Think of every passing year as an opportunity to celebrate with your birthstone. In fact, people have been wearing birthstone jewelry since the 15^th century in Poland, when they were encouraged to own all 12. And while birthstone secrets and lore can be found right here on our blog, today we share what makes YOUR birthstone a powerful statement of your finest qualities.

The post Discover the Powers of Your Birthstone appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

July’s mesmerizing birthstone was called “the king of precious stones” in ancient India. It remains a fitting title today.

Like its sister gemstone sapphire, ruby is a variety of the mineral corundum. Corundum in its purest form is colorless. The trace element of chromium gives corundum a red hue, which can range from orangy red to purplish red. The more chromium found in ruby, the greater the intensity of the red color.

Sapphire and ruby are varieties of the mineral corundum. Image courtesy Hamilton Jewelers.

The history, legend and lore around rubies spans centuries. Warriors in Burma thought rubies made them invincible in battle. Ancient Hindus believed those who offered rubies to the god Krishna would be granted rebirth as emperors. And many medieval Europeans wore rubies to guarantee health, wealth, wisdom and luck in love.

Oval-shaped, 6.16 carat ruby. Image courtesy (c) Christie’s Images/The Bridgeman Art Library.

Ruby is most prized for its color. A pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish-red ruby is considered the most desirable. The purest, most intense ruby color has historically been called “pigeon’s blood”. These rubies have vivid color saturation, which is not too dark. Inclusions in a ruby affect its transparency. Inclusion-free rubies are practically nonexistent, so a ruby’s value partly depends on how visible its inclusions are. Fine-quality rubies over one carat are rare, but are highly prized.

Ruby necklace, earrings and ring.

Treatments are often used to improve ruby’s color, and you can expect the majority of rubies to be heat-treated at the mine. Heating can render a more pure red color, and remove minute needle-like inclusions. Rubies may also be treated with a lead glass-like filling to lessen the visibility of surface-reaching fractures and make the gem more transparent than it really is.

Synthetic rubies are also widely available and at many price points. In fact, in the late 1800s ruby became the first gem to be created in a laboratory. If you’re considering a ruby purchase, expect your jeweler to disclose whether the gem’s been treated or lab-created. And if buying a ruby you might consider purchasing a ruby with a GIA Ruby Report, which will confirm that your stone is, in fact, a natural ruby, identify any known treatments, and even indicate its geographic origin.

Synthetic triangle cut ruby is 3.90 carats and ruby crystal is 162.43 carats.

Ruby is the most durable gemstone, with a hardness rating of 9 on the Mohs scale, so it is relatively easy to care for. Cleaning a ruby regularly with just a little mild soapy water and a soft toothbrush is enough to maintain its fiery luster.

What shade of ruby do you prefer?

The post Ruby: The Undisputed King of the Red Gemstones appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

Our favorite leading ladies stepped onto the red carpet in vibrantly colored gowns bedecked with glittering jewels for this year’s 85th Academy Awards. Yesterday, we covered breathtaking blue gemstones, which enhanced bold sapphire-colored gowns worn by celebrities such as Lilly Collins and Jennifer Hudson. Today, we’ve compiled a list of colored gemstones in celebration of the glamorous demonstrations of color Oscars fashion has inspired.

Carmen Electra wearing Sutra Ruby and Diamond Earrings.

A perennial Oscars favorite, bold crimson hues were donned by Jennifer Aniston, Sally Field and Olivia Munn, just to name a few. GIA experts have selected some stunning red gemstones that could have elegantly amplified their ensembles.

Ruby

Fun fact: The color must be neither too dark nor too light to be considered finest quality. If the color is too dark it has a negative effect on the stone’s brightness. At the other extreme, if the color is too light, the stone is considered pink sapphire, even if color strength or intensity is high.

Ruby is the most valuable variety of the corundum mineral species and can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. Corundum has excellent toughness, and is harder than any other natural gem except diamond.  Color is the most significant factor affecting a ruby’s value. The finest ruby has a pure, vibrant red to slightly purplish-red color, and vivid color saturation.

Dona Dirlam, Director of GIA’s Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center expresses her admiration for red gem varieties. “The world of red gems is fascinating, and each stone tells its own story. Ruby – the king of red gems – will always be a classic choice, while red garnet offers a durable alternative that is great for everyday wear.”

Red Garnet

Because rough is plentiful, rhodolite is often cut by designer lapidaries into buff tops and free-form cuts with curved surfaces instead of facets.

Garnets are a set of closely related minerals that form a group, resulting in gemstones in almost every color, although red garnets are the most well-known. Rhodolite is the most valuable of the red garnets, and ranges from a dark, purplish raspberry red to a light reddish purple. In the best gems, the tone is medium to medium dark. Pyrope and almandite combine to form rhodolite and other red garnet varieties, but can also exist as separate species. Although both pyrope and almandite were important as gems in the past, mixtures of these two garnet species fill the red garnet marketplace today. Garnets are often remarkably free of inclusions that might reduce clarity and brilliance.

According to fashion reports, a pastel palette took the Oscar for red carpet fashion this year. Amy Adams, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence all wore stunning gowns in muted pastel shades, sure to spark Spring fashion trends moving forward. Commenting on the trend is no less an authority than GIA’s museum curator, Terri Ottaway.

“Pastel-colored gems such as aquamarine and morganite – both varieties of beryl – are a great way to lighten up a spring wardrobe. They’re popular gems and can really make a fashion statement.”

Below are some spectacular pastel-colored gemstones selected by GIA to pair with your favorite spring pieces.

Aquamarine

Fun fact: Aquamarine’s blue colors are reflected in its name, which comes from the Latin for “sea water.”

Aquamarine is the green-blue to blue variety of the mineral beryl. Its color is usually a light pastel greenish blue. The color of untreated aquamarine is often strongly greenish; heat treatment usually gives it a more bluish appearance. Aquamarine crystals are known to be large in size and relatively clean and well-formed, making them particularly valuable to collectors of mineral specimens.

Morganite

Fun fact: George Kunz, then-Tiffany’s colored stone specialist and a noted gem scholar, named the discovery after J.P. Morgan, an American banker and gem enthusiast.

Pink beryl is known as morganite in the gem trade, or even “pink emerald,” although many in the trade consider the latter term to be misleading. The gem was first discovered in Madagascar in 1911. Strong hues in morganite are rare, and gems usually have to be fairly large to achieve the finest color. Morganite’s color range includes pink, rose, peach and salmon. The gem is almost always heat-treated to improve the pink color. The resulting color is stable and won’t fade.

Which is your favorite red carpet-worthy gemstone option for Spring?

The post Colored Gems at the Oscars: Part 2 appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

Blame it on St. Valentine, but February is synonymous with the color red. Giving your special someone a red gemstone jewelry piece would be the ultimate token of affection to mark the upcoming holiday dedicated to romance. When considering purchasing a red gemstone such as ruby, garnet, or red diamond, there are a few key facts and considerations to keep in mind.

Ruby
Ruby is often referred to as the king of gemstones and is a variety of the mineral corundum. Like its sister, gem sapphire, rubies are second only to diamonds in hardness, which makes them a good choice for everyday wear. When purchasing a ruby, look for mixed-cut ovals and cushions as these cuts bring out the vibrant red of the stone. Rubies can display a rare optical phenomena called asterism, which has star-like rays. When shopping for a ruby, it’s important to make sure you know what you are buying. Synthetic rubies are popular and many are sold in jewelry today and most natural rubies are heat treated to enhance color. Additionally, other gemstones, including spinels and pink sapphires, can be mistaken for rubies, so it’s best to look at the gemological identification report before making a significant purchase.

Garnet
Garnets come in a multitude of colors including green and yellow, but are usually associated with the deep red variety from the minerals Almandite, Pyrope or Rhodolite. With a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, garnets are durable enough for daily wear.

Red Diamond
Natural-color red diamonds are among the rarest available. Color intensity often equates to higher value, so the purest and most saturated red diamonds are the most desirable. Red diamonds are not color graded according to the D-to-Z color scale. Colored, or “fancy-color” diamonds, are rated on a color scale that ranges from “Faint” to “Fancy Deep”. GIA produces a Colored Diamond Grading Report that many retailers will provide to accompany the diamond.

Please join us here later this week for the next red gemstone lineup! We’d love to know which of these red gemstones appeals to you the most, and why, so we welcome your comments.

The post Red Gemstone Buying Guide – Part 1 appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

Ruby, July’s birthstone, has been esteemed since ancient times, even mentioned in the Bible as one of the gems used to represent one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Platinum and 34-ruby Tiffany & Co. line bracelet, circa 1930.

Ruby is derived from the Latin word “ruber,” meaning “red” – the color of passion. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called “ratnaraj,” or “king of gems.”

The most sought after color for rubies is a deep, pure, vivid red to slightly purplish red.

Kings and queens have long enjoyed this rare gem, and rubies are amply represented in royal regalia. Burmese warriors also wore rubies to give them strength and courage in battle. This birthstone remains one of the most popular gems in history and is considered a source of harmony.

Worn by Miss California 2007, the upper section and chain has 89 small round diamonds. The lower section is set with 10 rubies, 1 oval diamond, 1 triangular diamond and 2 round diamonds. (Gift of INTAGEMS)

Check out ruby in the GIA Celebrates Birthstones exhibit at the GIA Carlsbad campus. Schedule a free tour 24 hours in advance by contacting guestservices@gia.edu; calling 800-421-7250, ext. 4116 or 760-603-4116; or visiting www.gia.edu.

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Few things catch the eye like ruby. This July birthstone has a color which can be described as a deep, pure, vivid red. Ruby, a variety of the mineral corundum (which also includes sapphires), is as historically captivating as it is beautiful. In the ancient language of Sanskrit, ruby is called ratnaraj or “king of precious stones” for its rarity, hardness (second only to diamond), beauty, and for its seemingly mystical powers. This gem was worn by men and women of past centuries who hoped to bring themselves success in life, love, wealth, health, and war.  Rubies were believed to predict misfortune or danger.

So, is Mom’s birthday in July? Maybe your girlfriend’s ring finger is looking lonely? Or is it high time you bought yourself a decadent present? Rubies are the answer. Beautiful in earrings, sparkling in rings, and especially striking in pendants, rubies ornament all types of jewelry. For the highest quality ruby, be sure to look for these qualities:

• Shape:  mixed-cut ovals and cushions are common cuts and there’s a reason for it – these multifaceted cuts will bring out the vibrancy of your ruby’s red.

• Color: Speaking of red, the rarest rubies boast a pure, vivid red hue, although some rubies contain a dash of pink, orange, or purple.

• Gemstone Variety:  This may seem like an obvious attribute to pay attention to, but making sure you are looking at a ruby as opposed to a pink sapphire is very important. Stones a little pinkish, purplish or orangy red are also considered rubies, but many gem and jewelry professionals make careful distinctions between a ruby and a pink, purple or orange sapphire.

• Treatments: The majority of all rubies are heated at the mine. They may also be treated with a lead glass-like filling. All treatments should be disclosed. If buying a ruby you might consider purchasing a ruby with a GIA Ruby Report, which will confirm that your stone is, in fact, a ruby, identify any known treatments, and even indicate its geographic origin.

The summer months are upon us, and the rubies are waiting for their time to shine.

The post July and the “King of Gemstones” – The Ruby Birthstone appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.