Turquoise, Zircon & Blue Topaz: December's Birthstones

December is another month where the traditional and modern birthstones differ. Basically, the December birthstones are all blue -- turquoise, zircon and blue topaz. 

Turquoise is one of the oldest jewelry gemstones, with examples having been found in the tomb of Queen Zer, an Egyptian queen, who died thousands of years ago. The name turquoise is derived from a French word meaning Turkish stone. The Turks, however, were just the middleman in the merchant trade for beautiful blue stones from Persia. The Persian turquoise is superbly clear, generally devoid of the matrix normally seen in turquoise from other places. In fact, today the highest grade of turquoise is referred to as Persian turquoise, regardless of where it comes from.

Different varieties of turquoise showing colors and matrix types. (Courtesy of Durango Silver Co.

There are many varieties of turquoise, with each mine around the world having distinctive characteristics. This is a chart showing many varieties from American turquoise mines.

The Victorians used Persian turquoise in many of their jewelry, set in both silver and gold (or gold-filled) settings.

This Victorian barpin is set with two Persian turquoise stones ($95.00)

American Southwestern jewelry has included turquoise for over a century. Both the Native American and Mexican silversmiths have made items with turquoise and continue to do so today.

This is a large Native American brooch/pendant with a concentric cluster design known as petit-point. ($495.00)

This piece is known as a row bracelet and was done in designs that incorporated from one to five or more rows of round or square turquoise cabochons ($225.00)

Beautiful row bracelet with delicate needlepoint turquoise stones. ($295.00)

Another Native American silver & turquoise bracelet with feathers, leaves and vines in the motif ($225.00)

Petit-point earrings ($165.00)

We have a large variety of Southwestern silver & turquoise rings (from $45.00 each)

Gorgeous necklace & bracelet set with greenish-blue turquoise stones. Early 1900s and probably from the Mid-East ($395.00 set)

Zircon is a wonderful blue gemstone that is not seen a lot today. The blue in the zircon is generally produced by heat-treating clear stones. Blue topaz has somewhat replaced it as the alternate December birthstone. Blue topaz is also the result of heat-treatment of clear topaz stones, but it occurs both naturally and artificially. Either stone is beautiful and create wonderful pieces of jewelry.

Huge light blue topaz solitaire cocktail ring in a very modern design. ($165.00) 

Lovely heart-shaped blue topaz stone set in yellow gold with diamond accents. This comes in a necklace and earring set ($295.00 set)

Ring with blue topaz stone set in yellow gold with diamond accents  ($295.00)

Citrine & Golden Topaz: November's Birthstones

November has two birthstones ... the golden honey colored stones citrine and topaz. These stones are often confused because their colors are so close. Also, each of these have sister stones that do not qualify as November birthstones. Citrine is a golden form of quartz, whose counterpart is the purple amethyst. (Amethyst is the February birthstone.) Topaz is a more expensive stone than citrine or amethyst whose primary color is a golden honey yellow. Its blue version is not a natural color, rather produced by heating clear stones to change the color to blue. (Blue topaz is an alternate birthstone for December.)

The Romans were thought to be the first to wear yellow quartz, crafting it into cabochons, highly polished but unfaceted cuts of stone set into jewelry.  Citrine became quite popular during the Romantic Period, when artisans often favored these warm colored gems to enhance gold jewelry. Citrine, like all forms of quartz, was believed to have magical powers and was worn as a talisman against evil thoughts and snake venom.

Topaz is associated with constancy, loyalty, faithfulness and friendship. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all wore topaz for its special powers. During the Middle Ages topaz was thought to heal both physical and mental disorders and prevent death. Today, the golden yellow topaz, also called precious topaz, is considered a warm, beautiful gemstone that stands for fidelity.

Who first comes to this world below

With drear November's fog and snow

Should prize the topaz' amber hue

Emblem of friends and lovers true

The most famous topaz is actually a colorless topaz that was originally thought to be a diamond. It is a 1680 carat stone known as the "Braganza Diamond" and was set in the Portuguese Crown Jewels. Another beautiful topaz is in the Green Vault in Dresden which has one of the world's most important gem collections.

Here at Vintages we have several very nice citrine jewelry items. (We do not have any golden topaz pieces at this time.) Here is a gallery of our citrine jewelry. 

Sterling silver ring with citrine solitaire ($89)

Hand crafted sterling silver ring with citrine ($89)

Large citrine gemstone pendant ($69)

Fantastic rough cut citrine lariat necklace with keshi pearls and Australian rock opals ($195)

Brilliant 14K gold pendant with citrine, peridot, garnets and amethysts ($95)

While not a piece of jewelry, this distinctive Victorian citrine topped, gold-filled mechanical pencil is never-the-less a beautiful item.

Victorian era (c1870) gold-filled telescoping mechanical pencil with a citrine jewel embedded in the top ($79)

Opal: October's Birthstone

Opal ... that beautiful, fiery stone that has both intrigued and mystified women for centuries. While many cultures have considered opals a gift from heaven and an omen of good luck, its negative reference in a Sir Walter Scott novel (Anne of Geierstein) in 1929 caused a precipitous drop in opal sales and brought about the fear of bad luck and death from the stone. Queen Victoria did not buy into the superstition, wearing and collecting opals throughout her reign.

Queen Victoria with Opal Bracelet • Photo courtesy of kingopal.com.au

In 1954 the Australian Government presented Queen Elizabeth II with one of the world's most famous opals - the Andamooka Opal (or Queen's Opal). This 203 carat opal is set into a wonderful necklet made of palladium.

Quee Elizabeth II with the Queen's Opal • Photo courtesy of kingopal.com.au

Rene Lalique found opals to his liking for his art nouveau jewelry. Both opal's color and carvability played well with his sinuous designs. Lalique made this diadem in the shape of a mermaid from antique bronze, emeralds and sculpted opal.

Rene Lalique Mermaid Diadem c.1897

The artist who carved the opal pendant on this necklace was a master.  Circa 1920, this carved opal leaf pendant is spectacular.

Sculpted Opal Pendant Necklace (Private Collection)

Here at Vintages, we have a small collection of very nice opal jewelry, from antique Victorian bar pins to modernist rings. Here is a selection that are available online.

Opal & Gold-filled Brooches: (clockwise from top left) Revival Opal Bar Pin ($59); Victorian Opal Clover Pin ($95); Victorian Opal & Amber Crystal Bar Pin ($75)

Opal Pendants (L-R: $35 & $22)

Modernist Silver Inlaid with Opal: Earrings and Ring ($69 each)

Arts & Crafts Stickpin with Fiery Opal Cabochon ($49)

For more photos and information about opals visit King Opal, an interesting and informative site from one of the larger Australian opal suppliers.

Carnelian & Peridot: August's Birthstones

Carnelian, the traditional and ancient birthstone for August, is a versatile stone, comfortable in antique settings and yet popular in modernist jewelry as well. It is a form of chalcedony, which is basically quartz. Colors range from orange to blood red, the latter being the most prized color.

In jewelry, carnelian is used as beads and cabochons, or carved into wonderful shapes, like scarabs, cameos and the like. I have seen larger pieces carved into small statues, trinket boxes and handles for elaborate tools. It has been prized and used since antiquity when it was sourced off the surfaces of the Egyptian and Arabian deserts.

Carnelian intaglio with a Ptolemaic queen holding a sceptre, decorated with gemstones in a gold frame (1st century BC)

Peridot is an under-rated gemstone. It can be a beautiful bright green gem when faceted or a luscious pale green when displayed as a cabochon. In the 1830's and 1840's peridot was a favored stone, but its popularity truly rose at the end of the 19th century during the aesthetic period of the Victorian era (1890-1901) and the reign of Edward VII of England (1901-1910). The stone is still popular today, as it is a fine "substitute" for emeralds in less costly jewelry, adds an excellent sparkle to jade pieces when such glitz is desired, and is just plain pretty on its own.

Peridot, seed pearl & amethyst pendant in Suffragette colors c1910

We have a nice selection of carnelian and peridot jewelry at Vintages, both online and in the shop. Here is a sampling of our available selection.

Modernist sterling and carnelian earrings ($75)

Modernist sterling, carnelian and lapis pendant ($65)

Victorian mourning watch fob locket onyx & carnelian in 10K gold ($195)

Three carnelian rings in different settings ($49 to $69 each)

Three peridot bracelets: Top to Bottom: Sterling ($135); Sterling ($85); 14K white gold ($585)

14K gold drop earrings with peridot and jade ($245)

Three peridot rings in various settings ($69 to $99 each)

Ruby: July's Birthstone

Not all red stones are rubies, but all rubies are red stones.

Ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of corundum that gets its red color from the presence of chromium in the stone.  (Other non-red varieties of gem-quality corundum are sapphires.) The brightest and most valuable rubies are called pigeon blood rubies, which command a huge premium over other rubies of similar quality.

Ruby red is such a regal color that rubies have always been a centerpiece of royal jewelry. From moghuls to French monarchs and aristocracy to movie stars, rubies hold a place of reverence in the world of gemstones. The Crown Jewels of England have some stunning rubies in their collection ... crowns and tiaras, scepters and necklaces. The most famous of these is in the Imperial State Crown, the Black Prince's Ruby.

QEI & QEII wearing the Imperial Crown.

Beautiful ruby and diamond studded tiara.

Rubies and sapphires were favorites of art deco designers like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Van Cleef & Arpels from the Set in Style exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in NYC.

Van Cleef & Arpels, also from the Set in Style exhibit.

Fabulous art deco pin from the early 1900s.

Corundum gems, both ruby and sapphire, contain inclusions called silk, which are caused by needle-like crystals in the gemstone. If these line up just right, the famed star-ruby is displayed. These cabochon cut star rubies are highly prized.

Star ruby ring.

We have several lovely pieces of ruby jewelry at Vintages. Here is a gallery of a selection of these jewels. 

Victorian 10K gold and ruby bar pin ($195)

Whimsical bug pin of jade, pearl and 14K gold with ruby eyes ($395)

Antique 22K gold earrings with rubies and onyx ($595)

Heart pendant of 18K gold with rubies, sapphires and topaz ($195)

Ruby and diamond ring set in 10K gold ($495)

Ruby and diamond ring set in 18K gold ($895)