Alexandrite

Alexandrite is a gem variety of the mineral chrysoberyl that changes color from green, blue green, pale green to mauve, violet to red, purplish and red in incandescent light. The more dramatic the colour change, the more rare and valuable the stone. Alexandrite was discovered in 1830 in Russia, and was named after Czar Alexander I.

Stones over 5 carats are very rare, especially if the colour change is good. Because of the rarity of this gemstone, bigger sizes are very high priced. Alexandrite is sourced from Russia's Ural Mountains. Other sources include Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Brazil.

Amber

Amber, which is fossilized pine tree sap of Pinus Succinifera formed 50 million years ago, is ancient and valuable. Demand is especially strong for amber with insects embedded inside. Over 1,000 extinct species of insects have been identified in amber including termites, moths, caterpillars, spiders, pseudoscorpions etc. The two main sources of amber are the Baltic States and the Dominican Republic. The Baltic amber, "The gold of the North" is the earliest used gem material of all.

The largest mine is in the Baltic region in Russia, west of Kaliningard. Baltic amber is found in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Russia, and occasionally washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea as far away as Denmark, Norway, and England. Other amber sources including Myanmar (formerly Burma), Lebanon, Sicily, Mexico, Romania, Germany, Canada, Czechoslovakia, China, Japan and U.S.A. Amber has a number of medicinal uses attributed to it.

Amethyst

Amethysts is a violet, pale red violet or purple coloured quartz. Purple has long been considered a royal color. Fine amethysts are studded in the British Crown Jewels and were one of the favorite gemstones of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. Amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety. Bishops still offer wear amethyst rings.

In Tibet amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often made from it. The Greek word "amethystos" basically means "not drunken", so amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness. Amethyst is supposed to have super natural powers, bringing luck, quickens intelligence, protects against magics and ensures constancy. Amethysts range in color from pale Illac to deep purple. Very dark amethyst, mostly in small sizes are mined in Australia. Sometimes amethyst and citrine colors are found in the same crystal of quartz. These bicolor yellow and purple quartz gemstones are called ametrine. Amethyst is a birthstone of February.





         

Ametrine

Sometimes amethyst and Citrine colours are found in the same crystal of quartz, called "Ametrines". It is inexpensive when considering that it comes from only one mine in the world. The Anahi Mines in Bolivia is the major world producer of ametrine. Ametrine is most typically faceted in a rectangular shape with a 50/50 pairing of amethyst and citrine. Ametrine can also be cut to blend the two colours so that the resulting stone is a mix of yellow, purple, and peach tones throughout the stone. Ametrine is a durable gemstone and can be well used for jewellery.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine, derives it name from "sea water". It is the birthstone for March. It is mainly found in Brazil, Zambia, Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria, and other countries. It is normally pastel blue in color but the darker the color, the more valuable it is. The greenish ones are not so expensive.

Being very pale coloured, aquamarine has to have a very high clarity to hold a darker shade, so it has to be a bit bigger in size. Aquamarine is considered to have powers to protect against evil. Also it helps couples work out their differences and thus makes a good anniversary gift.