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Traditional Genuine Birthstones
January- - - -Garnet
February - - -Amethyst
March - - - - -Aquamarine
April- - - - - -Diamond
May - - - - - -Emerald
June- - - - - -Pearl & Alexandrite
July- - - - - --Ruby
August - - - -Peridot
September- -Sapphire
October- - - -Opal & Pink Tourmaline
November - -Precious Topaz or Citrine
December - -Blue Topaz & Tanzanite
Traditional Wedding Anniversary Stones
It is a growing trend of giving a lasting gift of beautiful gemstone jewelry for your anniversary. Here is a list of gemstones that are quickly becoming the accepted norms to commemorate each anniversary year.
1st Peridot & Mother of Pearl
2nd Garnet
3rd Pearl
4th Blue Topaz
5th Sapphire & Pink Tourmaline
6th Amethyst
7th Sapphire & Onyx
8th Tourmaline & Tanzanite
9th Amethyst
10th Diamond & Blue Sapphire
11th Citrine
12th Opal
13th Citrine
14th Opal
15th Ruby, Alexandrite & Rhodolite Garnet
16th Peridot
17th Carnelian
18th Aquamarine
19th Aquamarine & Almandine Garnet
20th Emerald & Diamond
21st Iolite
22nd Spinel
23rd Precious Topaz/ Imperial Topaz
24th Tanzanite
25th Tsavorite Garnet
30th Pearl
35th Emerald
40th Ruby
45th Sapphire
50th Precious Topaz/ Imperial Topaz
55th Alexandrite
60th Star Ruby
65th Blue Spinel
70th Smoky Quartz
75th Diamond
Pearls are one of only a few gemstones that require no cutting, polishing, or treatments. They are an organic gem naturally ready to wear. Pearls are a beautiful and classic jewelry choice for every woman. But keep in mind, beauty is worth waiting for. Culturing a single pearl can take 18 months to 3 years. The meticulous matching required to create an extraordinary strand of pearls can take up to a decade.
Like diamonds, pearls are graded by multiple classifications.
Luster – Luster is the single most important determinant of pearl quality. Luster is derived from the pearl’s countless thick layers of pearl nacre. It is the nacre of a pearl that causes light to be refracted from different depths of the nacreous layers, giving each pearl its unique lustrous appearance.
Nacre – Nacre is the calcium carbonate-based substance secreted by the oyster which creates a coating around any foreign object in the body of the oyster, thus producing a pearl. A pearl with a thin nacre coating can have nicer luster, but one with a thicker coating will have better luster.
Shape - Pearls grow naturally in many shapes including round, oval, drop, baroque, & circle. Round is the most rare and most expensive.
Complexion – This refers to the size and number of blemishes or imperfections in the nacre.
Color – Pearls come in a rainbow of colors, some natural and some dyed. Natural pearls can be white, pinkish, peach, golden, or shades of grey. Color is entirely a matter of personal preference.
Size – Size is the last factor. If you have two pearls that are equal in luster, nacre, complexion and color, the larger one will be more valuable.
Naturally colored pearls come from diverse places in the world.
South Sea pearls are highly sought-after for their extra lustrous nacre and large size. South Sea pearls are salt water cultured and usually occur in white or a golden yellow color. They are the rarest and most expensive.
French Polynesia is the home of the black-lipped oyster which produces Tahitian or “Black Pearls”. These too are salt water cultured and come in varying shades of grey. They are second only to South Sea pearls by rarity.
Southern Japan and the coast of China produce the Akoya salt water cultured pearl in shades of white, pink or cream. They are the most common salt water pearls.
China produces approximately 90% of the fresh water cultured pearls. Most grow in sizes from 2.0 to 8.0 millimeters and are commonly irregular shaped. Freshwater pearls can be dyed in a variety of colors. These are the most readily available and least expensive of the pearl grades.
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