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Gems by James: October Birthstones Tourmaline and Opal

Posted by Greg Magnus on October 11, 2024 at 07:49 am

October birthstones are Tourmaline and Opal!

Tourmaline: Tourmaline is one of the favorite gemstones among designers and collectors. It occurs naturally in a wide variety of colors and it is known for displaying multiple colors in the same gemstone. One variety is known as watermelon tourmaline, which is green, pink, and white color bands. There are many sources including Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa, and the USA.

Opal: The name opal is derived from the Greek Opallos meaning to see a change. In the case of opals, the radiance is seen as a change of color. They range in color from milky white to black with flashes of yellow, orange, green, red, and blue.

Click here to view a few of the Tourmaline and Opal gemstones available in our shop.

NOTE: Tourmaline, Opal and many other gemstones such as Sapphire, Peridot, and Aquamarine may be special ordered from Gems by James. Please contact us for additional details .

Gems by James: August Birthstone is Peridot

Posted by Greg Magnus on August 4, 2024 at 16:43 pm

The birthstone for August is Peridot.

A transparent yellowish-green Magnesium/Iron Silicate, Peridot is a gem variety of the mineral Chrysolite or Olivine. Peridot ranges in color from light yellow-green, olive green and brownish green. The intensity and tint of the green depends on the crystals iron content. The most valuable gem is the dark-olive green color. Tinges of brown or visible flaws greatly diminish the gems value.

Olivine, of which peridot is a type, is a common mineral in mafic and ultramafic rocks, and it is often found in lavas and in peridotite xenoliths of the mantle, which lavas carry to the surface; but gem quality peridot only occurs in a fraction of these settings. In general, Olivine is a very abundant mineral but gem quality peridot is rather rare.

In the U.S., Peridot olivine is mined in North Carolina, Arizona on the San Carlos Reservation, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico. And, it is also mined in Australia, Brazil, China, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

NOTE: Peridot can be special ordered from Gems by James. Please contact us for additional details .

Gems by James: May Birthstone Emeralds

Posted by Greg Magnus on April 30, 2024 at 17:55 pm

The traditional birthstone for the month of May is Emerald, which is the green variety of the mineral Beryl.

Many consider the beautiful green color of emerald to be unparalleled in the gemstone world. The presence of trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium give the gemstone its color. Unlike many other beryls, emeralds commonly contain inclusions and other natural flaws making them susceptible to breakage.

The Egyptians mined emeralds in Austria. And, a rare type of emerald known as a trapiche emerald is occasionally found in the mines of Colombia. A trapiche emerald exhibits a star pattern and it has ray-like spokes of dark carbon impurities, which creates the six-pointed radial pattern.

The main source of emeralds are three mines in Colombia: Muzo, Coscuez, and Chivor. Emeralds are also found in many other countries, such as Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In the United States, emeralds have been found in Connecticut, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina and South Carolina as well as the Yukon (discovered in 2024).

Gems by James cuts emeralds to order. They are special stones and deserve a craftsmans hand. Contact us if you would like to discuss a very special emerald gift for Mothers Day or a birthday.

At 858 carats (172 g), the Gachala Emerald is one of the largest emeralds in the world. It was found in 1967 at La Vega de San Juan mine in Gachal, Colombia. It is at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.