Learn About Colored Gemstones

Live Life Colorfully!
At Elebash’s, diamond jewelry is clearly our favorite. But, colored gemstone jewelry is a close second. Why? Because colored gemstone jewelry exudes personality and never goes out of style. When you shop at Elebash’s, you’ll find extensive collections of colored gemstone jewelry in our Sunshine State! You’ll find some of the most popular colored gemstones and the birthstone months they represent. But don’t let birthstones define what you buy! Although you may have been born in February, you may not love amethysts. When it comes to colored gemstones, we believe you should wear what you love!

Here are some interesting colored gemstone traits and trivia.

GARNET

January Birthstone
This gem is available in a rainbow of colors, from the deep red Bohemian garnet to vibrant greens. We also see it appearing in the oranges and browns and the subtle pinks and purples. Garnets have long been carried by travelers to protect against accidents far from home. With its stunning variety of colors and its mystical powers, it has been given as a gift for all occasions for centuries.

AMETHYST

February Birthstone
The ancient Greeks and Romans believed amethyst would ward off intoxicating powers and keep the wearer clear-headed and quick-witted. An amethyst complements both warm and cool colors so it looks fabulous set in yellow, rose and white metals. This unique ability means it enhances almost every color in your wardrobe.

AQUAMARINE

March Birthstone
The name aquamarine speaks for itself, meaning seawater. Aquamarines are found in a range of blues; from a pale pastel to a greenish-blue to a deep color. Darker shades of blue are increasingly rare and, in turn, more expensive. Aquamarine is often a pastel gemstone, but the color can be more intense in larger gemstones. Smaller aquamarines tend to be less vivid.

DIAMOND

April Birthstone
Since ancient times, diamonds have been admired objects of desire. Formed far beneath the Earth’s surface over a billion years ago, diamonds are the hardest gem of all. Diamonds have a long history. Some say diamonds were created when bolts of lightning struck rocks, and others say the gem possessed healing powers. Without a doubt, it’s the most popular of all the precious gems and they do come in colors such as yellow, pink and blue.

EMERALD

May Birthstone
Cleopatra was as famous for wearing emeralds in her time as Liz Taylor was for wearing diamonds in our century. The deeper and more vivid the color of green, the more valuable the emerald. The most valuable and beautiful emeralds exhibit an intense bluish hue in addition to their basic bold green color. Emeralds, among the rarest of gems, are almost always found with birthmarks, known as inclusions. Some inclusions are expected and do not detract from the value of the stone.

ALEXANDRITE

June Birthstone
If you love magic, especially the magic of science, you’ll love alexandrite, the color-changing gem. Outside in daylight, it is a cool bluish mossy green. Inside, it is a red gem with a warm raspberry tone. You can watch its colors flicker back and forth by switching from fluorescent to incandescent light. The value of the gemstone increases as the color change becomes more distinct.

MOONSTONE

June Birthstone
Ancient Romans believed that this shimmering rock was formed from frozen moonlight, giving it the name moonstone. Its colors range from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, green, or pink and clarity that goes from transparent to translucent. The best moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity, and a colorless body color. Found in India and Madagascar, rainbow moonstone has a variety of colors, from pink to yellow, to peach, purple and blue.

PEARLS

June Birthstone
When you think of pearls, you generally think of white pearls, but they do come in many colors. Pearls originate from oceans, lakes and rivers around the world. Most consider pearls to be timeless. Some consider it to be a wardrobe staple. Ancients from the Middle East believed pearls were teardrops fallen from heaven. The Chinese believed they came from the brain of a dragon. Christopher Columbus thought that mollusks formed pearls from dew drops. Today you will find more cultured pearls on the market which do come in many sizes, shapes and colors. Their meaning is “sweet simplicity” and are often given as a wedding gift!

RUBY

July Birthstone
The ruby represents love, passion, courage and emotion. For centuries, rubies have been considered the King of Gems. The color is the most important feature of the gemstone. Rubies are available in a range of red hues from purplish and bluish-red to orange-red. The brightest and most valuable color of ruby is often “a Burmese Ruby” – an indication that it is a rich, passionate, hot, full red color with a slight blue hue.

PERIDOT

August Birthstone
Most peridot gemstones come from right here in the USA, specifically in the state of Arizona, but it is also found in China, Myanmar and Pakistan. Peridot is available in several colors ranging from yellowish green to brown, but the bright lime and olive greens are the most desired. Peridot gemstones smaller than three carats are very common but gemstones over five carats are rare, and therefore have a higher value.

SPINEL

August Birthstone
The bright red color of spinel is so closely related to the ruby; the two of them are often confused with one another. Spinels are actually rarer than ruby, but unlike ruby, they sometimes can be found in very large sizes. In addition to beautiful rich reds, spinel can be found in shades of orange and beautiful pastel pink, as well as purple. Spinel also comes in beautiful blues, but these are extremely rare.

SAPPHIRE

September Birthstone
The sapphire is found in many parts of the world, but the most prized sapphires are from Myanmar (Burma), Kashmir and Sri Lanka. Sapphires with highly saturated violet blue color and “velvety” or “sleepy” transparency are rare. The purer the blue of the sapphire, the greater the price. Sapphires are not only blue, they come in almost every color of the rainbow: pink, yellow, orange, peach and violet colors. Blue sapphires are becoming more popular as a center stone in engagement rings or a beautiful accent.

OPAL

October Birthstone
In ancient times, the opal was known as the Queen of Gems because it encompassed the colors of all other gems. Each opal is one-of-a-kind and as unique as our fingerprints. With its rainbow of colors, as you turn and move the opal, the color plays and shifts, giving you a gem that can be worn with just about anything. Since opals are the most individual gemstone with its range of colors, be sure to choose one that showcases your color preference and pattern.

TOURMALINE

October Birthstone
Available in a spectrum of colors and color combinations, tourmaline lives up to its name, which means “mixed stone”. Cranberry red, hot magenta, bubblegum pink, peach and orange, canary yellow, mint, grass and forest green, ocean blue, violet: tourmaline is all of these and more. Tourmaline is also known for displaying several colors in one gemstone. With tourmaline available in so many colors, you’re sure to find one in your favorite color!

CITRINE

November Birthstone
This bright shining gem was said to be a gift from the sun. The name citrine, which is French for “lemon”, fits well with its color range of juicy lemon yellow to a bright orangey brown. Most people choose a citrine based on their personal preference, but some of the most sought-after citrine gemstones have a clear, radiant yellowish to brownish red color. Citrine is one of the most popular and affordable gemstones.

TOPAZ

November Birthstone
In shades of yellow, brown, honey, green, blue, red, pink and sometimes no color at all, topaz has a wide appeal. Topaz is often found in an amber gold, yellow, or a blushing pink orange but a pale pink or a sherry red topaz is very exceptional. Blue, once the rarer color of topaz, is the most common today due to man’s ability to enhance its color. With its worldwide appeal throughout the centuries, once you find that perfect topaz, you’ll soon be under its spell.

TANZANITE

December Birthstone
Tanzanite is a unique gemstone found in only one place on Earth: the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. One of today’s most popular blue gemstones, tanzanite comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and striking assortments of violet blue to purple tones. Rarely pure blue, tanzanite almost always displays its signature overtones of purple. In smaller sizes, tanzanite usually contains lighter tones and the lavender color is more common. While in larger sizes, tanzanite typically displays a deeper, richer, beautiful blue or violet blue.

TURQUOISE

December Birthstone
Turquoise is among the oldest known gemstones and its popularity has spanned the globe for centuries. Turquoise is an opaque, light to dark blue or blue-green gem with its finest color being an intense blue. This gemstone may contain narrow veins of other materials either isolated or as a network. They are usually black, brown, or yellowish-brown in color. These veins of color are sometimes in the form of an intricate pattern, called a spider web.

ZIRCON

December Birthstone
Most people think of a bright sky blue when they hear zircon, but it is also available in beautiful earth tones of green, dark red, yellow, brown, and orange. Today, the most popular colors of zircon are the vivid blue and bright Caribbean Sea colors. The spectrum of beautiful colors, its rarity and affordability are why it is becoming more popular today.

Looking for more information on color gemstones? You can find it at the American Gem Trade Association.