January
Garnet
Garnets are found in many colours, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink and colourless. The rarest of these is the blue garnet. The group has been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones.
These are the birthstones and wedding anniversaries we have long published for clients choosing a stone or a metal. If you would like one made into a jewel, the workshop can set it, or talk through a diamond alternative when the traditional stone is too soft for a ring worn every day.
February
Amethyst
Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and a popular gemstone. It occurs in a wide range of natural shades, from purple and reddish purple to bluish purple. In its purest form, amethyst is colourless.
March
Aquamarine
Aquamarine has good hardness, about 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, and a clear shine. That hardness protects it well from scratches. Iron gives it a colour that runs from an almost indiscernible pale blue to a strong sea blue.
April
Diamond
One of the characteristics that make diamonds desirable in jewellery is their fire: white light split into its component colours. They are graded and certified on the four Cs — carat, cut, colour and clarity.
More on the four CsMay
Emerald
Emerald is the traditional birthstone for May, and it is also linked with Taurus, Cancer and sometimes Gemini. In top quality, fine emeralds can be even more valuable than diamonds. They need a careful setting: most carry natural inclusions.
June
Pearl
The finest natural pearls have been valued as gemstones for many centuries. Because of that, the word pearl became a metaphor for something rare, fine and admirable. Strands should be restrung before the silk fails.
July
Ruby
Ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum, one of the hardest minerals on Earth. Sapphire is the other gem variety of the same mineral. Rubies have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale.
August
Peridot
Peridot is one of the few gemstones that occur in only one colour: an olive green. It is a very old stone, found in Egyptian jewellery from the early second millennium BC, and it has become popular again.
September
Sapphire
Sapphire is one of the two gem varieties of corundum, the other being red ruby. Blue is the best-known hue, but sapphire is any colour of corundum except red. It may also be colourless, and it occurs in grey and black.
October
Opal
Almost ninety-five per cent of fine opals come from dry, remote country. Colour runs from clear through white, grey, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, rose, pink, olive, brown and black. Reds against black are the rarest; white and green are the most common. Opal is softer than a diamond and is happier in a jewel that is not knocked every day.
November
Topaz
Pure topaz is colourless and transparent, but it is usually tinted by impurities. Typical colours are wine, straw yellow, pale grey or reddish orange. It can also be white, pale green, blue, gold, pink, or reddish yellow. Orange topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the traditional November birthstone.
December
Turquoise
Turquoise is relatively soft and sensitive. The colour may pale when the stone has been worn for a long time. It is rarely faceted. Usually it is cut as cabochons or beads, or into a more imaginative shape. Keep it away from oils, perfume and prolonged soaking.
Wedding anniversaries
The anniversaries below are the ones the workshop has published for clients marking a long marriage. Gold at fifty years, diamond at sixty and platinum at seventy sit naturally with a goldsmith. Earlier dates are often marked with a jewel set with the stone named here.
| Year | Traditional gift |
|---|---|
| 25 | Silver |
| 30 | Pearl |
| 35 | Coral |
| 40 | Ruby |
| 45 | Sapphire |
| 50 | Gold |
| 55 | Emerald |
| 60 | Diamond |
| 70 | Platinum |