Sapphire is the Birthstone of September

From its capacity to bring mental clarity, reducing fevers and depression, guarding you from danger to taking away long-standing misfortunes; this precious gemstone has been given many duties such as representing the planet Saturn known for regular gains, bring longevity, and relief from the chaos of professional ups and downs.

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Sapphire is September's birthstone. Also the gemstone of Virgo. Sapphire will always maintain second most popular stone after the diamond. It belongs to the corundum group (aluminum oxide) with hardness that is only surpassed by the diamond. Because of its hardness (9 on the moh scale), sapphires are easy to care for, and very tough.

Sapphire comes from the Greek word sappheirios which means blue. There are many legends surrounding sapphires; for instance, in ancient Persia, they called sapphires "Celestial Gemstone", because they believed earth stood on a giant sapphire and the reflection of it colored the sky. There are also stories of lovers giving sapphires to their partner believing that the gemstone would no longer shine if there was unfaithfulness on the part of the wearer. Sapphire was also chosen for kings and high priests. And the prominent gemstone in the British Crown Jewels.

As with any gemstone, sapphire's value will be determined by its color, the rich blue (but not too dark) will be the highest prized. But sapphires don't have to be blue to be beautiful, they also come in other colors such as pink, yellow, and colorless. In fact in the corundum group you will find many colors, except red, that's what we call Ruby. But mainly when one seeks out a sapphire, that perfect blue is the target.

Sapphires are found in Kashmir, Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, Madagascar and also in the US. Given usually on the 5th and 45th anniversary. Symbol of fidelity, honesty and loyalty makes the sapphire a popular choice for engagement rings, promise rings and bridal jewelry. When you wear a Sapphire, you'll know that you are wearing one of the most beautiful and prized gemstones.

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Gone are the days of brand jewelry

Often customers will come in and ask for such and such name brand diamond, we don't carry branded diamonds and therefore we first try to understand why exactly they are focused on that particular brand, then we assure them that we can get the same diamond that is equally good.

Branded diamonds will cost more, after all they have a name and a whole lot invested in big marketing campaigns and advertising, and yes, they are laser inscribed. is that enough to pay more? Diamonds come in various clarity grades, color and cuts, you will eventually shop according to your budget. Whether they are branded or not, when you get a VVS clarity, D color (or colorless) and Ideal cut diamond, you are getting a great stone.

In reality, it all comes down to trust. People trust the brand they might be used to, and they are right to aim for the brand name when shopping in large mall jewelry stores. But they are paying for it. As an independent jeweler, we prefer to offer the non-branded merchandize at a far better value, and work hard to earn the customers trust. Once you have found that jeweler you are comfortable working with, and trust, you no longer need to misplace that trust in branding. You will save money and be better off buying locally.

Your diamond will turn heads either way. So why pay more? You can get equally quality stones buying generic diamonds. The important factor is the certification of that diamond (GIA recommended) and that you get the best sparkle for your budget.

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Peridot: The BIrthstone of August

If you were born in August you're in luck as it is assumed that the semi-precious gemstone Peridot brings good luck to the wearer. If you're going through hard times, either on personal matters or financial ones, wealth and prosperity is also attached to this gemstone's powers. So if you're feeling blue, reach for the green. The bright lime green gemstone set on a ring, earrings or necklace will surely encourage you to wear outfits that will compliment the stone and liven up your spirit consequently.

The Peridot color is fresh and very appropriate to celebrate a fun and light Summer season. One of the few gemstones to occur in one color though you will see many tints, from yellow green to the most valuable dark olive green. Peridot is a relatively soft gemstone with a hardness of 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and therefore a better choice for pendants and earrings rather than bracelets and rings that get more easily scratched up during normal wear.

Ancient Hawaiians believed Peridot to be the tears of the Goddess Pele. In ancient Rome, Peridot was called the "evening emerald" because it didn't darken at night, both Romans and Greeks praise this gem then called Chrysolite. In medieval times, Peridot was used to decorate churches, at Cologne Cathedral in Germany, you will find over two hundred carat size stones in the Shrine of the three magi. When I think of Peridot, I think of Egypt where it was mined on the Island of Zabargad in the Red Sea. Today Peridot is mostly found in China and Sri Lanka, as well as Burma and Arizona.

So if you are an August child you should consider this often overlooked gemstone. And here's a bit FYI from Wikipedia:

Peridot crystals have been collected from some Pallasite meteorites. A famous Pallasite was offered for auction in April 2008 with a requested price of close to $ 3 million at Bonhams, but remained unsold.^[1] Peridot is the only gemstone found in meteorites.