Category Archives: Birthstones

1905 Cultured Success for Kokichi Mikimoto The story of Akoya pearls is primarily associated with the life and hard work of Kokichi Mikimoto, a man of humble background who, in the late 1800′s, ventured experimentation with pearl cultivation. After 12 … Continue reading →

In the 16th century, pearls were considered a gem to be exclusively possessed and worn by the royalty. Queen Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici’s portraits were always painted overlaid with pearls. In the year 1530, the Victorian Pearl Broochofficials … Continue reading →

The most important feature of rubies is their color, rendering transparency of secondary importance in determining their value. Inclusions do not impair the quality of rubies, provided they do not decrease the transparency of the stone, nor if they are … Continue reading →

The highly prized rubies from Burma are mainly colored by chromium (with no tangible iron) giving them the distinctive blood-red hue, from which derives the term ‘pigeon’s blood’, describing the most sought-after and valuable stones. The presence of chromium as … Continue reading →

Mabe Pearls are half pearls, and are sometimes called blister pearls. Basically they are grown by attaching a nucleus to the inside of the shell and letting it be covered by nacre on one side. When the process is finished, … Continue reading →

Natural pearls are almost 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. Natural pearls are thought to form under a set of accidental conditions dictated by a microscopic intruder or parasite that enters a bivalve mollusk and set up shop inside the shell. … Continue reading →

Supernatural South Sea Pearl Food Exchange Amongst the rarest and most costly cultured pearls available, South Sea Pearls are cultivated in the waters of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and Thailand. Their legacy goes back thousands of years when the … Continue reading →

Ancient rubies were generally made into amulets by ancient peoples to guard against poisons, plague, evil thoughts, and wicked spirits. A long-held persistent belief is that rubies warned of the presence of poison by growing dark and cloudy, and then … Continue reading →

Other important ruby deposits exist in Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Rubies of Vietnamese origins frequently display a slightly purplish hue, while those from Thailand, have a darker red tending towards brown, referred to as the ‘Siamese color’. The latter … Continue reading →

Egyptians attributed amuletic and medicinal powers to peridot. To exert its full powers, they believed, the gem had to be set in gold to ‘chase away the terrors of the night’. It was considered effective as a protection against evil … Continue reading →