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Ten interesting facts about this unique looking gemstone 1 Basically, opal is made up of water and silica (the main component in glass). 2 The beautiful opal is formed from rain. There is some conjecture on how exactly this precious gemstone forms, but many believe it is formed when water from rain seeps down into crevasses in the rock. Once the water evaporates, the silica that is left behind dries out and hardens into precious opal. 3 Occurring in most varieties of rock, the vast majority of opals are mined in Australia (about 95%), with other opal digs occurring in the United States, Mexico, Peru and Brazil. 4...

1 In 2006, NASA’s explorer spacecraft, Stardust, returned to earth with mineral samples gathered from near the sun. Among other particles they found gem-quality peridot, thought to be as old as our solar system. 2 Peridot is a type of a silicate mineral called olivine.  It’s one of the few gems that occurs in only one colour, green. 3 It’s pigmentation is due to the presence of iron trace elements. Depending on the amount of iron present, peridots may appear lighter or darker, ranging from pale golden-green to intense olive green. 4 Peridot is found in the earth’s upper mantle,...

One particular style of bracelet has stood the test of time. Although there is archaeological evidence that charm bracelets were worn as long ago as 600 to 400 BC, the charm bracelet, in various forms, is still popular today. The jewellery item has evolved over the decades, but still retains its basic concept…a bracelet with personalized charms, talisman or trinkets attached to it that have a special meaning or importance to the wearer. Let us look at how charm bracelets have changed over time. Although there is evidence of Neolithic era in which hunters would carry interesting stones and trinkets...

  This month's birthstone is Ruby and here we have 10 things you may not know about Ruby! 1. Ruby comes from the Latin "rubens" meaning red 2. Rubies symbolise power and protection. When worn as a talisman, ruby was believed to help protect warriors in battle. One more modern allusion to this legend is in The Wizard of Oz. Dorthy's ruby slippers were thought to protect her from evil.  3. A part of the corundum family, rubies are only classified as rubies if they’re red. Any other colour and the stone is categorised as a sapphire 4. The magical red color comes from...

      Be amazed by these ten facts about Pearls Natural pearls have been found in the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf) for at least 5,000 years, while divers have been recovering the June birthstone from the Red Sea since 300 BCE Pearls are the only jewels created by a living animal. A natural pearl of value is found in less than 1 in every 10,000 wild oysters. There are three major types of saltwater cultured pearls: Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea. These pearls account for approximately 5% of the total weight of global pearl production. Although they share many...