Types of Semi-Precious Stones Used in Jewellery

Jewellery has been a part of the fabric of civilization for thousands of years. From a simple strand of woven grasses to the magnificent elegance of sapphires, diamonds, silver and gold, men and women have adorned themselves with jewellery to create a personal fashion identity.

Some of the most coveted jewellery pieces today are those crafted with semi-precious gemstones. Many quality stones are available to the modern jewellery maker, and although history has classified more than a hundred stones as semi-precious, the chosen few found in modern or traditional birthstone inspired jewellery are those that are most popular.

· Amethyst – a hard clear quartz gem of violet, purple or mauve – the modern and traditional February birthstone

· Turquoise – a semi-soft gem of blue, blue-green or green – the modern and traditional December birthstone (the alternate modern December birthstone is Blue Topaz or Tanzanite and the alternate traditional December birthstone is Zircon or Lapis Lazuli)

· Topaz – a colorless transparent gem most frequently tinted by impurities that create hues of yellows, browns, blues, pinks, tans, whites, greens and grays – Yellow Topaz is the modern November birthstone (the alternate modern and traditional November birthstone is Citrine)

· Opal – an amorphous silica gem in colors of green, blue, black, red, violet, orange, pink, yellow and gray, or often containing several rich colors at once – the modern October birthstone (the alternate October birthstone and the traditional October birthstone is Tourmaline)

· Peridot – an olivine mineral gem primarily in olive green – the modern August birthstone (traditional August birthstone is Sardonyx)

· Aquamarine – a hard, brilliant refractive gem of blue or blue-green – the modern March birthstone (traditional March birthstone is Bloodstone)

· Garnet – a crystallized mineral gem in colors of blue, green, purple, black, pink, brown, orange, yellow, and sometimes clear – the modern and traditional birthstone of January

· Pearl – a very hard gem formed inside mollusks with colors of white, gray, yellow, gold, silver, bronze, black, brown, pink and purple – the modern June birthstone (the alternate modern birthstone is Moonstone and the traditional June birthstone is Alexandrite)

April, May, July and September birthstones are precious stones of Diamond, Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire respectively.

Other popular semi-precious gemstones include Hematite, Obsidian, Pyrite, Coral, Jade, Tiger’s Eye, Azurite and Malachite. Additionally, dozens of other semi-precious stones are available for stylized, out of the mainstream, jewellery.

Beautiful semi-precious stones offer a world of possibilities for the jewellery connoisseur.