In the United States, topaz can be found in Maine, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and California, but we have minimal topaz compared to one of the world's largest producers, Brazil. In nature topaz occurs in colors of orange, pink-orange, brown, yellow, and very pale blue. The popular bright blue topaz you may have seen...
October babies are lucky enough to have two birthstones, and both can be mined in the USA! Tourmaline exists in a stunning array of colors (pink, green, and blue, to name a few), and each variety has its own unique name. Some of the most common in Maine are...
I absolutely love sapphires...and they happen to be my new baby niece's birthstone!! I am so excited for when I can make special Montana sapphire jewelry for her to wear. Sapphire gems can be gorgeous in jewelry, and are durable as well! Because sapphires are number nine on Moh's hardness scale...
May is my favorite month of the year...spring really comes into full bloom, the ground has thawed and we can start mining again, I can break out the kayak, and it just so happens that my birthday is in May too! Emerald is the traditional birthstone of May and can be very beautiful...
Click on "Continue Reading" to learn more about emeralds and agates!
Though April is almost over, I wanted to be sure to write a post about April's traditional birthstone, diamond! As you may have noticed, I do not use any diamonds in my jewelry, other than heirloom diamonds that a few clients have asked for me to create special homes for. The diamond industry is ugly...
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Aquamarine is March's birthstone. Aquamarine is a type of beryl that is blue, and naturally comes in shades from pale blue to deep aqua. Other types of beryl include emerald, morganite, and golden beryl.
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Amethyst is February's birthstone. Amethyst is quartz that is purple, and naturally comes in shades from light lilac to dark violet. With a hardness of 7 on Moh's Hardness scale, amethyst makes a wonderful and durable gem for use in jewelry, including rings.
Click "Continue Reading" to learn about American amethyst...
