MJ

October Birthstone – Green Tourmaline Stone

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Green Tourmaline

October Birthstone

 

October’s green tourmaline, also known as chrome tourmaline, is a magnificent stone.

Since its early popularity in the late 1800s, the magical stone’s crystalline green shimmer often causes its admirers to mistake it for an emerald. This is because of the chemical influence of chrome, which is responsible for the “birth” of the spectacular deep green birthday gemstone.

October Birthstone Green Tourmaline Stone
Green Chrome Tourmaline Stone

In fact, a collection of the 17th Century Russian Crown jewels, originally thought to be rubies, were ultimately determined to be (you guessed it)… tourmalines.

Tourmaline Accessories

Tourmaline remains a major player in high-end circles and a familiar gemstone of high-profile occasions. The stone has made appearances across the red carpet in beautiful green tourmaline jewelry accents like Piaget’s green tourmaline ear-cuffs worn by Scarlett Johansson for the 2015 Academy Awards.

October-Birthstone-Green-Tourmaline-Ear-Cuff
Scarlett Johansson’s 2015 green Piaget tourmaline stone ear-cuffs

The colors of tourmaline include a broad spectrum of hues, from those showing a light hint of green, to some so dense that we can only recognize the color upon close examination under bright light

But of all tourmaline’s wondrous colors, the clear favorite of the jewelry industry—and the individuals seeking the glamour of the well sought-after gemstone—has remained the same over its illustrious years: green tourmaline. Gorgeous happy-birthday green.

To celebrate a special October birthday, HerMJ offers beautiful green crystal jewelry birthday alternatives for the October gemstone.

 

MJ

September Birthstone – Blue Sapphire

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Blue Sapphire

September Birthstone

 

Although the September sapphire comes in a variety of colors, the most gorgeous (in my option) is the resplendent blue sapphire. In its classic diamond cut, the sapphire is one of the most stunning stones. Though not as sought-after as the classic diamond cut sapphire, the cabochon cut is also famous for the gleaming star that radiates from that cut when the stone catches surrounding light.

sapphire cabochon
Cabochon Cut Sapphire Stone

Sapphire -The Royal Stone

Most noted for its favor among royalty, the sapphire’s long and beloved history stands since the times of ancient Rome, and through four centuries of the British empire. Renowned for its place on the hand of Princess Diana, and more recently, Kate Middleton as an iconic royal engagement ring.

sapphire - the royal stone
September Birthstone – Blue Sapphire

The sapphire, a variety of the mineral corundum, owes its magnificent chromatic coloration to the elements: aluminum oxide, iron, and magnesium.

Also noted for its mineral hardness by the German geologist and mineralogist Fredrich Mohs, originator of the Mohs hardness scale, the sapphire’s durability ranks just below diamonds. Though slightly less scratch-resistant than the coveted diamond, the sapphire is a durable stone that you can take anywhere with both style and confidence.

If you were born in September, happy birthday, and congratulations on being so well represented by one of the most glamorous and eye-catching gemstones, the blue sapphire.

Here are a few gorgeous September blue gemstone and crystal birthstone alternatives.

 

MJ

August Birthstone – Peridot

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August Birthstone: Peridot

The Evening Emerald

August Birthstone Peridot History

For all the reasons you may know, your August birthday makes you very special, but for one reason for which you may vaguely be aware, your birthstone does, too.

Your birthstone is the illustrious, shimmering gem we’ve come to love: Peridot.

It is a love affair whose origins date as far back as the days of Pliny the Elder in 25 AD when the Roman natural-philosopher and collector made his initial recording of the magical green stone on Zabargad Island (also known as St. John’s Island) off the coast of Egypt.

Peridot: The Gem of the Sun

It was not long before the Egyptians became so enamored with the glowing emerald-like gem they regarded it as “the gem of the sun.” Even Cleopatra could not resist its radiant appeal.

And during the time before the first world war, when the island became the favored source of peridot, the Egyptians relied on it for its bounty, which provided millions of dollars of the exquisite green gem.

Egypt Landscape - Peridot

In 1958, Egypt’s President nationalized the deposits on the island, formally recognizing peridot as its national stone, instantly acknowledged as “the gem of the sun.” In the years afterward, when mining on Zabargad diminished, the clamoring public sought other sources to fill the growing demand for precious peridot stone.

August Birthstone Peridot

Unlike the often varied hues and variations of other stones, peridot’s extraordinarily specific color spectrum is limited to the unique range of yellowing green, to greenish-yellow.

Peridot from Earth and Sky

Small quantities of peridot have been identified in pallasite meteorites containing the green mineral olivine, transported to us from their amazing earthbound journeys across the sky.

The gem, delivered from more earthly sources, is likewise discovered near volcanoes such as Peridot Beach, Hawaii, where it has been chronicled to be as old as several millions of years, and regarded by Hawaiian folklore to be the tears of the volcano goddess, Pele.

Valued not merely for its hypnotically green translucent beauty, early civilizations also treasured peridot as the protector from fears and nightmares, and as a catalyst of improved levels of spiritual enlightenment.

The Evening Emerald

Its brilliant natural-green hue has earned it the distinction of the “Evening Emerald” for the lustrous green glow incited at the mere flicker of nearby lamplight.

And, most important of all, you recognize it to be a spectacular August birthday treasure.

To mark your birthday celebration, HerMJ offers hand-jeweled necklaces and bracelets designed and crafted in sunny California. The pieces feature dazzling Austrian Swarovski crystals in shimmering shades of peridot and unique one-of-a-kind designs.

Happy Birthday!

August Peridot Birthdays

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