, and the USA. It has a hardness of 7.

Green Tourmaline- Green in all shades but emerald green is much rarer and more valuable. Green tourmalines are the most common out of all tourmalines. Emerald green stones are found in Brazil, Tanzania, and Namibia. It has the hardness of 7.5.

Paraiba Tourmaline- Named after the location from which it is mined in Brazil, the Paraiba mines. It is known for it’s incredible hues of an almost "electric" quality. The mine was quickly depleted and only yielded a limited amount of stones. They are incredibly rare and valuable.

Iolite- Is recognized by its violet-blue color but can vary in blue hues. Gem-quality iolite can be found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Madagascar, India, Namibia, and Tanzania. It has a hardness of 7.

Morganite- Member of the Beryl group, the color of morganite varies in pink, rose, peach, and violet. Some of the finest morganite comes from Madagascar; other locations are Brazil, Elba (Italy), Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Pakistan. Morganite has a hardness of 7.5.

Onyx- Onyx is a variety of microcrystalline quartz. It is actually similar to agate, with a color range of white to tan, and brown to black. It has been a favored material of the Romans for the carving of cameos and onyx seals It has a hardness of 7.

Opal- Divided into three categories: opalescent precious opals, yellow-red fire opals and common opals.

• Precious Opals- characterized by their opalescence, a rainbow like iridescence that changes with the angle of observation. Precious opals are separated into two categories of white or milky opals and black opals. White opals are light and black opals are dark gray, dark blue, dark green, or gray black. Black opals are rarer. Precious opals are found in Czechoslovakia, Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, and the USA (Nevada.)
• Fire Opals- Named for its orange color, fire opals are not opalescent but are usually milky. The best qualities are clear and transparent. These opals are sensitive to any stress. They are found in Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, the USA, Western Australia, and Turkey.
• Common Opals- Are mostly opaque and do not display iridescence and are very common.

Pearl- Are formed in oysters and mussels. A layer of nacre is formed around an irritant, such as sand, as a natural defense. As the layer thickens, the pearl is formed. The thicker the nacre, the larger the pearl. Pearl colors vary from white to pink, brown to black. They are sensitive to acids, dryness, and humidity, therefore are a more delicate stone and must be worn with care. Pearls were once thought to be the tears of the gods.

Peridot- Has an olive green or bottle green color. Peridot can be found in St. JohnÕs Island (Egypt), China, Myanmar, Brazil, Norway, the USA (Arizona & Hawaii), Australia, and South Africa. It has the hardness of 6.5.

Rubellite (Tourmaline)- Members of the tourmaline family, rubellites are pink or red in color; ruby red stones are most prized. These stones occur in Madagascar, the USA, Brazil, Myanmar, and East Africa. Rubellites have a hardness of 7.5.

Ruby- Can be any shade of red from pinkish to purplish, to brownish. Rubies are a tough stone, having a hardness of 9 (Diamonds have a hardness of 10.) The finest stones come from Myanmar; other locations include Thailand, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Vietnam, India, the USA (North Carolina), Russia, Australia, and Norway.

Sapphire- Can vary in colors but is commonly associated with blue; the most valuable of sapphires is a clear, deep blue. Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and India have good quality sapphire. Sapphire that is dark blue is from Thailand, Australia, and Nigeria. A metallic blue sapphire is produced in Montana. Other places that produce sapphires are Cambodia, Brazil, Kenya, Malawi, and Columbia. Sapphires are a tough stone having a hardness of 9.

Smoky Quartz- A light or dark brown, grayish brown, and black are the colors that characterize smoky quartz. It is found in Brazil, Madagascar, the Swiss Alps, the USA (Colorado), Australia and Spain. It has a hardness of 7.

Tanzanite- A gem that can show blue, purple, or slate gray depending on the angle from which they are viewed; tanzanite sometimes is mistaken for sapphire. It was originally found in Tanzania in 1967. It has a hardness of 6.5.

Topaz- Occurs in a range of different colors, however the most common is the colorless. Much of the colorless topaz is irradiated and heated to a range of blue colors. The deep golden topaz (sometimes called sherry topaz) and the pink colors are the most valuable Natural pink stones are very rare. The golden yellow topaz is the birthstone for November and has a hardness of 8.

Watermelon Tourmaline- A tourmaline that is half pink and half green; there may be more pink than green or more green than pink. It is found in South Africa, Brazil, East Africa and other locations. Watermelon tourmalines have a hardness of 7.5.

Zircon- Is the birthstones for December. Zircon is a natural stone, and its terminology is sometime confused with the man-made stone called zirconium. Zircons can be distinguished from diamonds by experienced jewelers by its double refraction. Zircons can be yellow, orange, blue, red, brown, and green.

Jewelry displayed are custom designed by Sharon Teaman

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