AMETHYST
It belongs to the family of the macrocrystalline quartz, purple or lilac colour, hardness 7 on Mohs scale, transparent.
AQUAMARINE
Like emeralds, aquamarines belong to the Beryls family. The name comes from their colour “Acqua Marina” in latin “Sea water”. In India, aquamarines were believed to be amulets. In Acien Egypt, they were carved into talismans. They ensured a happy marriage and inspired the mutual fidelity of the young spouses. For seafarers, they were good luck charms, and they were also said to have curating powers.
CITRINE
It is a variety of quartz. The original reference point for the citrine colour was the citron (lemon) fruit.
IMPERIAL TOPAZ
Also known as « precious topaz ». It is the most sought after natural topaz and it is considered to resemble the colour of the setting sun. Imperial topaz was traditionally considered to be orange with red dichroism – meaning that when tilted in the light, imperial topaz can appear red or orange.
MANDARIN GARNET
It is the most sought-after garnet. Its colour is a deep and intense red. It is also called “spessartite”, from the city Spessart in Bavaria where it had originally been found. It was virtually unknown in big sizes until the beginning of the 90’s when an important source was discovered in Namibia. Garnet was known thousands of years before our era, and is mentioned in early biblical writings, where it was called “carbuncle”, meaning «little spark». The name “garnet” comes from the Latin «granatus», meaning «seed like» and was held to symbolize faith, constancy and truth. Garnet was also supposed to have strong curative powers.
OPAL
The opal is well-know for the way it beautifully features iridescent reflection, recalling rainbow. It is very fragile, so it needs to be manipulated carefully. Temperature differences, dry atmosphere, cosmetics, impacts or strong light can damage it.
PERIDOT
The peridot is well-known for its green intense colour.