Rebecca Zemans Jewelry Blog — birthstone jewelry

Citrine is the birthstone for the month of November.  The name derives from the Latin citrina meaning "yellow" and is also the origin of the word "citron".  The stone can range in color from a pale yellow to brown.  A member of the Quartz family, citrine is closely related to amethyst, sometimes the two are even found together in the same crystal, called ametrine. Citrine, as well as other stones within the Quartz family, has a 7 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness.  Citrine jewelry can be brittle for everyday wear, however these stones bring beautiful color and are safe...

Special occasions call for personalized design.  Jewelry is often a gift given to commemorate significant times in our lives - engagements, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, push presents, and other milestones.     Without needing to go fully bespoke in design, the Family Jewelry Collection is a selection of our most popular jewelry designs showcasing birthstones.  Featuring elegant pendants and modern stacking rings, this collection has something to represent all the meaningful people of your life. All of these designs are able to be tailored to the amount and variety of stones to suit you needs, and forged in the recycled metal of your choice.  Click here...

Today is the first day of Autumn and even though we'll miss the sunny fun of summertime, we are looking forward to the striking palette that is bestowed upon us in the coming months.  Over the years we've worked with couples who have used colored stones in their engagement rings, embracing this colorful time all year long!  Inspired by these couples, we've created this roundup of some of our favorite alternative engagement rings! Colored gemstones are selected for their birthstone attributes, their historic and cultural meanings and their unique beauty.  Any stone can be set in an engagement ring, or...

  In an inverse of the motto of the United States "E Pluribus Unum" meaning "from many - one", our most recent Before & After project is an example of "Ex Uno Plures" meaning "from one - many."   Our customer came to us with her heirloom cultured pearl necklace, a gift she received for her Sweet Sixteen.  Nearly forty years later, she was ready for an updated necklace yet wanted to create something meaningful to pass down to her young nieces as well. The original pearl necklace was tapered meaning that the largest pearl is in the front with...

Bright green peridot is the perfect stone for your summer wardrobe and one of the few gemstones that occur in only one color, an bright olive green. The vivacity and hue of the green, depends on how much iron is in the chemical make-up of the mineral. The color of the gems can vary from yellow-to lime-to olive-to brownish-green. The most valued color is a dark olive-green. Green is the color of life, growth, balance and healing so the peridot was used frequently all over the ancient world and has become very popular again in modernity. It was used in Egyptian...