Rebecca Zemans Jewelry Blog — Stone of the Month

The traditional birthstone for December is the beautiful turquoise. Turquoise has been considered a holy stone for thousands of years, and was worn in ancient times around the neck or hands in order to protect from sudden death--and to bring good luck. The turquoise has played a big role in jewelry and people's lives since as early as 3000 BC, when it was mined and worn by the Egyptians. People would wear turquoise in their turbans surrounded by pearls as a protection against the "evil eye." Turquoise was also often used as talismans or to adorn daggers and sabres. The...

Topaz, the birthstone of November has been known for being quite the miracle worker. The Greeks believed this gem gave them strength, cooled their tempers, cured asthma, relieved insomnia and even saved them from sudden death. People in India had similar beliefs in this precious gem, and were convinced that a topaz worn above the heart assures a long life, beauty and intelligence. In many of these beliefs the power of the topaz increased or decreased with phases of the moon. People often use this stone to celebrate their sixteenth wedding anniversary. The blue topaz specifically can be used to...

Did you know that opals, which is the birthstone of October and the star of this blog post, were once considered to bring bad luck? In the mid-1800s people believed that witches used them for witchcraft and they were themes in several novels, each time ruining the main character's life. Today, we know that all these myths surrounding this beautiful gem are nothing but made up stories. To wear an opal doesn't bring bad luck, even if you weren't born in October. Another myth is that opals have the ability to change their colors depending on one's mood...that is just...

The sapphire is often referred to as the ruby's sister. Why? Because they are both made out of the same material, the mineral corundum. Gemstones that belong to the corundum family, which are the hardest besides diamonds, consist of pure aluminum oxide, which over many years crystallized into beautiful colorless gemstones. Other elements such as iron and chrome are responsible for the sapphire's beautiful coloring. The word "sapphire" derives from the Latin "saphirus" and the Greek "sapheiros", meaning "blue." Although mostly known for its deep blue color, the sapphire can come in many other colors including red, orange, yellow, green and...

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...