Rebecca Zemans Jewelry Blog — Gemstone

The word ruby comes from the Latin word "ruber" which means red. The ruby is a red variety of the mineral Corundum, which is one of the hardest minerals known to us and is found in metamorphic rock. Unless the gem is the color red, which it gets from traces of chromium, it is considered a sapphire. The ruby stands for heat and power and was often used as bullets for blowguns, to heat water or as a cure for indigestion. The ruby, which in Sanskrit is called "ratnaraj" meaning "King of Gemstones", was in ancient Indian thought to protect against misfortune...

The Emerald is the birthstone of the month of May. Emeralds, known for their beautiful deep green color, is amongst the oldest known gemstones. It has existed on earth for more than 2600 million years and was first found by humans in Egypt. However, these mines have been exhausted for a long time.  The Ancient Egyptians believed in the power of these beautiful stones. To them, the color of the stones represented good luck and well-being. In ancient Rome, emeralds and the color green was associated with Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Even today green is still considered a the...

Hey Everyone, February is ALMOST over, but since it is a leap year I get one more day to post this new monthly blog series - The Stone of the Month. The birthstone for February is the amethyst, which is a crystalline quartz that comes in the colors of purple, lilac and mauve. The name of the stone comes from the Greek word 'amethystos' which means 'not intoxicated', and was given to the stone because the Greeks believed it helped against drunkenness and installed a sober and serious mind. The ancient Egyptians believed that the amethyst helped against guilty and fearful...