Blue Zircon - December's Birthstone

Though it is generally accepted that the custom of birthstones originated from the Breastplate of Aaron, a religious article which held twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel, over the years different cultures have interpreted the instructions for fabricating the breastplate differently resulting in a variety of birthstone lists. And though it is also probable that these stones were assigned according to astrological sign, in recent times it has become popular to appoint the variety of birthstones to the months of the year. The month of December, the final month of the year, is certainly no different in this respect and has a number of possibilities.

The modern birthstones for December have been Turquoise or Tanzanite, but in recent years Blue Zircon has become very popular. Turquoise is a valuable and ancient mineral which has found strong popularity in jewelry made by Native Americans. In fact, some of the finest turquoise comes from the southwestern United States. Esteemed for thousands of years as a holy stone, its blue and green color is created by its composition of both copper and iron, respectively. But being a soft and sensitive stone, turquoise must be coated and cared for or it will lose it’s color with time.

Another popular choice for December’s birthstone is Tanzanite, the blue variety of the gemstone zoisite. First discovered in Africa in 1967, it is named after the only place in the world where it has ever been found, Tanzania. It has since become one of the most popular and desired gemstones in the world for its deep blue aura, thanks primarily to New York jewelry company Tiffany who soon after its discovery marketed the stone heavily to the general public under the name Tanzanite. Consisting of calcium aluminum silicate and a Mohs’ Hardness of only 6.5 to 7, tanzanite is a delicate stone which also requires much care.

Blue Zircon is one of the true Biblestones in the Breastplate of Aaron, where it appears in the third row under the name “ligure”. But zircons reputation has suffered in modern times because of its names similarity to “cubic zirconia”, a lab-created gem used as a diamond simulant. Occurring worldwide, zircon is also mined for the metal zirconium, which is used for abrasive and insulating purposes.

The name Zircon is most commonly believed to be derived from the Persian word “zargun”, meaning golden-colored, as one of the most common varieties of zircon is yellow.

Zircon can be found naturally in a variety of colors as well as in its colorless state, which resembles the diamond in luster and dispersion. But by far the most popular color of zircon today is blue, which is produced with higher temperatures. And bearing a Mohs’ Hardness rating of 7.5, it is significantly harder than both turquoise and tanzanite, and though it is somewhat susceptible to chipping, it remains an excellent choice for daily wear, and works well as a component of a mothers ring or mothers pendant.

Some historians believe that each birthstone may have originally been worn throughout the year by everyone, in rhythm with the zodiac, since each gemstones powers were heightened during its respective month. If so, why not start your own collection of birthstone jewelry, one for each month of the year?

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Citrine - November's Birthstone

Citrine is a variety of quartz that ranges from pale yellow to reddish brown in color. The yellow color, which differentiates Citrine from other quartz varieties such as Amethyst or Smokey Quartz, is due to traces of iron and silicon dioxide within the crystalline structure. Natural Citrine actually is quite rare and is more often created when Amethyst formations near natural heat sources in the Earth’s crust are heated beyond about 900 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point the Amethyst turns yellow or reddish brown becoming Citrine. Interestingly, Citrine may be returned to a purple color by applying beta radiation to it, and sometimes Citrine exhibits both colors, at which point it is referred to as Ametrine. These processes were originally discovered in the middle of the 18th century, but were quickly perfected resulting in a boom on Citrine in Europe. These days only a trained specialist can recognize these “burnt stones”.

HISTORY

Because it is so rarely found in nature, there is very little mythology related to Citrine. However, because of its resemblance to Topaz, it’s alleged miraculous powers very closely match those of Topaz as well. In ancient times, Citrine was worn to protect from snake venom. It was also believed to aid with digestive problems, stomach ailments, and circulation and improve mental focus and physical endurance. Ancient Romans used Citrine in intaglio designs as well as in their jewelry making. And in these times it was also believed that keeping a Citrine crystal in one's cashbox helped one maintain his wealth.

The name Citrine is derived from the old French word for lemon, "citron", while darker colored Citrine crystals are named Madeira because of their color’s resemblance to Madeira wine.

MODERN TIMES

Nowadays, most Citrine comes from Brazil, Russia, Spain, France and Hungary, and has become very plentiful, and therefore very affordable. As a result, jewelry makers are using bigger cuts of Citrine in their jewelry and budget minded jewelry buyers really can’t do better for their money.

Bearing a Mohs' Hardness rating of 7, Citrine is quite insensitive to scratches. And with a crystalline structure almost impervious to cleavage, Citrine therefore also makes a good choice for everyday jewelry.

Citrine is the birthstone for the month of November and is also used to celebrate the thirteenth wedding anniversary, and as an alternate for the eleventh wedding anniversary. If your birthday is in the month of November, consider a Black Hills Gold birthstone necklace with a warm, mellow Citrine stone.

Opal - October's Birthstone

The Opal has no crystalline structure, as do most gemstones, but instead is comprised of varying sizes of minute, spherically grouped chains of silicon and oxygen. The more precious the Opal, the more organized the groups of spheres and the more consistent their sizes. This resulting structure creates a changing play of colors as light is dissected and diffracted through the spheres at different wavelengths creating all the colors of the rainbow. It is this colorful, translucent appearance that gives us the term "opalescence".

HISTORY

Almost 95% of all Opals come from Australia, where billions of years ago a vast sea which covered parts of Australia created just the right mineral deposits for their creation. The remaining percentage comes from Mexico, northern Brazil, the northwestern US, Canada and Africa. Until as late as the mid-19^th century, however, Opals were fairly rare. An accidental discovery in Australia at that time changed the fate of the Opal forever. Now one of the most charismatic of gemstones, the Opal is believed to have healing powers which are more exemplified in people born under the sign of Cancer.

The Greeks believed that the Opal was formed from tears of joy as Zeus wept after defeating the Titans. The Romans considered Opals symbolic of purity and believed them to prevent eye disease. And the Opal is of significant spiritual value in Aboriginal mythology as well.
There are several origins for the name Opal. One is that it is derived from Sanskrit "upala", meaning "precious stone". The Greeks knew it by "opallios", meaning “color change”, while the Romans referred to it as "opalus", which translates to "stone from many elements".

MODERN TIMES

Several types of Opal are particularly popular: Black Opals have a dark base which shows a more brilliant play of colors; Boulder Opal, which is a thick layer of Opal fused to brown host rock; and White Opals, the least expensive Opals, show a more diffused spectrum of colors.

Bearing a Mohs' Hardness rating of 5.5-6, Opals are not very hard. They also contain a considerable amount of water, which generally varies between 2 and 6%, but can be more. This varying percentage of water can make Opals brittle. For these reasons, care should be taken when cleaning them.

The Opal is also the birthstone for the month of October. It is also used to celebrate the fourteenth wedding anniversary, and as an alternate for the twelfth wedding anniversary. If your birthday is in the month of October, consider a pair of Black Hills Gold Opal earrings and perhaps a matching Opal pendant with a colorful, sparkling Opal.

Sapphire - September's Birthstone

The most celebrated and intense Sapphires are a rich, deep blue but Sapphire may be any color except red. Yellow, green, white, purple and even pink-colored corundum is referred to as Sapphire while true red-colored corundum is known as Ruby. While trace amounts of chromium result in the Ruby's red color, it is other elements, notably iron and chrome that result in the different colored stones referred to as Sapphires.

Like other gemstones, Sapphire crystals are formed by intense heat and pressure beneath the Earth over millions of years. During this process some Sapphires develop tiny needle-like crystals that result in a phenomenon called asterism. This is the optical property which causes a reflective surface in the shape of a "star". Popular Star Sapphires commonly have six ray stars, though Sapphires with twelve ray stars are possible.

HISTORY

Early use of Sapphires as gem stones dates back to around 800 BC when the ancient Persians believed that the sky was colored blue because of the reflection of Sapphires. Ancient tradition holds that the Ten Commandments were carved on Sapphire tablets, while Kings wore the stone around their necks to ward off evil and protect them from harm. The stone holds numerous associations with the Catholic Church as well, being listed as the second foundation stone in Revelations XXI.

The name Sapphire is commonly believed to come from the Latin and Greek words for blue, "saphirus" and "sapheiros", respectively. However, some associate the name Sapphire with the planet Saturn because it can be translated as “dear to the planet Saturn” in Vedic and a number of different languages.

MODERN TIMES

Blue is the color most associated with the personal qualities of friendship and loyalty, exuding harmony and wellness through truth and understanding. But it seems that ever since Prince Charles gave Princess Diana a Sapphire engagement ring there’s been an increase in the popularity of Sapphires used to represent fidelity and devotion. More and more couples are choosing this gem stone for engagement or eternity rings as well as journey necklaces.

Bearing a Mohs' Hardness rating of 9, Sapphires are the second hardest substance known to mankind, though the Diamond is nearly four times harder. This makes the Sapphire a very easy to care for gem stone. The Sapphire is also the birthstone for the month of September, and because it symbolizes sincerity and faithfulness, it makes a popular and sensible choice for an engagement ring. The Sapphire is also used to celebrate the fifth, forty-fifth and seventieth wedding anniversaries, and as an alternate for the seventh and tenth wedding anniversaries. If your birthday is in the month of September, consider a Black Hills Gold Sapphire ring or pendant with a beautiful deep blue Sapphire, available at BlackHillsGoldSource.com

Landstroms introduces line of inexpensive Vermeil Black Hills Gold

In an effort to help make owning authentic, quality, Landstroms Black Hills Gold jewelry a reality for many people In this time of economic uncertainty, Landstroms has just introduced their lower priced line of Black Hills Gold Vermeil jewelry.

Landstroms Vermeil (pronounced: ver•may) jewelry is hand crafted in .925 sterling silver, plated with 24 karat Black Hills Gold. The grape clusters, infinity symbol and accent motifs are made from 10 karat Black Hills Gold while the leaves are 12 karat. Since vermeil is made mostly of silver and not gold, it is much less expensive than solid Black Hills Gold, while retaining all of Landstroms legendary quality and unmatched appearance.

This new line is also a high quality alternative to all the low quality Black Hills Gold jewelry currently hitting the market.

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Peridot - August’s Birthstone

The Peridot (pronounced: pair•a•doe) is the yellowish to olive green gem variety of the mineral olivine. Olivine itself is comprised of two other minerals, fayalite and forsterite, the main composition of each being iron and magnesium, respectively. Though most Peridot is the magnesium rich forsterite, it’s the amount of iron in olivine which contributes most to the final color of Peridot, with amounts less than 15% resulting in the higher quality gems. Other trace elements that contribute to its color are nickel and chromium.

Like other gemstones, Peridot crystals are formed by intense heat and pressure beneath the Earth over millions of years. And over the years, Peridot has been confused with a number of other gemstones, such as the emerald because of its potential range of green color. Thus many jewelers refer to it as “evening emerald”, a nickname given to Peridot by the Romans.

HISTORY

Early use of Peridot dates back to around 1500 BC when it was mined on Saint John’s Island in the Red Sea, off the coast of Egypt. The Egyptians considered it the gem of the sun and used it extensively in their jewelry. In fact, early miners searched for Peridot at night because they believed that moonlight made the crystals easier to find. The finest Peridot is considered to come from Myanmar and Egypt, though a relatively new deposit discovered in 1994 in Kashmir has led to some of the world’s finest stones. Other important sources include China, Africa, Australia and the US where Arizona provides an abundant source, though of somewhat lessor quality.

Peridot was considered by the Egyptians to protect against infections and evil, and clean and heal the heart. It is also mentioned throughout the Bible where it symbolizes purity and morality. Many still consider Peridot a tonic for the whole body, believing that it has a healing effect on the gall bladder and liver, reduces stress and protects the wearer from negativity.

It is unclear where the word Peridot comes from as there are several popular beliefs. Some insist that the name Peridot comes from the Greek word “peridona”, which implies “to give richness”. But other beliefs are that the word comes from the Arabic word “faridat”, which means “gem “ or that it is derived from the word “peritot” which, in Old French, means “unclear”. Further, the stone is mentioned in the Bible under the Hebrew name of “pitdah”. Which of these is correct?

MODERN TIMES

Bearing a Mohs’ Hardness rating of 6.5 to 7, the Peridot is not a particularly hard gemstone. And because it’s many inclusions make it easily prone to cracking during cutting, it’s one of the more difficult gemstones for the cutter to work with. However, once the cutter has removed the major inclusions, the way the light refracts through the stone’s remaining ones give off a very rich glow. Because of its affordability, and since caring for it is fairly easy, the Peridot is becoming quite popular in modern times.

The Peridot is also the birthstone for the month of August, it’s vivid green making the perfect compliment to summer attire. The Peridot is also used to celebrate the first wedding anniversary, and as an alternate for the sixteenth wedding anniversary. If your birthday is in the month of August, consider a birthstone ring or pendant with the gemstones of your choice, including a beautiful, vibrant green Peridot.