Bear Chick Originals
Fearlessly Colorful!
Fearlessly Colorful! |
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Birthstones January *** Garnet Garnet exists in every color but blue. Because of its refractive properties, legend has it that Noah used a lantern of Garnet to guide the Ark and explorers used Garnet to light their way through the night and to prevent evil. Carl Faberge loved the green Garnets known as Demantoid, which he used frequently in his masterpieces. February *** Amethyst Amethyst is thought to encourage celibacy and sobriety and so it was used extensively in the churches of the Middle Ages and made into rosaries in Tibet. The goddess Diana turned a beautiful young girl named Amethyst into a quartz statue to protect her from the wrath of Dionysius and when Dionysius saw what he had wrought, he wept tears of wine which stained the quartz purple. March *** Aquamarine Said to be the treasure of mermaids and possess the power to keep sailors safe at sea, other legends of Aquamarine include protection against the devil, soothing properties to aid couples in their marriages and, if dreamt of, will bring new friends. Due to its transparent nature, designers love to cut and design this stone around inclusions, or impurities, in the stone for creative interest. April *** Diamond Found
as early as 500 BC in India, the word Diamond comes from the Greek "Adamas",
which means unconquerable, as in the strongest love. Symbols of love since
ancient times, romantics alternately believed them to be hardened dew drops,
splinters of stars or crystallized lightening. They're actually carbon and
unusual in the gem world because they're composed of a single element, where
most gems are a combination of elements. We usually think of Diamonds as
colorless but other hues available are blue, yellow, green and Ben gave J. Lo a
pink one. May *** Emerald Much older (3000 BC) and sometimes more expensive (up to $15,000 a carat) than diamond, Cleopatra treasured her Emeralds above all other gems and the Moguls of India inscribed them with sacred text. The best stones are bright green with minimal inclusions (natural flaws in the stone). The word Emerald comes from the French "Esmeraude", meaning green stone (you were expecting something more imaginative, weren't you?) and the best today are found in South America. June *** Pearl The
favorite of brides since ancient times, the Greeks believed Pearls would keep
newlywed women from crying and ensure marital bliss. Knights gave their ladies
Pearls and in the 14th and 15th centuries, wedding parties adorned themselves
with Pearls. Cultured Pearls are created by implanting a tiny bead into an
oyster, who, after being returned to the water, then covers the bead with layers
of a substance called Nacre. Freshwater pearls are created in the same way, only
in freshwater mussels. A genuine cultured Pearl should feel rough against your
teeth-the surface should never be completely smooth. July *** Ruby Gazing in Tiffany's window you wouldn't see a sign for sparkling red and blue corundum but you'd certainly see Rubies and sapphires. The name Ruby is from the Latin Rubeus, meaning, what else? Red. Many ancient peoples associated Rubies with light, some believing that the stone was self-illuminating, others weaving tales of Rubies lighting the rooms of Royalty. A large Ruby will fetch a higher price than a comparably sized diamond because large Rubies are very rare. Except for diamonds, Rubies (and Sapphires) are the hardest gems in the world. Maybe even the universe... August *** Peridot In Roman
times, Peridot was known as "Evening Emerald" because the color did not darken
at night, making it easily seen in lamplight. Often used to decorate
Medieval churches, Peridots of nearly 200 carats adorn the shrine of the three
Magi in Cologne Cathedral. St. Johns' Island, Egypt, in the Red Sea is the
oldest known source of Peridot. In recent times, however, the US was the
largest producer of Peridot but we're now getting competition from China and
Pakistan. The ancient belief was that those wearing Peridot would be
protected from evil spirits. Current suggested uses: Wear to Ozzy Osbourne
concerts and IRS audits. September *** Sapphire The name Sapphire is derived from a Greek word meaning blue and kings and queens wore them for good luck. Prince Charles single-handedly renewed the tradition when he presented a Sapphire engagement ring to Diana Spencer. Persians believed that the world rested on a Sapphire and the color of the sky was a reflection of the gem, however, Sapphires are found in all colors. Owing to their hardness, they are sometimes used in the tips of phonograph needles. If you don't know what a phonograph needle is, ask your parents. October *** Opal 95% of modern Opal is mined in Australia, where it was discovered by gold panners in 1849. Symbols of purity and protection from illness, Opals are actually quite fragile and should be protected from heat, strong light and hard knocks. If you wear Opals, you're in good company: Napoleon gave Josephine an Opal called The Burning of Troy and Queen Victoria is thought to be the savior of Opal by restoring it to popularity after a novel by Sir Walter Scott, in which a character died in conjunction with the stone, caused the Opal market to crash in the late 1800's. November *** Topaz The name Topaz is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit "tapas", meaning fire and the Romans and Egyptians both associated Topaz with their sun gods, Jupiter and Ra. Topaz wants to be treated gently, just like opal. Most Topaz is in the gold/brown/orange range--blue hues are created by irradiation. Imperial Topaz was a rare pink Russian stone declared by the Czar to be owned only by the Royal Family or anyone lucky enough to have it bestowed as a gift from them. December *** Turquoise Turquoise was mined as far back as 3200 BC and worn by Pharaohs. Mere mortals were not allowed to wear it in ancient Mexico, only Aztec kings. The name may have come from the French "turquie", for Turkey, from where it was erroneously believed the gem hailed. Actually, Turquoise is from Persia and the Sinai Peninsula and is usually mined as a byproduct of copper. It likes to be cleaned with soap and water--no chemicals. Before the 1880's most Native American designs consisted of solid beads, carvings or inlaid mosaics until a white trader persuaded Navajo artists to make jewelry with Turquoise and coin silver.
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