Amethyst is the birthstone for February

With it’s range of deep violet to vibrant purple tones, Amethyst has been the subject of deep fascination for thousands of years. Imagine walking the Greek cobbled ways with Alexander the Great to find a group of merry revelers filling their cups with deep purple wine.  At that time because of it’s deep dreamy purples, Amethyst was associated with the god of wine. So, if one were wearing Amethyst, it was thought one could consume more wine without becoming the lest bit tipsy.

              Amethyst, the god of wine…

Purple Reign

No wonder Amethyst has enchanted Kings and Queens throughout the centuries. When not playing” spill the wine kiss that girl” it was thought when wearing it, Amethyst would bestow a clear head in battle as well as in business. Who doesn’t need that, even today?

             Amethyst pendant                                      in white and yellow gold

Catherine the Great of Russia sought far and near for the next “perfect” Amethyst for her collection in the late 1700’s. The mysterious purple spell has not been broken through the years and it is still widely sought after.  The mid-century modern Duchess of Windsor wore a legendary amethyst necklace to a French party that rocked Versailles. Today Gem Boutique designs beautiful pendants fit for a queen.

     Amethyst Diamond Pendant

Love Lore

Ah sweet mystery of life. Historic lore held forth that the purple beauty could calm besotted lovers overrun by the most intense of passions. Well, anyone can see why wearing the rich dreamy color could bring balance to the most twitter-pated among us.

       Amethyst Diamond Baguette Earrings                               14K White Gold #500

Options

Whether in a pendant, a ring, a sparking pair of earrings, or a bracelet, Amethyst is still among the most popular gemstones of today.  Remember mysterious Amethyst can range from light to dark purple.  Either way, it makes the perfect choice for the Queen or King of your heart, even if they are not February born.

     Four lovely styles in Amethyst

Amethyst and diamond ring

Amethyst and diamonds set in 14K yellow gold.

Tear drop Amethyst earrings in                   18K Yellow Gold

              Tear Drop Amethyst Pendant                                       on 14K white gold slide

          Amethyst ring with Diamond halo

True Blue

As 2020 marches ever closer, chaotic current events swirling around pretty much anywhere one looks, don’t seem to be lessening. But the color of the year will but a damper on the high stress world we live in. Think of a Santa Fe summer sky in Classic Blue, a deep comforting blue. This is the dependable blue that says, sure unpleasant practices and ideas are rising from the shadows to be cleared away, but no matter what shenanigans the rest of the world is up to, there is a dependable life path that you can trust as we run pell mell into the next decade.

So What Color Are We talking About?

Imagine your family gathers at dusk along the oceans shore baking potatoes and crabs in a blazing fire. It’s that deep blue of the sky just before the stars start to pop and the blessed velvet black sets in overhead.  That’s the color. The ripples of the ocean, a ripe bowl of blueberries, that fine tailor made suit that fit’s like a glove in the office or on the town. Steady and reliable. Comfortable and consistent.

Everybody’s Favorite Sapphire

Hey we’re are not talking stodgy here. We are talking about one of the most popular colored gemstones on the planet, Blue Sapphire. Ruby’s true blue cousin in the Corundum family, sapphire is dependable,  relatively hard—coming in at a 9 on the Mohs scale. A heritage stone used for rings and pendants, and even tiara’s for many generations, sapphire has excellent toughness and no cleavage, which is a tendency to break when struck.  So it has been a natural choice for rings, including engagement rings that can be worn every day. 

Singing the Blues 

Now is always a good time to sing the sapphire blues. By the way, there is a wide range of our constant color companion. Many US  buyers are familiar with a very deep hue with intense tone and deep saturation. But here at the Gem Boutique, since Jin Jou has gone straight to the mines in Sri Lanka and other locations across the globe,  there is a choice of colors to choose from. Ceylon blue a pleasant and intense color is brighter and just as hard. There is an African grey blue in light and medium hues. And London Blue is a must have for every prince and princess. So with classic blue sapphires to look forward to, 2020 is going to be the start of a new decade full of bright new ways of living. So start dreaming Big and Blue.

               Oval Cut Sapphire Diamond Ring                                       14K Yellow Gold

Diamond with Blue Sapphire trillion cut                                        ring on aloe

           Blue Sapphire Diamond Pendant  in                       14K White Gold

             Blue Sapphire and Diamond ring                  14K White  Gold

It’s that time of Year

Gifts of the Season come in many forms. As late fall turns to winter the days grow short and home is more inviting. Traditionally fall is when the harvest is ripe and heavy and gathered into bales and bundles tucked safely into the barn. The farmer can rest assured the animals will be housed as needed and fed though the cold snowy months.

Time to see the big picture

The short days and long blessed nights are a time to review the activities of the past year, repair as needed plus reflect on both the good and the bad. But most of all it is a time to spend catching up with family and friends sharing the bounty derived from the year’s toil.

Here at the Gem Boutique we are catching up with friends and family, but the resting part hasn’t kick in yet. This is more like Santa’s Workshop as we design custom jewelry whether  its engagement rings, anniversary rings or other expressions of love. Even Santa will pop in once in a while and make a recommendation.

Santa’s other sleeve…

Santa sets the Gifting trends

Turns out Santa has lots of beguiling beauties up his sleeve perfect for Gifts of the Season like this oval cut garnet beauty with round bezel set diamonds on the side. One of our Gifts of the Season is a Christmas story from Europe that goes like this.

Ole’ Saint Nick was making his way through a rural village and heard of a family that was having a hard time making ends meet. With three growing daughters in the home, it was hard to amass the required dowry to make a suitable marriage match for the spunky gals. One evening the daughters washed their stockings as usual and hung them to dry overnight by the fire.

This is where Ole’ St. Nick found them and had a remedy on hand for their family financial pain. Into each stocking he slid a round yellow ball of glittering gold.  Well when the sun rose, there was much celebrating in the family, for now the three lovely ladies would be able to marry and take their place in the community.

Modern Gifts

Today it would be very rare to drop a chunk of gold in a stocking “hung by the fire”. However the tradition of giving gifts of gold continues. Now the gold is fashioned into jewelry that can be worn and passed down to family members as keepsakes.

Gem Boutique offers the opportunity to create a completely new piece of custom jewelry that will hold it’s value down through the ages to come.   Totally in house, we can create your ring, necklace, bracelet or pin  from design to polish.

We fashion, handcraft and cast all under our own auspices resulting in beautiful works of wearable art.  So as the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer isn’t it time to ask,  “What’s in your stocking”?

With Christmas coming around the corner, we check in with Santa to see what he has up his sleeve for 2019.  Sure enough he did not disappoint. His first choice is an oval cut green emerald mounted in four prongs all set in 14K yellow gold. This cheerful emerald is an evergreen beauty. It is sure to please every time you look down and see it shining from your finger.

What’s up Santa’s sleeve?

Let’s go back to the beginning regarding selecting an engagement ring. It all comes down to what you like.  That truly is the bottom line. Does it make your heart sing when you look at the ring?  Is it comforting and comfortable. The presence of a diamond is going to reassure you both that the ring will endure through the years. The brightness and blasts of fire with even her subtle movements will add to your joy and happiness. That singular scintillation leaping from facet to facet will remind you of how your hearts beat together, even as the years roll by.

2.3 c Round Diamond Ring in 14k white Gold #753

What shape, size and configuration pleases you. After all, this ring is going to be with you both, in the good times and the more challenging times. And when you look on that third finger of the left hand, you know the one with the direct blood line straight to the heart, you want to find a singular beauty staring back. A beauty that will reassure you over and over no matter in which phase your relationship is currently entangled.

So at the beginning, while you are both sharing your thoughts on this enduring symbol of unity, you are also learning how to communicate with each other. Does one love plunging in feet first with a long line of must haves and absolutes? Has this topic been fully explored, vetted and decided, but the dear one, then can’t find the “stop button”?  All the while then the other is forced, or is it dotingly enjoys, listening attentively to the ins and outs of that personal selection journey.  Does neither one of  you seem to be able to start the “Engagement Ring” conversation? Is your style of communication non verbal? He lays down a magazine photo and she points to “the one”?  In a sense the early selection process sets the tone for your future communications. It all comes down to what you like.

Emerald Cut ring2

Like the people who wear it, all jewelry has a story.

Young couples just starting life together are looking for a symbol of long lasting love and commitment. First they search for promise rings, then an engagement ring and wedding band sets. The center gemstone or diamond is the key to making a successful selection. Diamonds have been the traditional stone, but contemporary creative couples are looking for alternatives like royal sapphire and even alexandrite with it’s play of color.

Then shape, or cut, is the first factor. What is more pleasing to the fiance, a round solitaire, emerald, princess, or cushion cut?  Some couples resonate with the idea of uniting the two families with an older cut diamond handed down from one mother or grandmother, but mounted in the setting of their choice. The process of ring selection is a good exercise in how well couples cooperate. Does he want to pick out what he thinks she will like? Does she already know exactly what she wants? Do they huddle together and come to a mutual agreement. One bride-to-be likes to be surprised with his choice and is quite content with what ever he selects. Another has been searching for the perfect ring since she has been seven years old and has already found an image in a magazine and delivered it to him to sleuth out.  This is the first step in our Gem Stories. Check back for more posts in our Gem Stories Saga.