Information on Stones

As well as discovering a little more about the wonderful stones we have in our jewellery you may also want to see a full list of anniversary stones and birthstones . 

Amber
Amber is technically not a gemstone or mineral, but a fossilized sap from prehistoric trees that has aged over the course of millions of years. Amber is usually thought of as yellow golden in hue, but amber also can be found in shades of milky white, red-orange, green, black and even (very rarely) violet.

Early physicians prescribed amber for headaches, heart problems, arthritis and a variety of other ailments. In ancient times, amber was carried by travellers for protection.

In the Far East, amber is the symbol of courage; Asian cultures regard amber as the 'soul of the tiger'; Egyptians placed a piece of amber in the casket of a loved one to ensure the body would forever remain whole. Today it is said to encourage a sunny disposition and aid creativity.

Agate
The agate is one of the oldest stones in recorded history and has been used in jewellery since Biblical Babylonian times. The stone is a variegated chalcedony and obtains its typical banded appearance through deposits of outer quartz substances within its layers. It was highly prized as a protective stone in the ancient world and is still used today in spiritual healing to protect and strengthen and to help sleepers have rich and varied dreams.

Amazonite
Amazonite is a blue-green to pale green stone in the feldspar group. Legend has it that it was named by the South American Indians who said it came from the land of women without men and called it the Amazon stone while others say that it is named after the Amazon River.

The stone is said to balance feminine and masculine energies and promotes kindness and practicality. It is an excellent stone for artists and for men.

Amethyst
Amethyst is a member of the quartz family. The word amethyst comes from the Greek meaning "without drunkenness". This stone has been revered by many ancient cultures for its healing and spiritual powers. The gemstone is thought to calm the emotions, create clarity of thought and assist in attaining wisdom. Amethyst helps you let go of all that is old and all that holds you back so you may fully embrace the new.

It is suggested as a gem to give on the 4th, 6th and 17th wedding anniversaries and is also the birthstone for February.

Aquamarine
Aquamarine is a blue-green stone from the Beryl family of stones which includes emerald. Most aquamarine comes from Colombia and Brazil. It has been called "Water of the Sea", because of its colour.

Aquamarine is suggested as a gem to give on the 16th and 19th wedding anniversaries. It is said to bring the woman who wears it joy, a happy marriage and wealth into the bargain. It is also the birthstone associated with March.

Carnelian
(also sometimes referred to as cornelian) is found primarily in India, as well as various sites in South America. It is a variety of chalcedony. The most favourable pieces are a deep red to red-orange hue. Carnelian has a long and storied past, and was once considered strictly the property of the noble class. It is also said to help the wearer live in the moment.

Chalcedony
is a variety of the mineral quartz that occurs in a great variety of colours including blue, lavender, white, buff, light tan, gray, yellow, pink, red or brown. If chalcedony is conspicuously colour-banded, it may be called agate and with other minerals it has various other names including carnelian, mocha stone, onyx, bloodstone to name a few.

Considered a sacred stone by the Native American Indians, chalcedony nurtures and promotes brotherhood and good will.

Charoite
Named for the only locale in which it is found, the Charo River Valley in the former Soviet Union, Charoite is one of the few gems that is so distinctive in its colour and patterns that gemmologists can feel justified in making a "sight" identification. There's really no other material likely to be mistaken for it.

"Charoite" is actually a rock composed of several minerals including Charoite. It is the mineral Charoite that gives this gem its unmistakable purple colour which, often in the same piece, ranges from very light to medium dark purple and from translucent to opaque. The other distinctive aspect of its appearance is the swirling patterns that form due to its fibrous crystals

Citrine
Citrine is a yellow-to-golden member of the quartz mineral group. Citrine is known as the lucky "Merchants Stone”. Citrine is said to bring good luck and to ensure prosperity and accumulation of wealth. It is no wonder that some actually place a Citrine into their cash register, hoping for increased cash flows. Citrine is also a popular birthstone alternative to those born in November and is also given on the 11th and 17th year wedding anniversaries.

Citrine has been called the "stone of the mind" and is said to assist in unwinding tension and increasing flexibility in the body

Coral
Coral has been called the 'garden of the sea'. It was once believed to be a plant, but is now known to actually contain living animals called polyps. Coral is the result of accumulated skeletal masses from these polyps. Red is considered the most sought after colour but coral also can be found in pink, white, yellow and black.

Records dating back thousands of years confirm that coral was used in decorative art objects. It was believed to prevent ill fortune and offer protection from skin disease when worn as a necklace. Dreams about coral are believed to foretell recovery from a long illness. Ancients believed that Mars was composed of red coral.

Note: We do not supply real coral jewellery. All our coral jewellery is made from bamboo coral which is a more eco-friendly alternative.

Quartz crystal
Quartz crystal is a clear variety of quartz that was first found high in the frozen mountains of the Alps. Ancient people believed it was a form of ice crystals that would never melt. Quartz crystal is said to have cooling powers and is a romantic stone. Sources of quartz crystal include Brazil, Madagascar, Switzerland, France and parts of the Soviet Union.

Garnet
Garnets come in many different colours but are known mainly for their deep red colour. Garnets can be used to help with self-esteem when worn as jewellery. It helps protect one on trips. Garnets bring constancy to friendships. Garnets are also known for stimulating success in business.

Jade
Jade is an ancient stone and has been seen as a good luck charm in the east for thousands of years. In China, when carved into a butterfly, Jade is a powerful symbol used to draw love. Jade is also said to create a positive attitude towards money.

Labradorite
The wonderful iridescent colours found in Labradorite are due to its mineral structure which bends incoming light. Named after the Labrador Peninsula in Canada where it was first found, it is also found in Norway, and the former USSR.
Known as one of the power stones, Labradorite is said to allow you to see through illusions and determine the actual form of your dreams and goals. It is excellent for strengthening intuition.

Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli is an ancient gem, and as such, has a storied history. Egyptian cultures made a practice of burying a Lapis lazuli scarab with their dead, and believed it to offer protection. The very earliest cultures valued Lapis lazuli more highly than gold. Greeks spoke of an ancient sapphire which was included with gold and this was unmistakably Lapis lazuli. Some believed that dreaming of Lapis lazuli would foretell love that would be forever faithful.

Lapis Lazuli can be found in Chile, the Soviet Union, the United States, but most significantly in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Moonstone
It is said if you give your lover a moonstone necklace when the moon is full you will always have passion with each other. Moonstone has been worn as an amulet to bring good emotions to the wearer, while protecting those of a sensitive nature. Moonstone can reunite lovers who have quarrelled and  is also considered a good luck stone.

Moonstone is a very personal stone. It is a reflection of the person who owns it. Moonstone does not add or detract, only shows how it is. This is why the moonstone is said to perceive that which "is".

Obsidian
With its glassy lustre, Obsidian is a distinctive stone. Obsidian is formed as lava from volcanic eruptions cools within the earth. The speed at which it cools prevents crystallization and the rock forms as solid volcanic glass.

Although its most common colour is black, obsidian can also be found in light brown, brown mottled with black, and black with a beautiful golden or silvery sheen. Snowflake obsidian is dotted with white patches where parts of the rock have begun to crystallize. The most prized obsidian by gemmologists is the rainbow obsidian variety with purple, green and gold bands of sheen.

Obsidian was revered by ancient cultures. It was one of the major barter materials, and prized for its ability to be worked to razor-sharp edges for arrows and spears. It has been used since prehistoric times for making tools, masks, weapons, mirrors and jewellery.

Obsidian can be found anywhere that volcanic activity has occurred. Some of its important sources today are South America, Japan, Mexico, Afghanistan, and parts of the United States. The San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona, United States, produces an interesting banded variety of obsidian known as "Apache Tears".

Opals
Opals, the birthstones for October, are one of nature's most prized gems. The stone was mined by eastern Europeans, the Aztecs and the ancient tribes of Central Africa. Opals have been featured in the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor and the crown jewels of France. They were mentioned in the plays of Shakespeare and the novels of Sir Walter Scott. Napoleon gave an opal to Josephine. Queen Victoria gave them out as wedding gifts.

One of the reasons this gem has been so revered is because of its supposed mystical powers. Scandinavian women wore opals in their hair to prevent it from going grey. The Arabs thought opal would ward off lightning and grant invisibility to its wearer. Other powers ascribed to the gem include the ability to grant vigour, aid the heart and kidneys and protect against fainting and infection.

Worshipped by the Romans as a symbol of hope, fidelity, purity and good luck, opal is sometimes called the "queen of gems" because the stone can flash patterns of colour representing every hue of the rainbow.

This "play of colour" is one of opal's signature characteristics. The gem is found in a range of hues, including white opal (the most common); black opal; "boulder" opal (black opal with iron oxide); crystal or water opal, which is transparent; and fire opal, which has a yellow to orange to red body colour.

Onyx
Onyx is a type of chalcedony and is valued for its lustre and colour created by the presence of iron and carbon. It is believed that wearing Onyx jewellery will help to defend the wearer against negativity that is directed at them and fortify self confidence. Black stones are considered to have protective energies in the sense that black is the absence of light, and therefore, can be used to create invisibility.

Pearl
The pearl is the oldest known gem, and for many centuries it was considered the most valuable. Unlike most gems, pearls are organic matter derived from a living creature - oysters and molluscs.

There is much folklore and tradition surrounding the pearl. In fact so much history accompanies this stone that five months claim it as a birthstone - February, April, June (traditional), July and November and it is the birthstone for Gemini and Cancer. Over time, the pearl has become the symbol of purity and innocence and it is often sewn into bridal gowns, or worn as jewellery by the bride.

Peridot
Peridot was considered to be a gift from Mother Nature and believed by ancients, to be the stone of springtime. Napoleon once made a gift of peridot to Josephine as a symbol of undying love and admiration.

Peridot is a gem variety from the olivine mineral group. The bottle green colour is called peridot. Yellowish green is chrysolite. Olive green is olivine. Sources of peridot include: St. John's Island (Egypt), United States (Arizona and Hawaii), Myanmar, Burma, Australia, Norway, South Africa and Brazil.

Prehnite
Prehnite is a stone of unconditional love and is associated with the archangel Raphael. The stone was discovered at the end of the 18^th century by Colonel Von Prehn whom it was named after. Prehnite is said to enhance inner knowledge, strengthen intuition and helps the wearer recognize truths.

Rose Quartz
For centurys' rose quartz has been considered to be a fertility crystal. Known as the “love stone”, it is thought to attract and strengthen love as well as heal emotional wounds. Most rose quartz is mined in Brazil.

Ruby
The ruby is considered to be the most powerful gem in the universe, and is associated with many astral signs. Owning a ruby is said to bring  contentment and peace. Given as a gift, the ruby is a symbol of friendship and love. The ruby is also the symbol of vitality and royalty.

The colour of rubies varies from vermilion to red. The most desired colour is "pigeon's blood", which is pure red with a hint of blue. If the colour is too pink, the stone is a pink sapphire. The same is true if it is too violet - it is a violet sapphire. The best rubies and star rubies are bright red. Most rubies come from Burma and Thailand.

Smoky quartz
A member of the quartz family this stone obtains its brown colour from traces of aluminium within the mineral. It is a gentle grounding stone that instills balance and harmony, and can help bring peace and quiet reflection.

Sodalite
Named because of its high sodium content, sodalite was discovered in Greenland in 1806. It is believed to encourage idealism and the drive for truth. In spiritual healing it is thought to purify the aura and to protect from negative energy.

Tiger’s Eye
A member of the quartz family, tiger’s eye has a fibrous composition which creates a silken sheen giving rise to its name. In ancient times tiger’s eye was used to make amulets that protected the wearer against spells. It is now believed to help maintain a balanced view on life and to combat stress by enabling the wearer to gain courage and confidence.

Turquoise
The name means "Turkish stone" as it came to Europe by way of Turkey. Turquoise was and still is prized by many cultures as an amulet to be worn to protect from harm and to bestow wisdom and truth to the wearer. If given a turquoise by a loving friend, that stone would protect the wearer from negative energy and bring good fortune. Turquoise is the symbol of friendship. It also brings peace to the home.

Turquoise gets its colour from heavy metals in the ground. Blue turquoise forms when copper is present (unique to mines in Arizona and south America) and green turquoise when iron is present (Nevada and China).