Are you looking for the perfect present for your significant other that incorporates their December birthday? Most people find special, personal meaning in their birthstones, and a ring, necklace or bracelet set with their stone is an important part of a well-rounded jewelry collection. Birthstone jewelry is also a great way to honor and celebrate the most important people in your life—and keep thoughts of them top of mind. Consider jewelry that beholds one of the three gemstones associated with the month of December. Your Sagittarius or Capricorn mate will surely appreciate the thoughtfulness and beauty of these gems.
Discovered in the late 1960s in Tanzania, and found exclusively in this tiny area of the world, tanzanite exhibits a rich violet-blue color for which the gemstone is treasured; often it is heat-treated to achieve this color. Colors range from blue to purple, and tanzanites that are medium dark in tone, vivid in saturation, and slightly violet blue command premium prices. As tanzanite can be less expensive than sapphire, it often was purchased as an alternative. However, it has increased in popularity and now is valued more for its own beauty and brilliance than as a sapphire substitute.
Derived from the Arabic words “zar” and “gun,” meaning “gold” and “color,” zircon is found in a wide range of colors such as: blue, yellow, orange, brown, green, colorless, and red (the most prized color). For many years colorless zircon was used to imitate diamonds. Folklore grants zircon the power to relieve pain, protect travelers from disease and injury, and to prevent nightmares guaranteeing a deep, tranquil sleep. Major sources of zircon are Thailand, Cambodia, and the southern part of Vietnam.
The name turquoise, meaning “Turkish stone,” originated in the thirteenth century and describes one of the oldest known gemstones. Turquoise varies in color from greenish blue, through robin's egg-blue, to sky blue shades and its transparency ranges from translucent to opaque. Turquoise is plentiful and is available in a wide range of sizes. It is most often used for beads, cabochons, carvings, and inlays. Although its popularity fluctuates in fashion, it is a perennial favorite in the American Southwest.
Tanzanite
Discovered in the late 1960s in Tanzania, and found exclusively in this tiny area of the world, tanzanite exhibits a rich violet-blue color for which the gemstone is treasured; often it is heat-treated to achieve this color. Colors range from blue to purple, and tanzanites that are medium dark in tone, vivid in saturation, and slightly violet blue command premium prices. As tanzanite can be less expensive than sapphire, it often was purchased as an alternative. However, it has increased in popularity and now is valued more for its own beauty and brilliance than as a sapphire substitute.
Zircon
Derived from the Arabic words “zar” and “gun,” meaning “gold” and “color,” zircon is found in a wide range of colors such as: blue, yellow, orange, brown, green, colorless, and red (the most prized color). For many years colorless zircon was used to imitate diamonds. Folklore grants zircon the power to relieve pain, protect travelers from disease and injury, and to prevent nightmares guaranteeing a deep, tranquil sleep. Major sources of zircon are Thailand, Cambodia, and the southern part of Vietnam.
Turquoise
The name turquoise, meaning “Turkish stone,” originated in the thirteenth century and describes one of the oldest known gemstones. Turquoise varies in color from greenish blue, through robin's egg-blue, to sky blue shades and its transparency ranges from translucent to opaque. Turquoise is plentiful and is available in a wide range of sizes. It is most often used for beads, cabochons, carvings, and inlays. Although its popularity fluctuates in fashion, it is a perennial favorite in the American Southwest.