All about Gemstones

The Magic of Gemstones

Of all the beautiful and precious materials that are used to make jewellery, perhaps the greatest mystique attaches to gemstones. Who hasn't dreamed of treasure chests full of emeralds, rubies or sapphires? Even the very names conjure up images of exotic luxury and splendour.

Most gemstones start their life as natural mineral crystals that are mined from the ground. In their natural state they mostly resemble coloured rocks and it is the polishing and cutting processes that bring out their inner beauty. Technically, the term gemstone refers to minerals that are cut and polished for use in jewellery, although some organic materials such as amber and coral are often considered to be gemstones as well. They can be classified by their chemical composition, colour, crystal structure and other physical properties. Often the same mineral occurs in several different forms and is known by different names - for example, both rubies and sapphires are types of corundum, the crystal form of Aluminium Oxide; the different colours come from different amounts of impurities included in the crystals.

More about individual gemstones

Below we have listed a number of the most common gemstones that we use in our jewellery. Click on the links for more information on particular stones:

More information on gemstones

Here are some more helpful articles about gemstones:

• Gemstone Settings