Amethyst
Amethyst is the purple variety of the mineral quartz and is a historically significant gemstone. The ancient Romans believed that drinking from an amethyst cup prevented intoxication. We are intoxicated with the depth of its colour.
Amethyst is found in shades of the palest purple through to a deep regal violet with a red or blue flash. You may know amethyst as the delightful purple crystals gathered in large geodes or as the birthstone for February.
Aquamarine
Aquamarine, a member of the beryl family, gets its name from its resemblance to beautiful crystal aqua seas. The colours of aquamarine range from pale blue through to medium blue with varying levels of green. Deeper blues can be distilled with heat treatment.
Large, clean gems are suitable for carving, and Aquamarine has been found in some very large sizes. The largest cut example is the Dom Pedro aquamarine weighing a staggering 10,363 carats!
Aquamarine is treasured by many for the breathtakingly lovely gems it produces.
Citrine
Citrine is the beautiful yellow variety of the quartz mineral family. It has a wonderfully versatile colour range, from subtle and elegant pale yellow to strong and eye catching orange.
Most citrine available is the result of heat treating amethyst, though not all yellow quartz is citrine; Lemon quartz is sometimes irradiated to display a distinctive strong yellow green colour.
Citrine is often intermingled with other varieties of quartz during formation to produce some stunning gems. Smokey quartz can give citrine’s golden yellow an ethereal earthiness. Rock crystal can provide a striking contrast to citrine’s yellow.
Naturally coloured citrine is rare, and stunning. In Bolivia, citrine and amethyst have been found growing intermingled, producing the stunning multicoloured gem ametrine.
Danburite
Danburite is a lesser known gem in the world of jewellery. A calcium boron silicate with a hardness of 7 to 7.5 on the Mohs scale, danburite is wonderfully suited to many jewellery applications. Danburite is often found in large clean crystals and cuts to become a very bright and lively gem.
Danburite has been found in very pale pink (pictured), colourless, shades of yellow and greenish colours. The material seen here is from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, however Danburite is found in many other locations world wide.
