The THREE birthstones of December

December is the year’s biggest gift-giving month, and fortunately, there are three birthstones to choose from: tanzanite, zircon, and turquoise. Ranging in various shades of purples and blues, these stones have the ability to capture the cool, wondrous essence of the winter season.

Tanzanite: The beauty and brilliance of tanzanite stones have often been compared to sapphires. When it comes to appearance between the two, they are almost impossible to tell apart. But because sapphires are natural in color and are a much more durable stone, they are more expensive, making tanzanite a desirable, affordable alternative to sapphires. When heat-treated, a tanzanite’s natural, unattractive color replicates a sapphire’s brilliant blue, making it a sought-after stone for December birthdays.

Zircon: Blue ranging anywhere from lively pastel to brilliant is the most common and popular varietal of zircon; however, the stone can be found in shades of pink, green, yellow, and purple. The colorless form of zircon can be mistaken for diamond or cubic zirconia, making it desirable as an alternative to either. However, the strength of a zircon stone does not compare to that of a diamond. The diamond-esque quality of zircon, as well as the range of colors it is available in, makes this gemstone versatile and appealing. 

Turquoise: Another beautifully blue stone representing December is the ever-popular, timeless turquoise. Around for centuries and used frequently in the Native American culture, turquoise comes in different hues of blues and greens and can range from smooth to porous. This stone stands alone attractively in jewelry, and has the ability to compliment other stones nicely in a piece.  

November's Birthstones - Topaz vs Citrine

Citrine and Topaz – the two birthstones of November – are often confused with one another because of their yellowish-brown appearances. However, the visual potential of Topaz far surpasses the limited yellow and brown hues of citrine. Coming in a rainbow of color – the most popular, blue – topaz is one of those hardy stones that has endless potential when it comes to jewelry design.

The wide array of color that Topaz is available in

Topaz comes in shades of pink, light green, blue, red, yellow, and even black.  For those with November birthdays, this wide array of colors is helpful when choosing a piece of jewelry that can represent the rich, warm colors of fall. This is also true of citrine.

Though it is more limited in ranges of color, this stone is also the perfect gift-giving stone for those with November birthdays. It is a rather hardy and inexpensive stone with the most sought-after colors ranging from clear, radiant yellowish to brownish-red; again, perfect colors for fall.

The shades of Citrine

Though they can be similar in appearance, topaz is a much higher-quality and valued stone. 

Seeing the Beauty in October's TWO Birthstones

For most people, the word “Opal” triggers images of milky white stones with flecks of assorted, muted colors. The words “fiery” or “spectacular” are nowhere in sight or mind. That is, until you see one. The stark contrast between the two images below is vast and undeniable.

As with most stones, there are different qualities about them, and those qualities are what set them apart from others in their own family. Most opals displayed in stores are the least interesting, lowest quality stones. Most people have never seen just how exquisite and vibrant opals have the ability to be.

An opal’s background color often provides the backdrop it needs to display the play-of-color going on in the stone. A black background lets those colors pop in a bright, beautiful way, turning opal into what we believe is one of the most interesting stones there are.

Opals with white backgrounds tend to wash out the colors and leave them appearing as mild, pastel-like afterthoughts of blended color. 

This, unfortunately, is what people associate with opals.

We here at Poway Fine Jewelers don’t always carry the dynamite opal that we are showing you here, but we have access to it for all you October babies (or those shopping for their October babies!)       

Tourmaline – a stone with one of the widest color ranges of any gem species in the world – is October’s second birthstone. With a variety of hues in shades of red, pink, magenta, peach, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, tourmaline lives up to its name, which means “mixed stone”.  Those with October birthdays can choose from a multitude of colors and shades to mix-and-match for bracelets and pendants, or select a solid color or a rare two or three-color tourmaline for a ring or pendant. The options are endless.

And if you’re in the market for this stone, San Diego has some of the most prominent tourmaline around. A mine located in Mesa Grande has been in use for the past 100 years and contains some of the highest quality tourmaline in the world. 

The Timeless Blue of September's Sapphire

A woman’s innate attraction to September’s sapphire birthstone is almost as natural as the ocean and sky is blue. Poway Fine Jewelers owner Tim says that, without even realizing it, woman are drawn to blues in jewelry, clothes, etc. for an array of reasons.

One, it is simply a color that coordinates with everything. While other colors may clash with a woman’s attire, there are two precious stones that are undeniably universal when it comes to harmonizing her clothes and/or jewelry: diamonds and sapphires.

Two, the color blue compliments all seasons, especially the warmth of spring and the cool, richness of fall and winter. It is an untiring, dedicated and timeless color. 

It is true that sapphires are available in a rainbow of color – all but red (those are called rubies) – but blue sapphires are the most popular, relevant, and sought after stone. There is nothing quite like the brilliance of a blue sapphire, and it is this brilliance that captures a woman’s eye. With many stones, such as emeralds and aqua marines, the deeper, darker hues represent quality and expense, but this does not hold true for sapphires.

In fact, a sapphire’s quality has nothing to do with shade and everything to do with brilliance. A stand-alone sapphire might appear beautiful and flawless, but when held close to another, hues of green or gray might become apparent, revealing a lack of a stone’s quality.

At Poway Fine Jewelers, we buy only the finest quality stones because, after all, that’s what a sapphire is all about – beauty and quality. While many sapphires will seduce a woman with its sparkle, the truth is, that sparkle may be a simple reflection of the light in the room; the sparkle is on the outside. The beauty of a sapphire truly depends on the brilliance of the stone – the quality of blue, the cut that allows it to shine, and the purity of its appearance.  

It may be tempting for those who love the color blue and want it to sparkle on their finger or around their neck to seek out a less expensive blue stone called tanzanite, but beware – tanzanite is not capable of a sapphire’s beauty and is not nearly as strong. It will scratch and chip long before a sapphire ever will.

We have an entire case dedicated to blue sapphires, filled with rings, pendants, loose stones, and earrings.  These pieces make wonderful gifts for your special September-birthday someone.

  

The Beauty of August's Birthstone - Peridot - is in the Eye of YOU

As the famous quote goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and this holds true for August’s birthstone, peridot. Ranging from light, mint-green to a much darker, olive color, the desired shade and brilliance of this stone is up to you. And while a range of color exists with peridot, few people know it. Pieces of peridot jewelry found in mall stores are typically the dark, olive-color that Tim finds less attractive than the lighter, rarer, shades.

The intensity and tint of green depends on how much iron is found in the crystal structure of the stone. In addition to mints and olives, peridot can also come in yellowish lime colors to brownish-greens. 

Originating in Egypt, peridot was once called the “Gem of the Sun.” Some of the finest peridot stones are referred to as “Evening Emeralds” for their resemblance to emeralds under artificial light. 

At Poway Fine Jewelers, Tim carries one of these rare, mint-green stones, which is waiting for just the right buyer. The stone can be placed in jewelry to resemble either an August birthday, or a 16-year anniversary celebration.