Zircon is the oldest known mineral on earth, with the first zircons found about 4.46 million years old, probably coming from Western Australia. The name zircon is thought to come from the Persian word zargun which means gold-colored, but zircon comes in a wide range of colors. Over the years, zircon has lost much of …
The official birthstone for the month of September, sapphire classically recognized for its deep blue color is also found in a vast array of other colors. Sapphire is from the mineral corundum. Ruby which has the same composition as sapphire is red corundum. Blue is the most sought after color of sapphire, but the rare …
The name Lapis Lazuli comes from the Persian word, lazhward, which means blue. Lapis lazuli can be seen in jewelry, amulets, carvings and talismans. It was one of the stones in the ‘Breastplate of Judgement’ of Aaron, described in the bible (Exodus: xxviii, 15-30). Another notable use of lapis lazuli is, its use as an …
Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March. The name aquamarine comes from the Latin word aqua marina meaning water or the sea, in reference to its color. Aquamarine is from the beryl family and is the pale green to blue type of the mineral. Aquamarine gets its color from trace amounts of iron …