Birthstone Guide
Our birthstone guide has been designed to give you useful information about the gemstones we use in our jewellery. All naturally formed gemstones will vary in shade and colour intensity. As no gemstone is the same, they will all have varying natural inclusions or fingerprints, making each piece of your jewellery unique.
JANUARY - GARNET
Traditionally Garnet is recognised as a deep red, ruby-like stone, but today comes in a great variety of colours ranging from a pinkish red, bright orange to beautiful forest greens. The hardness ranges between 6.7 and 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
FEBRUARY - AMETHYST
Amethysts colour range from a strong reddish purple to a pale purple. Amethyst is a 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness and they can be found all over the world, from South America to Africa and Asia.
MARCH - AQUAMARINE
March’s birthstone ranges from a beautiful blue to greenish blue hues and is reminiscent of the sea. Aquamarine is mostly mined in Brazil, Kenya and Madagascar and has a hardness of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale.
APRIL - DIAMOND
The ultimate expression of true love, diamonds are one of the most sought after and desired gemstone. Diamonds are the hardest material on earth, ranking 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Diamonds are mined all over the world ranging from Russia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Australia.
MAY - EMERALD
Emeralds carry a rich and vibrant green colour, the hardness ranges from 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale. Emeralds are mined in Colombia, Zambia and Brazil.
JUNE - PEARL, ALEXANDRITE, MOONSTONE
Pearls are traditionally a lustrous white or cream but both natural and cultured pearls range in colour. Cultured pearls include Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian and Freshwater and they are farmed in China and Japan. The hardness on the Mohs scale is 2.5.
Alexandrite displays the most iridescent and rare colour change from green to red. Natural Alexandrite is exceptionally rare and valuable. It was originally discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains, however Alexandrite is now found in Sri Lanka, East Africa and Brazil. It ranks at 8.5 on the Mohs scale.
Moonstone is an opalescent stone that can be colourless, blue, pink or green. They are highly valued because of their rarity. Moonstones can be found in Sri Lanka, India and Myanmar. They are a 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
JULY - RUBY
Rubies are rich in a deep-red colour and they originate from Myanmar, Mozambique and Thailand. The hardness on the Mohs scale is 9.
AUGUST - PERIDOT
Peridots are an olive to lime green colour and they are commonly found in Arizona, China and Vietnam. The hardness ranges from 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale.
SEPTEMBER - SAPPHIRE
Sapphires can range from a Kashmir blue, royal blue to a cornflower blue, but they can be found in pink, orange, yellow and green. They are found in Australia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. The hardness is 9 on the Mohs scale.
OCTOBER - OPAL, TOURMALINE
Opals contain a beautiful play-of-colour, a display of spectral colours. Opals can come in a large variety such as a fire opal, black or white opal. The world’s primary source for opals is Australia but they can also be found in Brazil, Mexico and the USA. The hardness ranges from 5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale.
Tourmalines come in a wide variety of colours from reds, peachy pinks to green and blues. Tourmalines are primarily found in Brazil, Afghanistan, the United States, as well as locations throughout Africa. The hardness on the Mohs scale ranges between 7 to 7.5.
NOVEMBER - TOPAZ, CITRINE
Topaz is most desired in an amber-gold colour but can be found in shades of warm browns or orange. They can be found in Brazil, Australia and Mexico. The hardness on the Mohs scale is an 8.
Citrine’s colour are primarily a golden yellow, but they can also be found in earthy oranges and browns.They can be located in Russia, Madagascar and Brazil.
DECEMBER - TURQUOISE, TANZANITE
Turquoise can range from an azure sky-blue to green hues and can be found in Iran, Egypt and the United States. Turquoise is a 6 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
Tanzanites can only be found in one place on earth; the hills of Mount Kilimanjaro. They are a rich violet blue and commonly contain hues of purple. The hardness ranges from 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale.
