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. 

Beauty of the Ruby - July's Birthstone

A ruby has every quality a precious stone should have – magnificent color, excellent hardness, and exceptional brilliance; so it is no wonder it has been referred to as the King of the Gemstones. In addition to its appearance, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities. 

And even better? It’s built (so-to-speak) to last. 

The hardness of a precious stone does not necessarily translate to toughness or durability. It simply means that – on a scale of 1 (very soft) to 10 (very hard) – a stone has the ability to resist abrasion and scratching. Diamonds are a strong 10, while rubies are not far behind with a solid 9. 

This reason alone qualifies the ruby as one of Tim’s favorites; mixed with, of course, the stone’s undeniable beauty. Used to represent 40th wedding – or “Ruby” – anniversaries, Tim has worked with numerous couples over the years to create the perfect celebratory piece. 

In his store, he carries only the highest quality Thailand and Burmese (Myanmar) rubies – not necessarily the cheapest in price, but the cleanest, brightest, most brilliantly colored red stones you’ve ever seen. The presence of these quality rubies are right up there with sapphires and emeralds, two of the world’s most brilliant and quality precious stones. 

It’s probably needless to say at this point, but you July babies are lucky to have rubies in your court. Ranging from pinkish tones to medium-intensity reds to deep reds, rubies supply endless and timeless beauty.  

June Has TWO birthstones (and one of them is Tim's favorite!)...read about them here!

Most people are surprised to learn that there are 19 birthstones in our 12-month calendar. That means some months are represented by one stone, others by two, and there’s even one represented by three! Choices are wonderful things, especially when it comes to jewelry design and colorful options to mix and match – but it can also be a bit confusing. 

When you hear “April,” you probably think “Diamond”. You hear “December,” you most likely think “Tanzanite” (but really, December is the month with three stones!)

Over the next 12 months, you can visit our blog to learn all about each month’s stone (or stones). For now, we’ll start with June. 

Pearls are a girl’s best friend in June, but so is a lesser-known friend – and a mighty vibrant and ever-changing one – named Alexandrite. No description for pearls is needed. They are simply elegant and timeless, and you June babies are lucky to have them! Want to add a little color to good ol’ Pearl? Enter Alexandrite – a scarce and valuable stone that possesses chameleon-like features. In different lights, it can change from greenish-blue to purplish-red.

Of all the stones in the world, Poway Fine Jewelers Owner Tim Dooley says Alexandrite is by far, his favorite. With such a variety of colors and shades and styles, choosing a favorite gem might seem tough, but for Tim, it's the stone's durability, beauty and timelessness that make it stand out. And fortunately, after a time in the 19th century when the stone was headed toward extinction, the discovery of Alexandrite in Brazil in the mid 1980s has doubled the world's supply.  

When you blend June's two stones, here's what you can get! (Look below the pictures for some fun facts about Pearls and Alexandrite!)

Pearls: 

- Natural pearls are extremely rare and very costly
- Most pearls are "cultured," meaning they are grown in a pearl farm
- More than 10,000 pearls may be sorted before a 16" single strand of beautifully matched pearls can be assembled
- Saltwater pearls include the akoya cultured pearls and are grown in Japanese and Chinese waters; they typically range in size from 2 mm to 10 mm and are usually round and white or cream in color
- Freshwater pearls are grown in freshwater lakes, river,
and ponds predominately in China
                                                      - Imitation pearls are usually a coated glass bead

 Alexandrite: 

- Alexandrite is a relatively modern gem, discovered in Russia in 1831
- In addition to Alexandrite's green-to-red color change (from daylight to incandescent light), some Alexandrite can change from yellowish or pink to raspberry red
-Alexandrite is often referred to "emerald by day, ruby by night"
-In addition to one of June's birthstones, Alexandrite is also the gem for the 55th wedding anniversary

Colors of the Year – A Guide to the 19 Birthstones of our 12-Month Calendar

We are in the midst of a brand new year, and to give it a good kick-start, we wanted to provide you with a guideline for gift-giving for the next 12 wonderful months of birthdays! Whether you’re looking for a special Valentine’s gift right now or for that perfect birthday present later on, we’d like to help steer you in the right direction. 

What comes to mind when you add jewelry+birthdays? Birthstones, of course. And there’s a lot of confusion with these beauties, so we’d like to clear them up. 

First of all, let’s take a quick little, internal test. Answer these questions for us. What is the birthstone of March? Did you say aquamarine? If you did, you’re right. Half right. March has ANOTHER birthstone, called Bloodstone. These stones are about as opposite in appearance as you can get. While the ranges of aquamarine – mixed intensities of deep blue to blue-green – are very recognizable, the dark green almost-black jaspers are not. Both are beautiful in their own way, and just like March babies can enjoy these varietals, so can most of you who were born in other months. 

Here’s an easy breakdown (and reference guide!) of every birthstone in all 12 months. 

January: Sorry January babies…not to contradict our previous statement, but there is only one birthstone for you. Fortunately, it’s a beautiful one that comes in a rainbow of colors (so there may as well be more than one stone, right??). Garnet can range from the deep reds that most envision when they think of garnet, to green, orange, pink, purple, and even black. Choose one or go ahead and mix a variety of garnet stones for your loved one with a January birthday; the options are endless. 

   

February: Amethyst is the only birthstone for February, but what a wonderful one to represent a solo-stone month. It is a semi-precious stone, and a varietal of quartz, that ranges in color from light pink to deep purple.  

March: See above

April: Those of you lucky enough to be born in the month of April already know that your birthstone is the one-of-a-kind Diamond. The word alone provokes images of clear, bright white beautiful stones, but diamonds also range in color from yellow to blue to pink and black. There’s no limit as to what can be done with these gorgeous stones. BUT…did you know that April babies can also choose from a wide variety of Sapphire stones as well? As April’s secondary birthstone, Sapphire (or “blue brilliant”), can also be found in shades of orange, blue, yellow, purple, and green.  

  

May: The rich, green color of May’s birthstone, the Emerald, carries the color of spring and radiates beautifully vivid tones. Another solo-stone month, but we are okay with this. The Emerald is strong and brilliant enough to hold its own!

June: Pearls are a girl’s best friend in June, but so is a lesser-known friend – and a mighty vibrant and ever-changing one – named Alexandrite. No description for pearls is needed. They are simply elegant and timeless, and you June babies are lucky to have them! Want to add a little color to good ol’ Pearl? Enter Alexandrite – a scarce and valuable stone that possesses chameleon-like features. In different lights, it can change from greenish-blue to purplish-red. 

June's ALEXANDRITE

July: Awe, Rubies. Red, red, red. Beautiful. It’s the only stone for July, and that’s okay. This stone signifies love in its deepest form. Ranging in shades from light to deep red, the jewelry options are endless.

August: Peridot is a beautiful stone that, as rare as this is, only comes in one color – green. But don’t worry. If you want to mix it up with some other earth-tone colors to give it some diversity, you can add a stone called Sardonyx – August’s SECOND BIRTHSTONE – which contains bands of browns, reds, and whites.  

August's SARDONYX

September: The Sapphire, said to represent the purity of the soul, is September’s birthstone. Its rich blue presence evokes this emotion and, set in jewelry, offers a vivacious appearance that demands adoration. 

October: Opal – a beautiful stone that ranges from milky white to black and possesses flecks of yellows, reds, blues, greens, and oranges – probably comes to mind as October’s birthstone. And it is. But the month’s secondary stone is Tourmaline, famous for its pink center, white ring, and green edge.

October's TOURMALINE

November: Another twofer month, November’s stones are the Topaz – available in a rich range of colors – and the Citrine – ranging from pastel yellow to dark brownish orange. 

December: What a perfect month to have THREE stones to choose from. Shoppers for December babies and of Christmas gifts are in luck. The three birthstones of December - Tanzanite, Zircon, and Turquoise – are mostly bluish-shades in nature, but range in other colors and provide an endless world of jewelry-making possibilities.   

 

The Beautiful Blues of December