Inspiration: Primary Color Gemstones

Primary colored gemstone jewelry has a stunning appearance because rich colored gems are truly complemented by metal. Beautiful reds, like rubies and garnets look amazing set in yellow gold, white gold and platinum. When you add diamonds to the jewelry, you end up with a dazzling duo of rich colors and sparkly stones. The following inspiration set was put together to showcase the best of these fabulous gems.

What do you think of these gemstone jewelry designs? How would you love to wear them? Answer in the comments below! These gorgeous gemstone jewelry items can be customized to your preferences only on Anjolee.com - The Art of Jewelry!

Four Prong Princess Cut Gemstone Stud Earrings ST982-Gem

Oval Gemstone and Diamond Designer Pendant OSA5

Classic Gemstone Four Prong Bracelet SB871-Gem

Inspired by May Birthstone: Emerald

It's May 2nd and we are already into the Spring 2011 season. This is my favorite time of year, because flowers blossom and plants are lively green.  Those lucky May birthdays get to enjoy the beautiful emerald gemstone as their birthstone. Emeralds can vary in color with the brightest greens representing the most valuable. Emeralds that are nearly free of  inclusions are also highly prized. Almost all emerald will have natural inclusions and so breaking can be an issue if you are not gentle with your gemstones. The color and clarity will both affect the price per carat of an emerald gem as well as the size of the stone. This deep green color is perfect for the Spring + Fall Season, when the outdoors truly mimic the color spectrum in this gem. Like all precious stones, emeralds must be cared for; therefore do not clean emeralds with harsh chemicals and protect them from contact with other hard minerals.

Here are a few ideas to pull inspiration from the beautiful emerald gemstone and translate it into your accessories, clothes and shoes!

Spotlight on February Gemstone

February Gemstone

For those born in the month of February, the beautiful Amethyst is the customary birthstone. Amethyst is considered to be the birth stone of Aquarius and as such relates to those born between the dates of January 20th and February 18th. Amethysts are usually found in countries like Brazil, Uruguay and Zambia.

When it comes to color, traditionally an Amethyst is a light lilac to violet and can sometimes be a red-violet color or a deep rich purple. A top quality amethyst is a deep medium purple with rose-colored flashes. Its purple color made it a stone of royalty for thousands of years. The definition of “Amethyst” is derived from the Greek word "amethystos" which literally means "remedy against drunkenness" and is thought to be reflected in the healing properties of this stone. The Amethyst is a member of the Quartz (silicon dioxide) family.  And its’ crystal like structure is hexagonal in shape.

Amethyst gemstones look beautiful when set in engagement rings, tennis bracelets and diamond pendants. Many people customize a diamond pendant with the gemstone of their birth month, for an added personalization!

For more information about gemstone jewelry or education, visit Gemstone Bracelets on Anjolee.

Spotlight on January Birth Stone: Garnet

All About Garnets

Garnet is the birth stone for the month of January. Garnets' popularity can be traced back 5,000 years to ancient Egypt, where the gems were worked into beads or set into handmade jewelry. Garnets are often a dark red, with hints of brown and are very beautiful and unique stones. In fact, if you were collecting garnet stones, you would discover that they come in almost every color with the exception of blue. You can find garnets in variations of red, orange, yellow, green, purple, brown, black, pink and colorless.

Garnets are a natural stone, meaning they are not treated or enhanced. A garnet is both hard and durable. You can easily clean your garnets using either an ultrasonic cleaning machine, any commercial jewelry cleaner, or a mild soap along with lukewarm water and a soft brush.

It has become popular to buy gemstone jewelry that features the birth month of the person you give it to. For January birthdays, consider a diamond and garnet pendant necklace, a diamond tennis bracelet that has alternating garnets with the diamonds or a pair of garnet stud earrings.

For more information about Gemstone Jewelry including high quality garnet and diamond bracelets, please visit Anjolee's Gemstone Bracelets

Top Five Gemstone Jewelry Gifts This Holiday Season

Inventive and appealing, diamond jewelry combined with gemstone accents are not only attractive, affordable accessories but they are also a twist on the number one classic jewelry of all - the diamond tennis bracelet. If you appreciate having options for design, budget and the ability to make it a reflection of your own personal style, then you will love my picks for the finest gemstone jewelry.

The below list are five of the most precious gemstone and diamond jewelry designs.If you don’t see exactly what you want, browse the whole line of gemstone bracelets and other fine jewelry on Anjolee.com to customize your ideal piece today!

1. Gemstone Dreams Diamond Tennis Bracelet, Style # SB854-Gem. The Classic Tennis Bracelet with a Twist! The addition of gorgeous gemstones really makes this design stand out!
2. Classic Gemstone Four Prong Bracelet, Style # SB871-Gem. If you like the appearance of a classic, four prong, rounded design, this is a beautiful bracelet. Customize it with her birthstone for a gift she will never forget!
3. Classic Bezel Set Gemstone and Diamond Bracelet, Style # B276-A-Alt-Gem. A bezel setting is elegant and puts the emphasis on the brilliant round stones.
4. Elliptical Link Gemstone and Diamond Bracelet, Style # SB893-A-Gem. Interesting, elliptical shaped links make this tennis bracelet design, one of a kind!
5. Alternating Gemstone Column Bracelet, Style # B17-A-Gem. The column links separate colorful gemstones, creating a visually attractive design!

For more information about these jewelry styles, please visit Anjolee Gemstone Bracelets

Spotlight on Turquoise!

Modern Turquoise

If you are born in the month of December or need to buy a gift for someone in the month of December, consider Turquoise Jewelry. Since it is the birthstone of December, it is a great option. Plus it is one of those stones that has maintained popularity for thousands of years. So there must be something special about it!

COLOR: Turquoise colors range from sky blue to various shades of green and yellow. It is a secondary mineral deposited from circulating waters, and occurs chiefly as an opaque, granular vein running through a host rock. The name turquoise originated from the word ‘turc’ (Turkish in French) as it was originally transported from Europe through Turkey.

HISTORY: Turquoise was obtained from the Sinai Peninsula before the 4th millennium BC in one of the world's first important hard-rock mining operations. Turquoise started being used before 4000 BC. Turquoise was an important ornamental mineral for jewelry and other object by the ancient Egyptians. It graced the necks of Egyptian Pharaohs and adorned the ceremonial dress of early Native Americans. This mystical gemstone has been mined for thousands of years by various other cultures. Nowadays, turquoise is mined in a number of places including the United States, Iran, China, and Tibet.

GIFT USE: Turquoise is the anniversary gemstone for the 5th year of marriage. You can give or receive turquoise jewelry for an anniversary gift.

CARE: To properly care for your turquoise jewelry you will want to note the following:  The stone's color and luster tend to deteriorate with exposure to sunlight, heat, or various weak acids so it is best to avoid hot water and the harshness of household chemicals. Turquoise is also pretty soft because it is naturally porous so you should try and avoid knocking it to avoid scratches or dents. Exposure to chemicals and oils, high heat, and direct sunlight can take an effect on the color of your gemstone. It is best to use mild soap and warm water along with a soft cloth to gently clean away any dirt or debris.

Spotlight On Topaz!

Topaz is one of the hardest silicate minerals in nature. Since topaz is a very hard gemstone, it has a Mohs hardness level of 8. You should protect your topaz stone by storing it safely. Tips for cleaning include using mild dish soap with a toothbrush.

Yellow topaz can have high luster and a great mix of colors varying from browns, oranges, yellow and gold. However, topaz also comes in a variety of colors. In addition to golden brown, and lab made blue topaz, they may be colorless, yellow, orange, red, and green. The reason the blue topaz stone is much more common now is because it is easily enhanced.  After the raw topaz is extracted from the earth and cut, it is irradiated to brown and then heated to a sky blue color. This enhancement process is permanent. Due to the popularity of blue topaz, a new treatment process called vapor deposition has been developed to create additional colors of topaz. In this treatment process, similar to those used by opticians and camera makers to make lens coatings, a thin colored film is bonded on the surface of topaz to create dark blue, red, pink, and green colors or rainbow iridescence. These vapor deposition-enhanced topaz colors must be handled with special care, as the coating can be scratched or abraded.

For more information about gemstones visit: www.gemstone.org.