Gemstones add color and sparkle and liveliness to jewelry, from a white gleam of a faceted diamond to the opaque black shine of a black onyx cabochon. The right stone selected by the designer or jeweler can transform a piece of jewelry, while some pieces are completely designed around a given stone.
There are two categories of stones, precious and semi-precious. This discussion deals exclusively with semi-precious stones, and specifically highlights some of the stones used in the handmade sterling silver jewelry of Ariel Silver.
Semi-precious stones come in a wide variety of wonderful colors and patterns and a range of opacity and translucency. Translucent stones are the ones that look clear and sparkly, like citrine and amethyst, and you can see into the stone. Opaque stones are very solid looking, and you cannot see into them. Some examples of opaque stones are agate, jasper and onyx. There are varying degrees of these qualities among semi-precious gemstones.
Semi-precious stones are commonly cut as faceted stones, mostly the translucent stones, and as cabochons. There are other cuts also, such as buff-top and bullets. Cabochons are cut rounded on the top and flat on the bottom, while buff-top is generally flat on both sides, and bullets are like very high cut cabochons.
Citrine is a translucent stone that comes in varying colors of yellow, like a pool of clear sunlight. Its name signifies its color, since it comes from the French word "citron," meaning lemon. A good example of its lemony yellow color is shown in the photo to the right, which shows the Lattice Pendant #1 and matching Earrings with Citrine made by Ariel Silver. Citrine is a form of quartz, along with many other semi-precious stones. Ancient cultures believed citrine to be effective in protecting the wearer from evil thoughts and snake venom. Most citrine you encounter is actually amethyst that has been heated to turn the color to yellow. In caring for sterling silver jewelry containing citrine, be careful to avoid prolonged exposure to heat or strong light.
If you love purple, you will adore amethyst. Another variety of quartz, it is available in many shades from a more opaque light lavender to a deeper translucent purple. The deeper shades are considered the more valuable, but the light and medium shades are lovely colors and sometimes reflect the light better, as shown in the Amethyst pin in the photo at left. The name of the stone comes from Greek mythology, the story of Dionysius weeping on Amethyst, the woman turned into a quartz statue by Diana, and turning the pure crystalline form purple with his tears. Amethyst has been said to be a cure for drunkenness and is said to symbolize sobriety. It also has been said to rid one of evil thoughts and benefit the intelligence.
Topaz naturally occurs in translucent colors of yellow, brown, orange, sherry, red and pink. The blue topaz used in the handmade sterling silver jewelry of Ariel Silver is pale topaz which has been enhanced by the use of radiation to turn the color blue. It comes in shades of pale to medium blue. The stunning Blue Topaz Flower Earrings at right are a great example of the striking blue that can be found in blue topaz. According to tradition, topaz can promote clear-sightedness. This is a hard gemstone, but a heavy hit can split it, so it needs to be protected from hard blows.
The sparkling, lively, translucent green of Peridot (the "t" is silent) brings to mind springtime freshness. It has a slightly golden green that can vary in hue from yellow-green to olive to brownish green. Peridot has been in existence since ancient times, but in the last dozen years or so, there has been a resurgence of interest in this gemstone.
Quartz is a common stone that is family to a broad variety of gemstones. The gemstone quartz has many varieties. We have already mentioned citrine and amethyst, and there are many others, such as rose quartz, rutilated quartz, onyx, agates and chrysoprase.
Rose quartz has a beautiful pale pink color, which can vary in degrees of translucency. Transparent rose quartz does occur, but it is rare and exceedingly pale. Rose quartz is usually used for beads, cabochons and carvings. The photo to the left shows Ariel Silver’s Filigree pendant with Rose Quartz. If you have a powder pink outfit that needs accessorizing, this is the gemstone.
Tiger’s eye is another form of quartz, so called because of the golden gleam that shows on the surface of the stone. Iron produces the golden-yellow color of tiger’s eye stones.
Rutilated quartz and tourmalinated quartz are clear forms of quartz that contain inclusions of colored needles. The needles of rutile in rutilated quartz are a golden or coppery color, while the tourmaline crystals found in tourmalinated quartz are black or sometimes dark green.
Chalcedony (pronounced kel-sed’-nee) is a subcategory of quartz, composed of microcrystalline quartz crystals. There are gemstones specifically called chalcedony, which are available in opaque colors of very pale blue, yellow and sea-blue. Other stones in this category include agate, bloodstone, jasper, onyx, carnelian and chrysoprase. Black onyx is a chalcedony which is dyed using an ancient process to produce a uniform opaque black color. Carnelian has a deep brown orange color with a clear translucency. Chrysoprase is a bright, rich green color, and is considered the most valuable of the chalcedonies. These gemstones are generally available in beads, cabochons and carvings.
Moonstone, in its white form, looks just like its name, a small glimmering white moon. The effect of movement on moonstone is to induce changes in its gleams due to the play of light across its surface. Moonstone, a form of feldspar, is belived to induce a sort of dreaminess or imagination, and in India, it is called a "dream stone," believed to bring about happy and lovely dreams. It is also said to enhance your intuition and sensitivity. The moonstones used by Ariel Silver in their handmade sterling silver jewelry come in colors of white, peach and gray. To the right is a photo of Ariel Silver’s Swirl Series Set with White Moonstone. Other colors are available, such as green, blue, champagne and "rainbow." Wear them and move them around, and you’ll be rewarded with the lovely changes of hue and light in the depth of the gemstone.
Amber is not a stone; though called a gemstone, it is actually fossilized pine tree sap. That doesn’t sound particularly lovely, but in amber it results in beauty. Amber has such a unique golden brown, orangish color that the word amber itself is now considered the name for the color as well as the gemstone. While many other stones are considered more valuable when they have less inclusions, amber is coveted for its inclusions, especially insects. Many ancient myths and explanations of amber exist regarding the origins of amber, much of which are connected with the sun, an understandable comparison since amber’s deep yellow-brown-orange color certainly glows, as it does in the Sun Pin with Amber, shown at left.
Turquoise could be considered the mainstay of much handmade sterling silver jewelry. The colors of turquoise vary from a lovely, pure sky-blue, called Sleeping Beauty turquoise, to more greenish hues. The Abstract Butterfly Pendant at right is set with Sleeping Beauty turquoise. The colors are available as solid, opaque colors, or as background to tiny gray or black web-like patterns; these latter are known as "spider-web" turquoise. Irregularities in the webbing pattern or an increase in the green hue of the gemstone will decrease its value. Turquoise has been shown to change color because of chemical reactions in the stone to such influences as light, cosmetics, dust or even the ph-value of the skin, and should be protected from cosmetics, heat, and prolonged daylight. Ancient tradition associates turquoise, as a good-luck charm, with material wealth, warding off evil powers and accidents, helping to heal a depressed mind and faithfulness in relationships. Most turquoise has been waxed and hardened due to the softness and sensitivity of the natural gemstone. This treatment preserves the beauty of the gemstone and ensures it a longer life. As with amber, the very name of turquoise has come to be the name of its unique color.
Rhodochrosite is a stone that is not as well known as some of the others we have covered here, but it is a very attractive stone. It is generally seen in a pretty rose-red color with white, yellowish or sometimes even gray streaks. In fact, its name means rose colored. Other shades can occur, from a darker pink color to a pale brown. It is a very soft stone, and is therefore somewhat delicate and can chip fairly easily. However, it is a lovely and unique stone with a pinkish reddish color all its own.
This is by no means a comprehensive study of gemstones, but a fairly simple presentation of the attributes of some of the stones used in the handmade sterling silver jewelry of Ariel Silver. It is hoped that it may help to inform you and answer questions you may have. If you have any further questions, please contact us at connect@arielsilver.com.
For a detailed discussion of all of these gemstones and many more, visit the website of the International Colored Gemstone Association. They have an extremely informative site, and some lovely photos of the gems!