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Myths&Folklore

GEMSLegendandLore

They're beautiful, durable, and rare - just like true love.what few people know is that those coveted acquisitions.gemstones, have been the stuff of legends ever since thEdiscovery and the tools with which the men and womenancient times sought to explain their world without theprivilege of science. The myths associated with gemstonEcame to carry the superstitions and interests of differentcultures. To each stone, physical and psychological healilpowers were attributed. The history of gemstones, as it tout, is a glittering rendition of the psychology of the pa~psychology that continues to influence the choice of whcgem to purchase today.

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Emblems of status for some, symbols of romance and sources of inspiratio:others, gemstones occur in a variety of shapes, hues, and carats, carat bei

gemstone's pricing unit and weighing 1/5 grams. All factors being eqularger the gemstone, the higher its price per carat. A number of

//, stones show unique light effects related not to their color nI fJ their normal chemical makeup but caused by factors sm.' .. / refraction, reflection and interference. These light e

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Rare fine gems come from the eartlmostly as a result of volcanic acti

growing and forming into crystastructures. But only a tiny fracof these combinations of elemdisplay the appropriate color, .

parency and size to be gems. Thtthey conceal themselves beneath tOI

rocks in inaccessible regions all over the pReady to meet some of the world's most famous gems'

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Amethyst: A purple gemstone,Amethyst was treasured by the Romangods as a talisman to ward off theintoxicating powers of Bacchus. In itsgolden form, Citrine, Amethyst wasrevered by the ancients as a gift ofthe sun and a powerful antidote tothe viper's venom. The traditionalbirthstone for the month of February,amethyst is available in small andlarge sizes, although as with all gem-stones, very large sizes in rich, deepcolors have always been rare.Designers celebrate Amethyst as theideal choice for jewelry because of itsregal color, variety of sizes andshapes, affordability, and wide tonalrange.

Aquamarine: Aquamarine is said tocapture the beauty of the sea.Neptune, the King of the Sea, gavethis stone as his gift to the mermaids,and from then on, it is said to havebrought love to its wearers.Aquamarines are found in a range ofblue shades, from the palest pastel togreenish-blue to a deep blue, with thedeeper blue gems being the rarest.This elegant colored gemstone is thebirthstone of March and is the symbolof youth, hope, health and fidelity.Aquamarines are mined in Nigeria,Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan andMozambique, but most of those avail-able today corne from Brazil.

Emerald: Emerald's luscious green col-ors can be found nowhere else inNature. Since the dawn of time, emer-

GEMS:Legendand Lore

alds have beckoned man with theirverdant hues and have long beenregarded as the symbol of fertilityand rebirth. The ancient Egyptiansmined emeralds nearly 4,000 yearsago, and it is said that Cleopatra wasan avid collector. South America's richbounty of Emeralds was discovered by16th Century Spanish explorers whofound large Emeralds in the posses-sion of the Aztecs and Incas. Today,most of the world's Emeralds aremined in Colombia, Brazil and Zambia,and are cut in a variety of shapes.The birthstone for May, Emerald wasbelieved by the ancients to empower

the owner with foresight into thefuture.

Garnet: Garnet was so called by theancient Greeks because its rainbow ofcolors reminded them of the "grana-tum" (pomegranate seed). It is saidthat Noah used Garnet's inner fire asa lamp on his bow as he cast abouton the ocean. Garnet's roots as a gem-stone can be traced to the Nile Deltain 3100 B.C., where Egyptian artisanswould craft it into beads or inlay itinto hand-wrought jewelry. Garnet isthe traditional birthstone for themonth of January.

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1- 11.07ctGreen Quartz Concave Faceted (Brazil).2- 16.64ct Deep HoneyColored Quartz,Brazilian.3- 33.25ct Deep CanaryYellowQuartz -Concave Faceting,

Brazilian.4- 11.05ctsof Brazilian Amethyst -ConcaveFaceted.5- 2 pieces totalling 10.14cts of TopazColored Quartz,

Brazilian.

l"IYLlI~OIrU"K..ore

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Opal: With the flashes of fire thatbum within its depths, Opal has

ignited man's imagination for morethan 2,000 years. Its multicolored

flame makes it unique in the world ofgemstones - giving it more variety of color

and versatility of wear than perhaps anyother gemstone. To the Greeks and Romans,

Opals symbolized hope, innocence and purity andwere mined in what is now Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Today's supplies of Opalcome primarily from Australia, Mexico and the U.S. Opal, found in several colorsincluding black and white, is the birthstone for October.

Peridot: Peridot, adored since ancient times, rivals the green of a new springday. Its history can be traced back more than 3,500 years. Hawaiian legend

called it the divine tears wept by Pele, goddess of the volcano.Much of the today's Peridot comes from Arizona. Some

are also mined in China, Burma, and Pakistan.Peridot is readily available in most sizes and a vari-

ety of shapes. Peridot has been credited withmagical powers and healing properties, such asprotection against nightmares and possessing

the power to ward off evil. Peridot is the birth-stone for August.

~' ,~~7 Ruby:Ruby,celebrated as the most precious of~ ,i' gemstones, has been the prized possession of"" emperors and kings throughout the ages. Its inner

fire has been the inspiration for innumerable legends. Nored gemstone can compare to its fiery, rich hues. Manypeople associate its bril-liant crimson colorswith passion and love, making it an ideal choice for anengagement ring. Rubyis mined throughout Southeast Asia. Thailand andMyanmar(Burma)produce exquisite rubies. This most sought-after gemstone isavailable in a range of red hues.

CEDARWINGSIissue .91 hb-Mmh 2006 I 46

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Thenthey conceal themselvesbeneath tons of rocks ininaccessibleregionsaLLoverthe planet!

8- 10.21cts, 4 pieces, African Malala Gamet (Africa).

9- A 9.31ct Congo Tounnaline - faceted by Master Cutterand AGTACutting Competition Award Winner.

10- 4.68ct Color Change Turkish Diaspore, "Gone AskewRhombus", faceted by Master Cutter and AGTACuttingCompetition Award Winner.

11- 7.59ct luscious Tangerine Citrine (Brazil), U.S.Faceted.

12- 9.76ct Teal Green Tounnaline from the famousGolconda Mine (Brazil) U.S. Faceted.

Myths&Folklore

Sapphire: Sapphire has been belovedfor centuries as the ultimate bluegemstone. The ancient Persian rulersbelieved that it was Sapphire's reflec-tion that gave blue color to the heav-ens (its name in Latin, "Sapphiru",means blue). One of Nature's mostdurable gemstones, Sapphire is foundin many parts of the world, but themost prized Sapphires are fromBurma, Kashmir and Sri Lanka. Thepurer the blue of the Sapphires, thegreater the price they can command.Sapphire has been credited with pro-found powers such as the ability toward off evil.

Topaz: This enduring symbol of lovewas believed to bring friendship andensure the fidelity of the beloved.Topaz is found in Brazil, Mexico, SriLanka, Africa and China. It occurs inan array of colors from red, orange,and peach to pink, gold and yellow.

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EmbLemsof statusfor some,symbols of romance orsources of inspiration forothers, gemstones occur in avariety of shapes, hues, andcarats, carat being agemstone's pridng unit andweighing 1/5 grams.

The brilliant blue Topaz is a shadefound rarely in Nature. Topaz wasused to grace the jewelry of the 18thand 19th Century Russian Czarinas,earning the name of "Imperial Topaz".Topaz is the birthstone for November.

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CEDAR WINGS Iissue '9' Feb-March2006 I 48

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Turquoise: Turquoise is among theoldest known gemstones. With itsdeep, azure blue, often flecked withgolden pyrite inclusions, it was treas-ured by ancient Babylonian andEgyptian civilizations. Persian legendsays that the heavens owed their blue

color to a massive slab of Lapis(turquoise) upon which the earthrested. Turquoise adorned the ceremo-nial dress of early Native Americans.It has been credited with healingpowers as well as the enhancement ofstatus and wealth.

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Tel 00966 1 4629229

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Tel00961 1858510/1 Fax00961 1 858513info@chantillychocolat.com

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Photos courtesy of All That Glitters.

Contact All That Glitters at: L. AllenBrown,Gemologist- GIA, All That Glitters,Methuen, Massachusetts USA.Website: http://www.atggems.com.Email: labrown@atggems.com.

13- 21 +ct Neon Blue Apatite, Madagascar, US Faceted.14- Neon Blue (Paralba-lIke) Tourmaline (Afghanistan).15- 18.85ct Deep YellowCltrine, Brazilian.16- 0.47ct Pale Peach Gamet (Africa).17- 317cts two-toned, hand-carved Burmese Jade

Chameleon.

18- Bright yellow Brazilian Quartz, Rough.