Gemstone Details
Opal
The highly prized Australian opal is one of nature’s true works of art. Recognized as the premiere source, the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales produces a very finite supply of this phenomenal stone and no two opals are exactly alike. Each masterpiece is a complex palette of colors in blue, green, orange yellow and/or red. As you move the opal around in the light, flashes of color are revealed in the depths of the gem.
Black opals are the most valuable variety of opal and is distinguished by its black or dark ‘body tone’ which allows for the opal’s brilliant and vivid play of color. Of all black opals, those with red tones and patterns in the play of color will command the highest premium. Not all opals display play of color, and they are referred to as common opal. Opal is formed by silica and water over thousands of years. Spheres of silica stack in a regular order, and this internal structure diffracts light so play-of-color can be seen.
Opal is the birthstone for the month of October and the 14th anniversary gift.
Tsavorite Garnet
Tsavorite garnet is the green variety of the grossular group of garnets, with trace elements of vanadium or chromium providing its color. Tsavorite garnet was discovered by British gem prospector Campbell R. Bridges in the mountains of northeast Tanzania in 1967. The name tsavorite was chosen by Tiffany & Co. in reference to the initial discoveries in the area in and around Tsavo National Park.
Newer to market than most gemstones, tsavorite was not promoted to the general public until 1974. Nonetheless, it has become one of the most expensive varieties of garnet. Large stones over one or two carats are quite rare and the color can be known to rival the greenest emeralds, while being far less sensitive to handling.
Although tsavorite is the name usually associated with the darker green garnets in the grossularite species, there is no universally accepted standard that designates which shade of green qualifies a stone as tsavorite. A great characteristic of tsavorite is its durability, with a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Garnet is the birthstone for January and the gift for the second wedding anniversary.
Paraíba Tourmaline
Neon blue copper-bearing tourmaline was discovered in the hills of the Brazilian state of Paraíba, in the late 1980's. Various gemological laboratories performed testing on the new material and discovered that it was a natural elbaite tourmaline. Elbaite is generally achromatic, which means the crystals are colorless unless there are trace elements present in the chemical formula. In the case of Paraíba tourmaline, the crystals contain trace amounts of copper, which give the gemstones their unique and vibrant color and the reference of cuprian, which stands for copper-bearing. This variety of tourmaline was officially named "Paraíba tourmaline" after the state in Brazil in which it was discovered.
Their rarity is unmatched, as there is only one Paraíba tourmaline mined in Brazil for every 10,000 diamonds, and a fine quality Paraíba over three carats is virtually unheard of. A point to keep in mind is that copper bearing tourmalines have been mined in Mozambique, Nigeria and other localities, however, they are referred to as Paraíba-type tourmalines, because a true Paraíba tourmaline can only come from Brazil, making it all the more rare.
Color is perhaps the most important variable when comparing these stones, all other things being equal. Inclusions are to be expected and forgiven when judging fine stones, as long as saturation of color and brightness remain strong. Nearly every other shade of tourmaline is found in Brazil, however none has the vivid glow that distinguishes the Paraíba tourmaline. Colors ranging from bright turquoise to majestic blue-green to “windex” blue, it’s the incandescent glow that appears to light up the stone from within that makes Paraíba tourmalines incomparable to any other gemstone.
Tourmaline is the birthstone for October and the gift for the eighth wedding anniversary.
