- Spinel - Rare and Spectacular
The Spinel Gemstone is the forgotten jewel of the Gemstone world, it is not a birthstone and it has no association as an anniversary gem. The species that gemmologists designate as Spinel comes in just about all colours, however only a few are of Gemstone quality.
The best sources of Spinel are Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, with other good sources coming from Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Tanzania and Thailand. - Peridot - The Seaman's Emerald
Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August, as well as being the anniversary stone to celebrate sixteen years of marriage. The name commonly used for this Gemstone in mineralogy is Olivine because of its olive-green colouring. The best sources of Peridot are Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Myanmar, Pakistan and South Africa. Deposits in Arizona are the major source of Peridot within the United States. - Garnet - The Travelers Gemstone
Almost everyone confuses the Garnet Gemstone with the dark red stone only, the truth of the matter is that Garnet comes in an array of different colours with some of them costing nearly as much as a Sapphire. Garnet is the birthstone for the month of January and is the anniversary stone to celebrate two years of marriage. Good sources of Garnet originate from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, Pakistan, Russia and areas of Scandinavia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, - Tourmaline - A Modern Gemstone
When discovered at source Tourmaline is usually in long slender crystal shards with different variations of colour running along it's length, finding a crystal with only one colour is a rare occurrence. This wonderfully coloured jewel is a rarity in itself as it is the only gemstone to have three sided prisms in it's crystal structure.
The Tourmaline Gemstone is often given to celebrate eight years of marriage.
Tourmalines are found in a number of regions throughout the globe, with the best - Turquoise - The Holy Stone
For thousands of years the ancient Persians exported Turquoise to the world, it was hugely popular and to this day demand is still massive, so huge is this demand that a worldwide industry has developed not just to mine it, but to imitate and reproduce it as well.
The Turquoise Gemstone is the official stone for December and is also used to celebrate five years of marriage. Originally Persia (Iran) was the most important source of Turquoise but is now virtually mined out; good sources of the - Citrine - Lucky Merchants Stone
A variety of Quartz ranging in colour from lemon yellow to a deep red brown or amber is called Citrine and is also the birthstone for the month of November.
Natural deposits of Citrine are found in Argentina, Brazil, Madagascar, Myanmar, Namibia, Russia, Scotland and Spain, California within the United States is another good source.
These Gemstones have been passed off as the more expensive Topaz by some deceptive traders in the past using names like Bahia, Madeira and Rio Grande Topaz - Topaz - Jewel of the Sun
The Topaz Gemstone is the birthstone for the month of November, the Blue variety of this lovely stone is also the anniversary gem for the fourth year of marriage.
Many variations of gentle tones are available depending on the impurities present in the Gemstone, these can range from yellow to yellow-brown, orange-brown, pink-brown, pale to medium red,blue and colourless. The best sources of Topaz are Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, Afghanistan, Australia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom - Sapphire - A True Blue Symbol of Truth
The Sapphire Gemstone is the blue variety of Corundum and the birthstone for the month of September, it is also the anniversary stone to celebrate forty-five years of marriage.
Variations in iron and titanium impurities mean that this gemstone comes in many different colours these are called fancy Sapphires, a pink orange variety is called Padparadscha and are expensive and very rare. True blue gems are the most sought after with cornflower blue offerings from Kashmir on the Pakistan and India - Ruby - Lord of Gems
The Ruby Gemstone is the red variety of Corundum and the birthstone for the month of July, it is also the anniversary stone to celebrate forty years of marriage. The finest colour is a pure rich red with a hint of blue, the Ruby gets it's colouring due to the presence of iron and chromium. Rubies are mined in Afghanistan, Australia,Cambodia, India and Kenya, Myanmar (formerly Burma) other good sources are Pakistan, Russia, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam. Within the United States, North Carolina - Emerald - Flawed and Fabulous
The Emerald Gemstone is a variety of the mineral Beryl and is a beautiful strong velvety green in colour, although more recently a bluish green seems to be the most desired.
Beryl is colourless in it's purest form, but the presence of chromium and vanadium is what gives this flawed but fabulous Gemstone it's rich colouring. Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May and is also the anniversary Gemstone used to celebrate the twentieth and thirty-fifth years of marriage. - Aquamarine - Safety at Sea
The Aquamarine Gemstone is a variety of the mineral Beryl and is a beautiful pastel blue in colour. Aquamarine is the Birthstone for the month of March and is mined in Brazil, Madagascar, Mozambique Myanmar and Afghanistan; it is also available within the United States of America and is the official state Gemstone of Colorado. The Gemstone gets it's blue, sea green colouring from impurities of iron, and the host rock is pegmatite and coarse grained granite and their weathered material. - Amethyst - Tears of Beauty
The Amethyst Gemstone is a semi-precious jewel of violet or purple colour that is available in many different shapes and sizes and is a common form of transparent crystallized Quartz.
Amethyst is the Birthstone for the month of February and is mined in Brazil, Uruguay, Russia, Bolivia and Argentina, as well as Namibia, Zambia and a few other African countries, within the United States of America, Arizona is a good source of Amethyst. The purple colouring of the Amethyst is caused by impurities - Canyon de Chelly - Navajo Stronghold
The town of Chinle on the eastern fringes of the Painted Desert provides the gateway to the stunning and historic Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The National Monument spans an area of 131 square miles and incorporates the three main canyons, these canyons are de Chelly, del Muerto and Monument.The canyons were carved out by streams of water coming from the Chuska Mountains just to the east. - Petrified Forest - Gateway To The Past
Petrified Forest National Park is world famous for it's impressive collection of colourful quartz laden petrified wood, but this park is most certainly a lot more than just petrified wood, it is an international learning centre for palaeontologist's throughout the world.
The Petrified Forest sits proudly in the arid lands of Arizona's Painted Desert, but the dry rugged badlands that you see today, did not exist here in the Triassic Period 225 million years ago. - Arizona's Painted Desert - 6 Great Reasons to Visit
Ever since I first set eyes on the Painted Desert in northern central Arizona I was immediately captivated by it's unique rugged beauty. Covering 7,500 square miles starting from the Grand Canyon and spreading itself 150 miles in a southeasterly direction, it's width varying between 15 and 50 miles. Many mesas and buttes contour this sparse and arid land, with the multi layered Chinle formation displaying many different colours, sunrise and sunset have to be seen to be believed.
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