Pigeon blood. Not exactly the words that conjure up thoughts of overwhelming love and affection, especially when giving a gift to your beloved, but it should. Why? Because true pigeon blood, red-blue, is the ideal color of the most popular gemstone symbolizing love; the ruby.
The birthstone of July, the ruby is most often given during Valentines Day because the simple red color historically denotes love, passion, and joy. Looking through jewelry stores or on-line sites, the selection and setting possibilities are endless. Rubies rank a 9 on the Mohs Scale, second only to diamonds, and are considered a precious gem. In fact, the best quality rubies are actually rarer than diamonds, and can be found set in all kinds of precious metals; from silver to gold and platinum. When choosing rubies as a gift of love, consider giving a pendant in your metal of choice so that the fiery stone that can be worn close to the heart.
Within the rubies themselves are many different tones, shades, variations and qualities. The first thing a shopper will notice is the color. If what you see before you is a pink, cloudy looking stone, walk away. The highest quality natural rubies will be a true red, or a red that will have a slight black, blue, or purple undertone; hence the name ‘pigeon blood’. These different color undertones will help identify where the gem was mined, and all are of good value. If, however, the gem you are looking at is light and almost pink in color, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, if the gem is almost pure black, then that is not the ruby for you. Something to keep in mind before you shop; a natural, small, high-quality ruby will more expensive than a large, poor-quality ruby.
It is perfectly acceptable to ask the jeweler to show you the gem under a microscope, just as you would when purchasing diamonds. Here is the main difference between scoping diamonds and scoping rubies; rubies are expected to have a fair number of natural inclusions. If the gem you are scoping does not, either the gem is completely false and you should walk away, or the gem is a lab-created stone.
Lab-created gems are gemstones formed in perfect conditions in laboratories. They are spot-on for color and quality and are considerably cheaper than natural gems making them ideal for price conscious shoppers, but there is one flaw; they are too perfect. Not having any natural inclusions within the gem is a dead give-away that the gem was created under perfect conditions rather than mined from nature. That isn’t to say that lab-created gems don’t have their place in the jewelry market; quite the opposite is true. Lab-created gems are perfect for those who wish to give a large ruby of good color at a lower price. Just keep in mind that the seasoned jewelry owner will not be fooled by the gem’s appearance.
Why give a natural gem that is flawed when you can give a lab-created gem that is not? Natural beauty in gems is not to be misplaced. Flaws are to be embraced as part of the hallmark of where the gem has been on its way to find you. When deciding upon lab-created or natural gems, keep in mind the wearer. Giving a natural ruby to the person who has been with you through rough times, and knows your flaws as well as you know theirs, is symbolic of how deeply you love. When a love is so pure, the flaws do not distract from it; they enhance it.
Ruby, the Gemstone of Love
Saying “Marry Me” with Colored Gems
Working at a jewelry store years ago I assisted a customer in picking out a lovely emerald ring. Standing beside her was her fiancé when she spotted the perfect deep-toned emerald-cut emerald, accented on the sides by channel set diamonds. “This is it!” she cried. “This is my wedding ring!” Admittedly, I was slightly confused until her fiancé agreed. “You’re right,” he said, “those diamond rings just weren’t ‘you’.” They went on to explain that their life was full of adventure, with a deep appreciation of the outdoors, and couldn’t think of a better way to remind them of their shared interests than wedding rings that would remind them of nature. What else could they choose but a brilliant green emerald?
In the past few years, America taken a cue from other cultures and has witnessed the growing trend in bridal fashions that include either omitting diamonds entirely or accenting the diamond center stone with various colored gems. Gone are the days of monotone bridal sets. In this day and age, couples rings are made from various colored metals; no longer all gold. Many times couples are opting for rings that don’t match each other, instead finding rings that suit them as individuals. Couples have gone beyond choosing various colored metals for their rings and are now choosing various colored gemstones as well. But how can you choose the right colored gem for your fiancé?
The obvious choice would be to choose her favorite color or her birth month as an accent stone. But looking deeper, you might want to consider using the stone from the month you first met, or as the story regales above, something that reminds you of a shared interest. Good advice to follow here; if your shared interest is a particular football team (such as the Minnesota Vikings), be sure you are both really committed to the team before choosing amethyst (purple) and citrine (gold). You might want to re-think that choice and keep it simple with one color.
Another option is choosing a color based on her best feature. The first thing you first noticed about her was her brilliant blue eyes? How about complementing her diamond with sapphires, blue topaz, or iolite? Was it her red hair that made you weak in the knees? Choose ruby, fire opal, or garnet.
Looking even deeper than all of that, you might want to choose an accent stone based upon the symbolism of the gem. Sapphire is considered the gemstone of the sky because it was believed that the world sat upon an enormous sapphire and it was reflected in the blue of the sky. Does your love for her soar beyond the birds of the air? In ancient Rome, green was the color of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. By offering an emerald as an accent to a diamond, you are proclaiming your beloved as your goddess. Do you have a deep religious affiliation? It was believed that Noah used a garnet lantern to help him steer his ark through the dark night. Choosing a garnet as an accent will tell her that through all uncertainty, the two of you will weather the storm, two by two.
When none of these ideas seem to fit, take a step back and think about her personality. Is she feisty? Think red. Is she cool and collected? Choose blue. Is she warm and loving? Orange or yellow. Feminine? Pink. Whatever color you choose will be the right compliment in her wedding ring for the simple reason that you took the time to really think about it – after all, that’s the most important thing.
Am I Blue? Knowing Sapphires
Ancient Persians once thought that the earth was set upon an enormous sapphire, the reflection of which could be seen in the sky. This romantic idea has endured the discoveries made throughout time and has secured the sapphire’s place as one of the most sought after gemstones.
The sapphire is September’s birthstone and ranks a 9 on the Mohs Scale, which means that the durability of a sapphire is tied with the ruby and is second only to the diamond. Most often gifts of sapphire are popular for those who celebrate a birthday in September, however, the ancient trend of giving sapphires as an engagement ring is making a slow comeback; one that started in the 1980’s when Price Charles presented Lady Diana with an engagement ring of sapphire surrounded by diamonds. The stone itself is said to symbolize sincerity and faithfulness which makes it an excellent and unique choice.
Gifts of sapphire can be found in an endless array of settings using various precious metals. Due to its durability, this gem is ideally suited for placement in a ring, as it is able to hold up to everyday impact. The ideal marriage of a fine gem with a fine metal would be to place the sapphire in platinum, a timeless metal that will hold its shape and luster.
When searching for sapphires, the average buyer can be overwhelmed by the variety of gems. A sapphire is a sapphire; blue is blue, right? Not really. First of all, sapphires can be found in every color; from blues to pinks, oranges, yellows, and even white. Every color, that is, except red. Why? Because red sapphires are known by a different name – rubies. The sapphire and the ruby are from the same corundum family of minerals and that is why sapphires and rubies are often paired and displayed together. They are nature’s siblings. Sapphires other than the traditional blue color are known as fancy sapphires. Fancy sapphires offer a beautiful variety of colors for the buyer to choose from, however they are considered slightly less valuable. The traditional blue sapphire is more desirable among collectors, but even within that one color, there are endless variations.
When shopping for a blue sapphire, the buyer will be faced with everything from pale sky-blue to dark navy-blue and everything in between. Top quality sapphires are royal blue with no gray, black, or green overtones. A completely internally flawless stone is next to impossible to find and must be kept in mind when viewing the gem under a microscope. Try to think of the inclusions as natures watermark on where the gem has been on its way to you so as not to see the gem as flawed, but rather stamped with Mother Nature’s seal of approval.
Star sapphires are a unique occurrence as it is the flaw that makes the stone valuable. What makes the star effect in the sapphire is a tiny, needle like inclusion in the gem. The stones are cut to a cabochon shape (dome) to enable the dancing star effect in the middle of the gem to be visible. Used most often for men’s fashions, the star sapphire is becoming an increasingly rare gem.
How can sapphires be so rare when a buyer can find them at every store and on-line? Two reasons: 99.9% of all natural sapphires are now heat-treated to enhance their natural colors and hide flaws; and lab-created gems are widely accepted and easily obtained everywhere. Lab-created sapphires will have a few tell-tale signs, however – they are less expensive, often are large in shape, and the color will be a spot-on true royal blue. As always, buyer, know exactly what you are paying for when shopping for the highly revered sapphire.
